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Our easy Taco Salad recipe is ready in under 30 minutes with seasoned ground beef, fresh veggies, crunchy tortilla bowls, and all your favorite toppings. It's a healthy, customizable dinner that's perfect for busy weeknights!

This easy Taco Salad recipe is loaded with fresh ingredients in a crunchy tortilla bowl. It's fun, delicious, and perfect for everyone to build their own bowls!

Taco Salad Perfection

This whole taco salad dinner comes together quickly and every element can be prepped ahead of time for an extra quick dinner. You could even double or triple the meat/bean mixture and freeze it for a freezer meal another day. It takes just minutes to make your own crispy tortilla bowl for the taco salad base (if you're feeling “extra” use our homemade flour tortillas!), but it elevates your Taco salad so much. My kids are happy because they can customize theirs with whatever toppings they like, and this is an all-around dinner “win”.

Try more of my 30-minute meals, like Dumpling Soup, Applebee's Salad, Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Instant Pot Spaghetti, Chicken Avocado Wrap, and Mongolian Noodles!

How to make Taco Salad:

Cook Meat and Chop Veggies: Brown the ground beef, remove grease, and add taco seasoning. Stir in black beans and corn. Shred the cheese and chop the lettuce, tomatoes, and any other veggies.

Make Baked Tortilla Bowl (optional): Follow the instructions in my recipe card if you'd like to serve your salad in a crispy tortilla bowl (my favorite!). But you can just serve it in a bowl or on a plate.

Serve: Add lettuce in a tortilla bowl or on a plate. Scoop on meat mixture, veggies, a sprinkle with cheese, and a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, and a spoonful of salsa. Sprinkle with cilantro on top. If you want a full feast, serve with Horchata, Mexican Rice, Tres Leches Cake, or Sopaipillas!

This healthy Taco Salad recipe has a flavorful beef mixture with taco seasoning, black beans, and corn then topped with chopped fresh vegetables in a delicious meal.
4.99 from 67 votes

Healthy Taco Salad Recipe

Author: Lauren Allen
This healthy Taco Salad with seasoned ground beef, black beans, and crispy homemade tortilla bowls is a family-favorite dinner ready in just 25 minutes. Packed with fresh lettuce, corn, cheese, and your choice of toppings. It's a simple meal the whole family can customize and enjoy!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 lb lean ground beef, , or ground turkey
  • 2 Tablespoons Taco seasoning , , or 1 packet
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 can black beans, , drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn , (canned or frozen)
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, , chopped
  • 6 (8 inch) flour tortillas, , or 1 bag tortilla chips

Topping options:

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, , halved
  • ½ cup Sliced Olives
  • ½ cup shredded cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped red or green onion
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • Salsa
  • Sour Cream
  • Guacamole, , or chopped avocado

Instructions 

  • Meat Mixture: Add ground beef to a skillet over medium heat. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until cooked through. Remove grease. Add taco seasoning and water and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in black beans and corn.
    1 lb lean ground beef, 2 Tablespoons Taco seasoning, ½ cup water, 1 can black beans, 1 cup corn
  • Assemble: Add baked tortilla shell (recipe follows) or tortilla chips to the bottom of a shallow bowl. Top with a handful of lettuce, then taco meat and desired toppings. Add salsa, sour cream and guacamole (or avocado) on top.
    1 head romaine lettuce, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, ½ cup Sliced Olives, ½ cup shredded cheese, ¼ cup chopped red or green onion, ½ cup chopped cilantro

How to Make Baked Tortilla Bowls:

  • Brush a thin layer of canola or vegetable oil on both sides of 8” flour tortillas. Place a 4’’ ramekin or similar size oven-safe bowl, face down, on a cookie sheet. Lay a tortilla over it. Place a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil on top of the tortilla and press down, scrunching the foil and tortilla around the ramekin until it’s shaped like a tortilla bowl (think basket-style coffee filter). 
    6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
  • Now flip the whole thing over so it’s open end up. Repeat for however many tortilla bowls you’re going to need (and an extra or two in case one breaks!).
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 5 minutes. Take cookie sheet out of oven, use tongs to carefully remove each ramekin and then return the tray to the oven to cook for 5 more minutes. 
  • Remove from oven, carefully lift each shell out of the foil and place bottom up, foil down on the cookie sheet. Gently secure the rim of the tortilla inside the foil so it doesn't burn. Return to oven to cook for 7-10 more minutes or until crisp and golden.

Notes

*Nutritional info doesn't include optional toppings.
Make Ahead Instructions: The taco meat and tortilla shells can be prepped a day or two in advance, stored separately. Reheat the meat mixture in the microwave or in a skillet. All of the veggies and toppings can be chopped and ready, just keep them in separate containers in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions: Allow meat mixture to cool completely and store in freezer safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Vegetarian Taco Salad: Replace meat with cooked, crumbled tofu or add additional beans or veggies.
Vegan: Substitute vegan cheese and crumbled tofu.
Gluten-free Adaptations: Use gluten-free tortillas or corn tortillas, and taco seasoning.
Keto/low-carb: Skip the shell and try out this keto / gluten-free Tortilla bowls recipe.
Make Walking Tacos: Scoop the taco meat into a bag of fritos chips, and add your favorite toppings.
Taco Salad Bar: If you are serving to a crowd or if everyone has different preferences, set up a build your own taco salad bar!
Chicken Taco Salad: Instead of the ground beef, use this chicken taco meat!

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Sodium: 429mg, Potassium: 658mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 9658IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 125mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This post was originally published on June 2020. Updated January 2022 and January 2024 and January 2026.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

4.99 from 67 votes (58 ratings without comment)
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jangoodell@outlook.com
8 months ago

5 stars
Great

December Sering
8 months ago

4 stars
I am trying this tonight. I was wondering if i can just cook the bowls without the ramekins as I don’t have enough.

Admin
Stacy Popham
8 months ago

You can use any oven safe bowl or even ball up some aluminum foil! Hope you LOVE them!
-Stacy

December Sering
8 months ago
Reply to  Stacy Popham

5 stars
I ended up using sine shorter ones too and they worked. Put ones without ramekins in between. Fyi it was yummy.
Thank you!

wweaver9@cox.net
1 year ago

8/26/2024 LOVED it. We ate it with TOSTITOS Lime tortilla chips. *****