Tinas Taco Salad Recipes

BEST TACO SALAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Start with the taco meat.** Brown 1 pound ground beef in a skillet on the stove, over medium heat. Break up the meat into small pieces. Once it is no longer pink (3-5 minutes), remove from heat. Tilt the pan and scoop the grease into a foil-lined bowl (then refrigerate and toss when solidified). Return the pan back to the stove and set over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup Premium McCormick's taco seasoning. (Or a regular taco packet will do. See notes for a homemade recipe.) Add 3/4 cup water to the pan. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Turn off the heat when there is still thickened liquid at the bottom of the pan. If you cook until all the liquid has evaporated, you will have dry taco meat; no thanks. Set aside and keep warm, covered.
• Prep the lettuce and herbs. Chop the romaine into bite size pieces and dry in a salad spinner (or dry off with paper towels). Add 1/2 cup chopped green onions and 1 bunch of chopped cilantro. Spin to mix, or add to a large bowl and toss together.
• Prep your toppings. Grate 1 and 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Chop 1 and 1/2 cups tomatoes. Thinly slice 8 radishes. Dice half a red onion. Chop 2 avocados (or make a quick guacamole with them by adding a bit of lime and salt). Thaw out 1 cup of frozen corn (I usually stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds and then let it finish thawing on the counter). Slice 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers. Crush some Juanitas or Fritos, but leave some whole for garnishing.

EASY GROUND BEEF TACO SALAD

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-6 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, toss lettuce with cheese. Top with beef mixture and chips; drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

TINA'S TACO SALAD

Steps:

• Brown the hamburger with the taco seasoning, saving some of the seasoning for the dressing.
• Mix together the kidney beans, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and olives in a large bowl.
• Whisk together Thousand Island dressing, salsa, seasoning, and sugar in a small plastic storage container.
• Combine the salad and meat.
• Pour the crushed Doritos over the salad.
• When serving, pour the dressing over the salad AFTER it has been put on the plate. Otherwise, the Doritos will get soggy after a while.

CLASSIC TACO SALAD

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ground beef and season with ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, one teaspoon chipotle powder, and onion powder. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and broken into small pieces, approximately 8-10 minutes. Break up the beef with a spatula into small chunks while it cooks.
• Stir the black beans into the skillet with the beef mixture until thoroughly coated with the seasonings. Remove from heat and carefully drain excess fat from skillet and set aside.
• Combine the lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and corn in a large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining olive oil, chipotle powder, and fresh lime juice. Generously season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.
• To serve, transfer salad to a serving platter and top with the seasoned beef and black beans, Mexican cheese, and tortilla chips.