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Delicious, Taco Fiesta Salad is loaded with toppings, juicy beef and served in a homemade crispy tortilla shell. This is a fun meal everyone will love. You will love the flavors, textures and edible bowl. Trust me, add this to the weekly rotation.
Why Make Taco Fiesta Salad
This salad is so fun, and overloaded with great flavors. The juicy seasoned beef and crunchy ingredients is a home run. Everyone will love this meal.
- Customizable. Make this meal for anyone to enjoy! This is great for picky eaters, the mix-ins are endless.
- Easy To Make. Just like my Ground Beef Fajitas, it’s ready in a pinch!
- Party Friendly. These are great for entertaining, guests love this recipe with the edible shell.
- Healthier. The “shell” it’s served in is baked NOT fried.
- Diet Friendly. Customize the recipe to cater to all diets.
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Ground Beef. This is the main protein for the taco salad. You can use ground turkey or chicken if preferred.
- Taco Seasoning. Use half a packet of fajita/taco seasoning or make your own blend; paprika, chili powder, garlic, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Veggies. Onions, avocado, black beans, corn kernels, jalapeño, romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes are all toppings to this Taco Fiesta Salad. Customize the veggies however you like!
- Large Burrito Tortillas. Use burrito sized tortillas to make the edible shell for the “bowl” to this dish. This is optional!
- Dressing. I use salsa and sour cream for the “dressing” to this salad I find it has SO much flavor from the ingredients that the creamy sour cream and flavor from the salsa just takes it to a full 10!
- Toppings. Sour Cream, Salsa Verde (or any salsa of choice!) shredded cheese, chopped cilantro and lime for garnish and crushed nacho chips for crunch!
Recipe Variations
- Make it gluten free. Use gluten free tortillas or skip the tortilla bowl and just serve it in a dish!
- Dairy Free. This recipe is almost dairy free. Skip the cheese and sour cream to make it completely dairy friendly.
- Add grains. Feel free to add cooked rice or quinoa to this dish to make it even more filling!
Steps To Make Taco Fiesta Salad
Step One. Start with making the tortilla shell “bowls” for the Taco Fiesta Salad. Preheat the oven to 350º gently place the burrito sized tortilla into greased oven safe bowls and gently shape them to the bowl. Give them a very light spritz of cooking oil and place the in oven for 5-8 minutes or until it’s lightly browned and formed a “bowl”. Let them cool completely and gently wiggle them out of the bowl (Photo 1-2)!
Step Two. Make the ground beef. Add it to a skillet with the seasonings and brown until cooked through (Photo 3).
Step Three. In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients and toppings (except the avocado and nacho chips) to the bowl, add the salsa and sour cream and mix it well! Everything should be nicely coated. Add the salad to the crispy tortilla bowls, top with shredded cheese and nacho chips, cilantro garnish and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!
Taco Fiesta Salad Pairings
This salad is a meal in itself, it covers all the boxes; textures, flavors and food groups. But if you want to pair it with some fun sides – I have you covered!
Mexican Street Corn Casserole, Grilled Zucchini Salad, Smoked Queso and Avocado Corn Salad all pair great.
Recipe Tips
- Taste as you go. You may want to add more salt or spice to the ground beef or salad so be sure to taste as you go.
- Don’t overcook the shell. Just cook it enough to brown up and get crispy. It can burn quickly so keep a close eye on it.
- Make your own taco seasoning! Mix 1 tsp of; garlic, onion, chili powder, paprika, cumin and 1/2 tsp salt & pepper.
- Make it healthier. Skip the tortilla and just enjoy the salad. You can also skip the nacho chips and cheese to cut some calories, although they are SO good in this salad.
Recipe FAQs
It’s a popular dish from Taco bell. It’s essentially a crisp taco salad shell filled with ground beef, refried beans, rice, crunchy red strips, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
Yes, you can pre make the ground beef and pre chop everything. I suggest mixing it all up before serving otherwise the romaine lettuce can get soggy.
Other Taco Inspired Meals To Try
Taco Fiesta Salad
Equipment
- oven safe bowls *to make the crispy tortilla shell
- frying pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef , ground chicken or turkey will also work
- 2-3 Tbsp taco seasoning , *see notes for homemade taco seasoning
- 4 large tortillas
- 6-8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1.5 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn kernels, thawed or fresh off the cob
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 1 Jalapeño, diced
Additional Toppings
- 3 Tbsp sour cream
- ¼ cup salsa verde , or any salsa of choice
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup nacho chips , like Doritos
- cilantro, chopped for garnish
- 1 lime, sliced for garnish
- 1 small avocado, diced
Instructions
Make The Crispy Tortilla Shells
- Start with making the tortilla shell "bowls" for the Taco Fiesta Salad. Preheat the oven to 350º gently place the burrito sized tortilla into greased oven safe bowls and gently shape them to the bowl. Give them a very light spritz of cooking oil and place the in oven for 5-8 minutes or until it's lightly browned and formed a "bowl". Let them cool completely and gently wiggle them out of the bowl!
Taco Fiesta Bowls
- Make the ground beef. Add it to a skillet with the seasonings and brown until cooked through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients and toppings (except the avocado and nacho chips) to the bowl, add the salsa and sour cream, mix it well! Everything should be nicely coated. Add the salad to the crispy tortilla bowls, top with shredded cheese and nacho chips, cilantro garnish and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!
Notes
- Taste as you go. You may want to add more salt or spice to the ground beef or salad so be sure to taste as you go.
- Don’t overcook the shell. Just cook it enough to brown up and get crispy. It can burn quickly so keep a close eye on it.
- Make your own taco seasoning! Mix 1 tsp of; garlic, onion, chili powder, paprika, cumin and 1/2 tsp salt & pepper.
- Make it healthier. Skip the tortilla and just enjoy the salad. You can also skip the nacho chips and cheese to cut some calories, although they are SO good in this salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Taco Fiesta Salad is SO GOOD