Taco Salad with Creamy Taco Dressing

A vibrant Taco Salad in a white bowl with crisp lettuce, savory ground meat, shredded cheddar, black beans, cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, jalapeños, crunchy tortilla chips, and grilled jalapeños sits on a blue surface, accompanied by a fork and green napkin.

Taco Salad with Creamy Taco Dressing

Classic ground beef taco salad with seasoned saucy taco meat, crisp lettuce, and a creamy taco dressing built from the same flavors as Mom's taco dip, with sour cream, salsa, taco seasoning, lime, and a smoky chipotle kick.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: easy taco salad, taco salad recipe

Servings:

Calories: 919kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

FOR THE CREAMY TACO DRESSING

1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1/3 cup salsa or picante sauce
1 teaspoon taco seasoning homemade preferred
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 chipotle pepper in adobo minced (or hot sauce to taste)
Salt to taste

FOR THE TACO SALAD

1 pound ground beef 85/15
1/2 small yellow onion diced
1 serrano pepper minced (jalapeño for milder)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning homemade preferred
1/2 cup tomato sauce or use red salsa
8 cups chopped romaine or romaine-iceberg mix
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup black beans drained and rinsed (optional, warmed if desired)
½ small red onion thinly sliced
1-2 jalapeño peppers sliced (fresh or pickled)
1 large avocado diced
2 cups tortilla chips lightly crushed, plus more for serving
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Make the creamy taco dressing: Whisk together the Mexican crema (or sour cream), salsa or picante sauce, taco seasoning (homemade preferred), fresh lime juice, chipotle pepper in adobo (or hot sauce to taste), and salt in a small bowl until smooth. Thin with a teaspoon or two of water if needed for a drizzling consistency. Cover and refrigerate while you make the taco meat to let the flavors mingle.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, onion, and serrano (or jalapeno). Cook, breaking up the meat, until the beef is browned and the onion has softened, 7-8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
Stir in taco seasoning and, tomato sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens and clings to the meat, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes so it won't wilt the lettuce.
Assemble the salad. Add chopped romaine (or romaine-iceberg mix) to a large serving bowl or divide among 4 bowls. Top with the warm taco meat, then cherry tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, black beans if using, red onion, jalapeño, and avocado. Scatter tortilla chips and chopped fresh cilantro over the top.
Drizzle the creamy taco dressing over the salad, or serve it on the side for dipping and drizzling. Serve immediately with extra tortilla chips and lime wedges.

Notes

Heat factor: Medium at baseline (serrano in the meat, jalapeño on top, chipotle in the dressing). Mild it down by swapping the serrano for jalapeño or omitting, and skipping the chipotle. Heat it up with habanero hot sauce in the dressing or extra serranos in the beef.

Corn is a popular addition.

Nutrition