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Taco Salad

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This taco salad is made with taco-seasoned ground beef, chili beans, and tomatoes combined with cheese and crunchy tortilla chips for a tasty twist on regular taco salad. The children have fun preparing all the extras before we mix it all together. Serve on lettuce and top with salsa and sour cream.

Submitted by Denise Williamson 

Updated on April 28, 2025

 Tested by 

Allrecipes Test KitchenSaveRatePrintShare

 

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This restaurant-worthy taco salad recipe made with savory taco beef, chili beans, tortilla chips, salsa, and cheese is quick, easy, and full of flavor. 

How to Make Taco Salad

You’ll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let’s go over the basics:

Taco Salad Ingredients

Wondering what goes into a taco salad? Here’s what you’ll need:

 

    • Beef: This meaty taco salad starts with a pound of lean ground beef. 

    • Beans: You’ll also need a can of chili beans. 

    • Dressing: Use store-bought or homemade French salad dressing. You can easily omit this ingredient if you prefer a more traditional flavor. 

    • Chips: Crushed tortilla chips add welcome crunch and salty flavor.

    • Lettuce: You can’t have taco salad without shredded iceberg lettuce!

    • Toppings: Top your taco salad with Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, salsa (store-bought or homemade, of course), and sour cream. 

Optional: 

 

    • More popular toppings include jalapenos, corn, pico de gallo, avocado, black beans, onions, and black olives. 

How to Make a Taco Salad Bowl

Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this easy taco salad recipe: 

 

    1. Cook the beef, then stir in the beans, dressing, and seasoning. 

    1. Place crushed chips in a bowl, then top with lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes. 

    1. Mix in the meat mixture.

    1. Finish the taco salad bowls with sour cream and salsa. 

What to Serve With Taco Salad

This taco salad recipe is pretty hearty all on its own, but it’ll work well with any side dishes you’d normally serve with tacos. Check out our collection of 12 Side Dishes to Round Out Taco Night for delicious inspiration. Here are a few of the mouthwatering recipes you’ll find: 

 

How to Store Taco Salad

Taco salad is best served fresh. However, if you’d like to prep your ingredients and store them in separate containers in the fridge until you’re ready to heat and serve, you can do that for up to three days. 

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“This is SO YUMMY and is gluten-free friendly,” says gs8jn6wxny. “Everyone in the family loves it and it’s a favorite amongst everyone.”

“I added a chopped bell pepper and chopped yellow onion to the meat as it was browning,” according to Melisa Mumford. “It was delicious and I will definitely make it again.”

“Delicious,” raves Laurene. “I let the meat and bean mixture simmer for about 45 minutes as it seemed very liquidy. Most of the liquid cooked out and the consistency was perfect after that.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

1x2x4x

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

 

    • 1 pound lean ground beef

    • 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans

    • 1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing or to taste

    • 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

    • 1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips

    • 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

    • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

    • 1 cup chopped tomatoes

    • ½ cup prepared salsa

    • 4 tablespoons sour cream

Directions

 

    1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Stir in chili beans, salad dressing, and seasoning mix. Fill the empty dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.an overhead shot of chili beans, French-style dressing, and seasoning mix combined with ground beef in a pan with a wooden spoonDotdash Meredith Food Studios

    1. Crush the bag of chips, open the bag, and toss crushed chips into a large bowl.an overhead shot of shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes and chips in glass bowlsDotdash Meredith Food Studios

    1. Add cheese, and tomatoes. Pour meat mixture into the bowl; mix well.an overhead shot of taco salad ingredients combined in a glass mixing bowlDotdash Meredith Food Studios

    1. Fill a bowl with lettuce. Top with meat mixture, salsa, and sour cream. Serve warm and enjoy!close up on a bowl of taco saladDotdash Meredith Food Studios

This taco salad is made with taco-seasoned ground beef, chili beans, and tomatoes combined with cheese and crunchy tortilla chips for a tasty twist on regular taco salad. The children have fun preparing all the extras before we mix it all together. Serve on lettuce and top with salsa and sour cream.

Submitted by Denise Williamson 

Updated on April 28, 2025

 Tested by 

Allrecipes Test KitchenSaveRatePrintShare

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

comments, “Put a twist on the conventional taco salad

0 of 4 minutes, 1 secondVolume 0%Add Photo

 

29

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Servings:

8Jump to Nutrition FactsJump to recipe

This restaurant-worthy taco salad recipe made with savory taco beef, chili beans, tortilla chips, salsa, and cheese is quick, easy, and full of flavor. 

How to Make Taco Salad

You’ll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let’s go over the basics:

Taco Salad Ingredients

Wondering what goes into a taco salad? Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Beef: This meaty taco salad starts with a pound of lean ground beef. 
  • Beans: You’ll also need a can of chili beans. 
  • Dressing: Use store-bought or homemade French salad dressing. You can easily omit this ingredient if you prefer a more traditional flavor. 
  • Seasoning: Use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning mix. 
  • Chips: Crushed tortilla chips add welcome crunch and salty flavor.
  • Lettuce: You can’t have taco salad without shredded iceberg lettuce!
  • Toppings: Top your taco salad with Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, salsa (store-bought or homemade, of course), and sour cream. 

Optional: 

  • More popular toppings include jalapenos, corn, pico de gallo, avocado, black beans, onions, and black olives. 
  • If you like, you can serve the taco salad in a store-bought tortilla bowl or in our homemade baked tortilla bowls. 

How to Make a Taco Salad Bowl

Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this easy taco salad recipe: 

  1. Cook the beef, then stir in the beans, dressing, and seasoning. 
  2. Place crushed chips in a bowl, then top with lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes. 
  3. Mix in the meat mixture.
  4. Finish the taco salad bowls with sour cream and salsa. 

What to Serve With Taco Salad

This taco salad recipe is pretty hearty all on its own, but it’ll work well with any side dishes you’d normally serve with tacos. Check out our collection of 12 Side Dishes to Round Out Taco Night for delicious inspiration. Here are a few of the mouthwatering recipes you’ll find: 

How to Store Taco Salad

Taco salad is best served fresh. However, if you’d like to prep your ingredients and store them in separate containers in the fridge until you’re ready to heat and serve, you can do that for up to three days. 

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“This is SO YUMMY and is gluten-free friendly,” says gs8jn6wxny. “Everyone in the family loves it and it’s a favorite amongst everyone.”

“I added a chopped bell pepper and chopped yellow onion to the meat as it was browning,” according to Melisa Mumford. “It was delicious and I will definitely make it again.”

“Delicious,” raves Laurene. “I let the meat and bean mixture simmer for about 45 minutes as it seemed very liquidy. Most of the liquid cooked out and the consistency was perfect after that.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

1x2x4x

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
  • 1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing or to taste
  • 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup prepared salsa
  • 4 tablespoons sour cream

Directions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Stir in chili beans, salad dressing, and seasoning mix. Fill the empty dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.an overhead shot of chili beans, French-style dressing, and seasoning mix combined with ground beef in a pan with a wooden spoonDotdash Meredith Food Studios
  2. Crush the bag of chips, open the bag, and toss crushed chips into a large bowl.an overhead shot of shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes and chips in glass bowlsDotdash Meredith Food Studios
  3. Add cheese, and tomatoes. Pour meat mixture into the bowl; mix well.an overhead shot of taco salad ingredients combined in a glass mixing bowlDotdash Meredith Food Studios
  4. Fill a bowl with lettuce. Top with meat mixture, salsa, and sour cream. Serve warm and enjoy!close up on a bowl of taco saladDotdash Meredith Food Studios

 

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