El Barco Taco Salad Recipe

Wash and dry the romaine lettuce thoroughly. Chop or shred into bite-size strips and place in a large serving bowl.

Drain and rinse the canned black beans; pat dry and add to the bowl with lettuce.

Prepare the street corn: either use grilled or roasted corn kernels. To quick-char: heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon oil, add 1 cup corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred (4–6 minutes). Cool slightly and add to the bowl.

Sprinkle the shredded jack cheese evenly over the salad base and toss gently to combine just before plating so cheese distributes but doesn’t clump.

Halve and pit the avocados. Scoop flesh into a medium bowl and mash with a fork to desired consistency (slightly chunky is recommended).

Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice, minced red onion, chopped cilantro, minced jalapeño, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning or lime as needed.

Cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface to prevent browning until ready to assemble.

Combine the diced tomatoes, white onion, chopped cilantro and minced jalapeño in a small bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir and let sit 5–10 minutes to marry flavors. Adjust salt or lime to taste.

In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon lime zest and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

If the crema is too thick for drizzling, add up to 1 teaspoon water and whisk until smooth and pourable. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or small bowl for serving.

Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 350°F / 175°C if using a thermometer).

Working in batches, fry each corn tortilla for about 30–45 seconds per side until crisp and golden; use tongs to flip. For taco-shell-style shapes, fold in half and hold with tongs for 10–15 seconds so shape holds while cooling.

Transfer crisped tortillas to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt while still hot.

To assemble the El Barco Taco Salad: mound the lettuce mixture onto individual shallow bowls or one large platter. Dot with generous spoonfuls of guacamole and spoonfuls of pico de gallo around the salad.

Drizzle lime créma across the top in a back-and-forth motion (or serve on the side). Arrange 2–3 crispy tortillas per serving standing into the salad or broken into chips and scattered on top.

Garnish with extra cilantro if desired and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the salad.