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Taco Salads Recipe

Name: MiMi's Southern Style Cookings TACO SALADS Recipe
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded; 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped; 1 cups cherry tomatoes, halved; 0.5 cups red onion, thinly sliced; 0.75 cups corn kernels (fresh or thawed frozen); 0.75 cups black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños (optional); 1 lbs ground beef (85% lean); 1 tsp olive oil; 0.5 cups yellow onion, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp smoked paprika; 0.5 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 0.25 cups beef broth or water; 3 cups tortilla chips, lightly crushed; 1 medium avocado, diced; 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped; 2 each lime wedges; 0.5 cups plain Greek yogurt or sour cream; 0.25 cups mayonnaise; 0.25 cups fresh cilantro, packed; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 tsp honey or agave; 1 clove garlic, minced

Inspired by MiMi's Southern Style Cooking

Time35m

Serves4

Make Taco Salads Recipe in just 35m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Taco Salad Base

6 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded

2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

1 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cups Red onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cups corn kernels (fresh or thawed frozen)

3/4 cups black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp pickled jalapeños (optional)

Seasoned Taco Beef (or protein)

1 lbs ground beef (85% lean)

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cups yellow onion, finely diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp Chili powder

1 tsp Ground cumin

1/2 tsp Smoked paprika

1/2 tsp Dried oregano

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cups beef broth or water

Crunch & Garnish

3 cups tortilla chips, lightly crushed

1 medium avocado, diced

2 tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped

2 each Lime wedges

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

1/4 cups Mayonnaise

1/4 cups fresh cilantro, packed

2 tbsp ReaLime juice

1 tsp honey or agave

1 clove Garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Ground cumin

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp water (to thin, if needed)

Method

Taco Salad Base

Wash and dry the lettuce. In a large bowl combine shredded iceberg and chopped romaine. Add halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, corn, and rinsed black beans. Toss gently to combine.

Stir in shredded cheddar and pickled jalapeños (if using). Reserve chilled until ready to assemble.

Seasoned Taco Beef (or protein)

Cook beef

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil and 1/2 cup diced yellow onion; sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add 1 lb ground beef to the skillet. Break up with a spoon and cook 5–7 minutes until browned with no pink remaining.

Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and 1/4 cup beef broth (or water). Mix well, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 3–4 minutes until the mixture is saucy and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt/pepper as needed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

In a small bowl or blender, combine 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp honey, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Whisk (or blend) until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add up to 2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp at a time, until it reaches a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust lime, salt, or sweetness.

Crunch & Garnish / Assembly

If using whole tortilla chips, gently crush them (leave some larger pieces for texture). Dice the avocado and chop cilantro for garnish.

To assemble, divide the salad base evenly among 4 bowls (about 2 cups base per serving). Top each bowl with about 1/4 of the seasoned beef (roughly 4 oz cooked beef per serving), 3/4 cup crushed tortilla chips, and diced avocado.

Drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of the creamy cilantro-lime dressing over each salad (or serve dressing on the side). Sprinkle remaining chopped cilantro and add a lime wedge to each bowl. Serve immediately so tortilla chips stay crisp.