This Healthy Taco Salad is a healthier spin on your classic Dorito taco salad! Made with real, simple ingredients in under 30 minutes and absolutely delicious. A great option for a busy weeknight dinner on your next Taco Tuesday that the whole family will love!
Healthy Taco Salad
This is a recipe for the best taco salad recipe that I grew up eating every summer for taco night! Okay growing up we always used Doritos (so basically this is a healthier take on a Dorito ground beef taco salad) using Siete grain-free taco chips instead and dairy-free cheese (of course use regular if you want), but the flavor is still there. Can’t wait for you guys to try this delicious salad! It is so simple and we love enjoying it on those busy summer nights.
Looking for more healthy salad recipes? Checkout our complete list of 20+ Summer Salad Recipes!
What You Will Need
- ground meat: we highly recommend getting the highest quality lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken – it really does taste better!
- taco seasoning: we love making our homemade version, but feel free to go with store-bought to keep it even more simple.
- iceberg lettuce: the perfect salad base for this salad and adds a nice little crunch!
- tomatoes: Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are our go-to here, but feel free to use your favorite variety.
- tortilla chips: the Siete brand is great, but as always, do what is best for you!
- shredded cheese: typically we use cheddar cheese, but you can use dairy-free if you want to.
- favorite toppings: black olives, avocado, green onions, red onion, salsa, or dairy-free sour cream.
- taco salad dressing: we love making this homemade taco dressing!
How To Make A Healthy Taco Salad
The first step to making this delicious recipe is to prepare the taco meat. This can be done by browning the ground beef on medium heat in a large skillet, drain any excess grease, and then add the taco seasoning and half a cup of tomato sauce.
Mix to fully combine and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Now is the fun part, use your hands to crush some taco chips and add them to a large salad bowl with the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.
Mix everything together, place some taco meat on top, and serve with the taco salad dressing.
What To Serve With Taco Salad
You don’t need much to go with taco salad since it has so many yummy ingredients in it already! But here are a few other suggestions for fun, complementary summer side dishes to make a complete meal:
- Mango Pineapple Salsa with extra chips
- Fresh Homemade Guacamole
- Salsa Rice
Should Taco Salad Be Warm or Cold
This might be up to personal preference or what you are used to growing up! I always grew up eating this salad warm – as in you put the taco meat on top of the lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, etc. while it is still warm. Then the cheese (dairy-free or otherwise) melts and is SO good! If you do prefer your salad cold you can place the taco meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Other Salad Recipes You Might Like
Healthy Taco Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top/Counter Top
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Healthy Taco Salad – a healthier version of a Dorito Taco Salad! So easy and delicious – perfect for hot summer nights!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 package taco seasoning (or 1 batch homemade taco seasoning)
- 1 head ice berg lettuce, ripped into bite-sized pieces
- 1–2 tomatoes, diced
- 2/3 bag taco chips (these are gluten-free/dairy-free)
- 15oz can tomato sauce, divided
- 6oz cheese, shredded (more if desired)
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons taco sauce
Extra Toppings:
- Optional: sliced black olives, avocado (guacamole)
Instructions
- Make taco meat: Bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium-high heat and brown the ground beef. Drain any excess grease. Add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup tomato sauce to the meat. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Mix the salad: In a large bowl add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, crushed chips (just use your hands to crush them) and cheese (if using). Add cooked taco meat on top. Mix well to fully combine.
- Salad dressing: combine the remaining tomato sauce with the ketchup and taco sauce. Stir to combine in a small bowl.
- Serve salad immediately with taco dressing on the side and any other desired toppings.
Notes
- Leftovers: While leftovers are good, this is definitely a meal that is better enjoyed fresh. The crushed taco chips and iceberg lettuce will get a little mushy overnight in the fridge. If you do want to enjoy this salad the next day, you can store the taco salad ingredients each in a separate container.
- Cheese: of course you can always use regular cheese or dairy-free cheese, if you prefer.
- Paleo version: This recipe is Paleo-Friendly. Make sure you are using grain-free chips with clean ingredients (like this one), omit the cheese (dairy-free or otherwise) and when you are making your Taco Salad Dressing + Seasoning make sure you are checking ingredients.
- Gluten-Free Version: This recipe is Gluten-Free Friendly. Make sure you are using grain-free chips with clean ingredients (like this one) and make your own taco salad dressing (noted in the recipe card).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 364
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 596 mg
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.4 g
- Protein: 27.3 g
- Cholesterol: 70.5 mg
Originally Published on: Jun 16, 2020
Kristen Maggitti says
This is our go-to taco salad recipe now. All we do is fidget with the additional salad toppings, but otherwise, this is now how we make taco salad! Totally a family weeknight staple!