This Fiesta Taco Salad is a homestyle fiesta. Tortilla chips, a beefy taco meat with beans, lots of cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and all of our favorite toppings. It turns a plain salad into a homemade fiesta.
Fiesta Taco Salad Recipe
In times past, I would make individual taco salad bowls, using large baked tortillas. When I did this for guests, what did I discover? My family and guests almost never ate the bowl. So, instead, we began building our taco salad on a bed of tortilla chips, and not a crumb is ever left over. I often set up a taco salad bar, and let everyone build their own salad using their favorite toppings and condiments. Serve the homemade filling in a taco bowl or build on tortilla chips then add lots of shredded cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and sour cream.
Tips for Making Taco Salads
- All of the amounts in this recipe can be adjusted to fit the size of the group you're serving
- Start with a bed of tortilla chips and taco filling then the rest is up to you. I sometimes serve some hot buttered green chile cornbread or stuffed Mexican cornbread on the side to round out the meal but, have fun and create your fiesta your way.
- For dessert, you may like to try this recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Tacos from Will Cook for Smiles.
Thanks for visiting come back soon!
Disclosure ~ If a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
Helpful Kitchen Items:
Fiesta Taco Salad
Ingredients
- Pico de Gallo:
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 1 small red onion finely diced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper seeded and finely diced
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- black pepper to taste
- Taco filling:
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium poblano pepper diced
- olive oil
- 2 lb lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoon taco seasoning [more or less to your taste]
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 16 oz can pinto beans drained
- 1 10 oz can chili seasoned tomatoes i.e. Rotel Chili Fixins'
- 6 cups tortilla chips
- assorted toppings, shredded lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese,guacamole, Ranch dressing, olives
Instructions
- To make pico de gallo: In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice, garlic salt and lemon pepper. Add tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno and cilantro to the bowl. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. Cover and chill until serving.
- To make taco meat: In a large skillet, sauté the onion and poblano pepper in a couple of drizzles of olive oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften and brown. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef to the pan. Cook until no pink remains in the ground beef. Add taco seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper, beans and tomatoes. Mix well. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- Build salads starting with tortilla chips taco filling, lettuce, cheese and toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
My name is Melissa and I'm the Creator of Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen. Cooking, baking, developing recipes and kitchen tips is my passion. I love sharing my dishes and connecting with people through the food that I create.
>
Anonymous
this is a grate recipe I want to try it, I make one similar to yours for gatherings, it's my dish to take with me everyone loves it and it will feed a lot of people,
my ingredients are a little Different, I tare or slice up a large head of lettuce, set aside or put in zip lock bag to add in later (when ready to serve)
(makes a lot)
2 lbs. of lean ground beef browned well and drained(you could use turkey or Chicken),I Dice a large sweet onion, 2 large tomatoes diced, 2 avocados diced, 1 or 2 can's of beans, pinto, Kidney, or black beans it's your preference on the beans, make sure you have rinsed and drained well, 1 or 1 cans of Olives, drained, grade up 1 cup of Pepper Jack Cheese,1 cup cheddar cheese,(or you could use 2 cups of the Mex blend with pepper jack), mix all together (except the lettuce if it's going to be a while before severing put it in zip lock bag for last so it doesn't wilt) and put it in the frig,
the topping: chop up a large jalapeno fine, 1 small(pint)container of sour cream, about 20 drops of hot sauce(to your taste)and about 1/2 to 1 cup of Hot or Medium chunky Salsa any brand, they sell in the cold box at the store I think mine is "LA Mexicana" ( I like the hot) salt and pepper and you could add some garlic powder if you like, I don't so I leave it out, mix all the topping ingredients together in a separate Bowl/container when ready to serve put the lettuce in the bowl with the other ingredients and mix tog, then put the topping on and mix in with the other ingredients last take a bag of Cheese flavored Doritos and crush it lightly and sprinkle on the top just before serving
Melissa
It's much harder so true! Your freezer is your best friend I'm sure. 🙂
Linda
I love to hear that Melissa, cooking for one is sometimes harder than cooking for a crowd. Thanks for the tip!
Melissa
Hey Linda! The filling freezes quite well, too, enjoy. 🙂
Linda
Fabulous recipe! Can't wait to get to the market and re-stock.