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An overhead shot of a shallow bowl of taco salad on a terrazzo tile table with a gold fork and a dusty pink linen napkin.
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5 from 9 votes

Taco Salad

The homemade version of your favorite taco salad from the high school cafeteria days!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Servings: 6 people
Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Cilantro Vinaigrette:

  • 1 shallot roughly chopped
  • 2 cups tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves stems removed (about 4 ounces)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt

For the Meat:

  • ½ pound ground turkey or chicken
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • ¼ cup water

For the Salad:

  • 2 heads romaine lettuce thinly shredded
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
  • ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 ears of corn shucked and corn sliced off the cob
  • 2 avocados diced
  • 3 green onions sliced
  • cilantro leaves
  • 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained

Instructions

For the Cilantro Vinaigrette

  • Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 2 minutes until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed and set aside.

For the Meat

  • Place a medium skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. Add the ground chicken or turkey and continue to cook for 6-7 minutes until fully cooked. Add the taco seasoning and the water and reduce heat to low. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes while you assemble the salad.

For the Salad

  • If you’re layering this in one large serving bowl, layer half of the lettuce on the bottom followed by half of all the other toppings. Add the next layer of lettuce on top and finish with the remaining toppings. Top with the meat and toss together with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Add more as needed and serve immediately.

Notes

You can always make this more appealing to kids (and kids at heart) by using ranch instead of the vinaigrette.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 1293mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 19065IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 4mg