Description
A vibrant and flavorful Taco Salad featuring seasoned ground beef, fresh vegetables, creamy avocado, and a zesty homemade dressing, all topped with crunchy tortilla chips for the perfect Tex-Mex meal in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup salsa
- 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
For the Salad
- 1 oz taco seasoning
- 16 oz salsa, divided
- 3/4 cup sour cream, divided
- 1 avocado
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1 head iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup whole kernel corn, drained
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 4 oz tortilla chips
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Combine 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup salsa, and 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning in a bowl, mixing thoroughly until smooth. Set aside to let the flavors meld.
- Prepare the avocado topping: Mash the avocado with lime juice and salt until creamy and smooth. Set aside for use later in the salad assembly.
- Cook the ground beef: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Drain excess grease from the skillet.
- Season the beef: Stir in the remaining taco seasoning (1/2 oz), 3/4 cup salsa, and chopped cilantro to the cooked beef. Allow the mixture to simmer briefly to combine flavors and heat through.
- Assemble the salad base: Arrange the chopped lettuce evenly on serving plates as the salad base.
- Add the beef and vegetables: Spoon the seasoned beef mixture over the lettuce. Then layer diced tomatoes, jalapenos, black beans, corn, black olives, red onion, and shredded Mexican cheese blend on top.
- Top with avocado and sour cream: Add a generous dollop of the mashed avocado mixture and the remaining 1/3 cup sour cream atop the salad layers.
- Finish with dressing and chips: Drizzle the prepared dressing over each salad and sprinkle crushed tortilla chips on top for crunch before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh lime juice for best flavor in the avocado mash.
- For a spicier salad, keep the jalapeno seeds or add more diced jalapenos.
- Tortilla chips add crunch; substitute with crushed baked chips for a lighter version.
- Black beans and corn should be well-drained to prevent sogginess.
- This salad can be served immediately or chilled briefly for a cooler dish.
