20 Minute Healthy Taco Salad
Add this easy 20 Minute Healthy Taco Salad recipe to your list of fast dinners for busy weeknights! It has all of the favorites – avocado, black beans, cheese and salsa!
I’ve had salads on my mind! I have three salad recipes photographed and ready to share with you. They’re all super easy and so delicious, so I’m sure you won’t mind. 😉 I have a few other posts in the works too, so I’ll space out greens with some other breakfast and dinner recipes.
This 20 Minute Healthy Taco Salad is what to make when you’re not sure what to make for dinner. You can have it on your table in 20 minutes so it’s perfect for busy nights. If you have young kids who aren’t into salads yet, they can skip the lettuce and wrap theirs up in whole grain tortillas.
You can switch up your taco salad ingredients however you like. Sometimes I use ground beef, and sometimes I’ll use ground turkey or chicken. I always season my taco meat with my easy homemade taco seasoning. Leftover slow cooker salsa chicken is great on taco salad, too.
I like to serve my taco salad over romaine. You can also use baby kale or spinach, or a mix of greens. To top this healthy taco salad I’ve used black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado and cheese. Salsa makes a healthy and flavor-packed dressing for these salads, especially if you make this easy homemade salsa recipe.
If you love taco salad as much as I do, be sure to also try my Meal Prep Taco Salad Lunch Bowls!
20 Minute Healthy Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or ground turkey
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup canned corn, drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar, Monterey jack or colby jack cheese
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1 cup salsa
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces crumbled tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat, until meat is browned. Stir in the taco seasoning, water and tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly gone and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- To assemble the salads, divide the lettuce, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese and avocado evenly between four large plates or salad bowls. Top with the cooked seasoned beef and salsa. Add a tablespoon of sour cream and crumbled tortilla chips to each salad. Serve.
So… it’s April! I’m not sure how that happened! And the first Thursday of a new month means… 30 Minute Thursday! I think you’re going to love what my friends have cooked up for you this month. Each of these dinners takes just 30 minutes (or less) to prepare!
One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice from The Recipe Rebel
30 Minute Pad Thai from Bake.Eat.Repeat.
Arugula and Prosciutto Puff Pastry Pizza from Pumpkin ‘N Spice
30 Minute Shrimp Scampi from My Kitchen Craze
Savory Waffles with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower from Floating Kitchen
Crispy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos from She Likes Food
30 Minute Skillet Pasta Primavera from Flavor the Moments
Salads are my favorite, and I’ve been making a lot of them lately, too! And taco salads hold a special place in my heart. My husband and I love whipping them up when the weather gets warmer. Your healthier version looks delicious, Kristine! Love how easy this is to throw together. I’ll have to try this the next time we get a craving for taco salad!
Yes! Bring on the salads. As much as I love tacos, sometimes I like taco salads even more because of all the crunchiness you get. These bowls look perfect. Love all the colorful veggies!
Whenever I eat out at Mexican restaurants I always order taco salads but rarely make them at home! I’ve had one on my mind and will get to it at some point I guess. 🙂 This is just perfect Kristine and I would love it with turkey taco meat — my fave!
I love salads so I have no complains if you have more lined up! And I especially love taco salad and could eat this salad every single day and not ever get bored of it!
I really wish you would include the nutritional details with your recipes….specifically calorie count ,saturated fat, grams of sugar & protein. I follow the weight watchers plan, as I am sure many other readers do, and this would be very helpful….your recipes are very good.
Mary,
Thank you, I have considered offering this but it would take a significant amount of time for all my recipes. I also am not sure counting calories etc.. is a good use of one’s time. For me the real pitfall of counting such things is that it creates a false belief that there is then a budget to spend on unhealthy or processed foods. If you are interested you might read these dieticians’ thoughts on real food and counting calories.
I love taco salad because they are so delicious and easy to customize. A high protein meal that I eat when I am working out. Really love Mexican foods and getting inspiration to make it healthier is great. Thanks for sharing.
This is *almost* the perfect recipe (closest to the original 60 years ago), but where are the crunched up corn chips? That’s what makes it a “Taco” salad! Well, that & using salsa for dressing (instead of the 1990’s fetish or 1000 island dressing!? Shudder) means a perfect recipe!
I recently found, in my canned bean aisle at the grocery store, Goya brand “Mixed Beans”. Since I’m an “older than dirt” retired chef, buying 3 different cans of beans (original recipe called for black, kidney, pinto & garbanzos), is prohibitive. The can doesn’t have garbanzos, just other 3, but it’s a start! I usually add the beans into my onion & ground beef, to heat, and use Tostitos brand flat corn tortilla chips! Blessings!!!
I really love and enjoy the easy & healthy recipes…
Thank you Gelinda