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Fiesta Taco Salad

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

Easy 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. How to make Fiesta Taco Salad: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • 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.
  • 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. 
Pico de Gallo

How to Make the BEST Fiesta Taco Salad

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Taco Salad: Ground beef, diced onion, poblano pepper, olive oil, taco seasoning, lemon pepper, garlic salt, pinto beans, Rotel tomatoes, tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, sour cream,  Ranch dressing, guacamole, pico de gallo or salsa, shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese and black olives.
  • To make the Pico de Gallo: Roma tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno peppers, lime juice, garlic salt, lemon pepper and chopped cilantro.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need:  Large 12 inch skillet, measuring cups and spoons, sharp knife and chopping board and medium mixing bowl.
  • Cilantro is one of those herbs that people seem to love or hate. If you don’t care for it, omit.
  • If there’s no time to make pico de gallo you could use salsa in your favorite level of heat. Mild, medium or hot whatever your preference will do.
  • All of the amounts in this recipe can be adjusted to fit the size of the group you’re serving
  • To build this easy taco salad, we start with a bed of tortilla chips and taco filling. Top with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and the rest of the toppings are completely up to your personal preference.
  • Side dishes to serve with Taco Salads: I sometimes serve some hot buttered Green Chile Cornbread or Stuffed Mexican Cornbread on the side to round out the meal.Have fun and create your fiesta your way.
  • You can store the taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in single servings in the microwave to make a fresh salad or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Fiesta Taco Salad

More Easy Salad Recipes to Make

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Fiesta Taco Salad

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican, Southern
Keyword: fiesta-taco-salad, taco-salad-recipes
Servings: 6 Taco Salads
Calories: 801kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • Pico de Gallo:
  • 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp lemon pepper
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 small red onion finely diced
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper seeded and finely diced
  • 1/3 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 Tbsp taco seasoning [more or less to your taste]
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp 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

  • 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.
  • 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

The pico de gallo and taco filling can be made one day in advance for a time server.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 801kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1175mg | Potassium: 980mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 7mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

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