In just 30 minutes, whip up a crowd-pleasing Layered Taco Salad Recipe! Packed with lettuce, seasoned ground beef, beans, tomatoes, corn, sour cream, salsa, cheese, and chips and topped with olives and cilantro. A weeknight win!
It’s a great meal perfect for Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo or anytime you want a refreshing and hearty salad. Plus, it’s gluten-free, and I’ll show you how to make it a Keto taco salad.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Reasons to Love this Layered Taco Salad Recipe
- Twist – This is a classic taco salad recipe layered for the ultimate Tex-Mex flavors. It’s perfect for family taco night!
- Meal Salad – Perfect as a light, but filling meal!
- Meal Prep – Assemble the ingredients into glass jars or containers, refrigerate, and you’ve got on-the-go meals all week!
Simple Ingredients
- Oil: Just a touch especially if using lean ground beef.
- Beef: I used 90/10 lean ground beef; use your favorite, and drain if needed.
- Seasoning | Make a quick taco seasoning with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Lettuce: For the bottom layer of the salad, use Iceberg or Romaine lettuce. Wash, dry, chop, and be ready to go!
- Beans: Drain and rinse a can of black beans or use your favorite beans!
- Corn: You can use fresh or frozen corn, or you can make this recipe even easier with well-drained canned corn.
- Sour cream I used full-fat sour cream for the creamiest flavor.
- Salsa: Your favorite salsa or try this homemade blender salsa recipe.
- Cheese: Use your favorite cheddar cheese, we love sharp cheddar cheese! Or try a Mexican cheese blend.
- Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or your fave!
- Olives: Add sliced black olives for contrast in color and a salty taste.
- Chips: Use tortilla chips or crushed taco shells.
- Cilantro | Garnish the layered salad with bright green chopped fresh cilantro.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Layered Mexican Salad
Start by adding olive oil to a large skillet to brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart. Once browned, drain the excess fat, then add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and stir well to combine. Remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool (may be made earlier in the day and refrigerated until ready to serve).
Recommended Tools
- Love this glass trifle bowl!
In a large clear bowl or trifle dish begin layering the taco salad ingredients. Start with a layer of chopped lettuce, evenly spread the black beans on top, then add the cooked ground beef.
In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients (easy taco dip), stirring the sour cream and salsa until combined.
Then, spread the salad dressing over the beef and add a layer of the halved grape tomatoes. Next, sprinkle on the crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Finally, add the black olives and fresh cilantro, toss the ingredients together, and serve fresh!
Fresh Tips
- Starting with the sturdier ingredients, like the lettuce and beans, helps prevent the salad from becoming soggy. Assembling in layers ensures the salad ingredients are evenly distributed, with the most delicate ones on top.
- For an elegant and vibrant presentation, assemble the even layers in a clear bowl or trifle bowl, showing off the colorful ingredients.
Craving more taco flavor? Try my Southwest Chicken Taco Soup, which takes just 10 minutes to prep! These Leftover Turkey Tacos are perfect for when you have extra roasted turkey after a family dinner or holiday feast. Or keep it authentic with these Mexican Barbacoa Tacos or these Authentic Chicken Fajitas.
Variations & Substitutions
- Taco Seasoning: Adjust the ground beef seasoning to fit your taste by adding more chili powder or red chili flakes. Or, use your favorite store-bought taco seasoning.
- Beans: Black beans are traditional, but you can swap them out for pinto beans, kidney beans, refried beans, or a combination.
- More Veggies: Add more nutritious vegetables, like diced bell pepper, red onion, red peppers, or sliced green onions.
- Taco Meat: For a healthier alternative, substitute the ground beef with taco-seasoned ground chicken or ground turkey. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken, leftover turkey, or a tender grilled chicken breast for chicken taco salad.
- Add Grains: Add extra hearty bulk to the salad recipe with cooked grains, like quinoa, brown rice, or farro.
- Dressing Options: Buy a salsa dressing instead of making your own, try Dorothy Lynch dressing or a combination of salsa and creamy ranch dressing.
- Swap the Lettuce: This salad is delicious with any lettuce or greens, from romaine and iceberg lettuce to mixed greens or shredded cabbage.
- Greek Yogurt: For a healthier salad, use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- No Dressing: Skip the dressing and add a spritz of lemon juice or fresh lime juice instead. This salad has plenty of flavor, with or without the salsa dressing.
Gluten-Free Taco Salad
This layered Mexican salad, when made as directed is entirely gluten-free! Double check your ingredients and enjoy!
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Keto Taco Salad
This salad is easily adapted to be a Keto Taco Salad! Just do the following:
- Omit black beans, corn and tortilla chips.
- Instead, add a layer of cubed avocado.
- Make sure to use full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt in the dressing.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate – For best results, enjoy freshly made. However, you can store the salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly cover the glass bowl to serve later in the day. Leave the dressing off until ready to serve. See below for Meal Prep tips!
Meal Prep Layered Taco Salad
This is a great recipe for meal prep with a few easy adjustments and tips:
- Make sure the beef mixture is completely cooled before assembling.
- Use a sturdy lettuce such as iceberg or Romaine or even kale.
- Layer in glass jars or airtight containers leaving off the dressing and the chips until just before eating.
- If desired, portion out the dressing and chips into small containers and store with your prepped taco salads to go!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! But you’ll want to serve it within hours or on the same day you assemble it. Keep the dressing separate and sprinkle the crunchy toppings before serving this festive taco salad.
Yes! Adjust the chili powder to taste. You can also use hot, mild, or medium salsa for the dressing.
Depending on the specific ingredients, a taco and a taco salad can be similar in calories and nutritional value. But remember that adding avocados, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, or taco sauce can quickly change the fat and calories.
What to serve with Layered Beef Taco Salad
- Mexican Corn and Rice Recipe
- Authentic Mexican Chicken Fajitas
- Mexican Fruit Salad Recipe
- Spanish Rice Recipe (Vegetarian)
Best Drinks to Serve with the Best Taco Salad
- Rose’s Lime Juice Margarita
- Pink Lemonade Cocktail
- Hand Grenade Drink
- Cucumber Cooler
- Paloma Mocktail or Frozen Paloma recipe
More Tasty, Hearty Salad Recipes
- Healthy Mexican Salad
- Romaine Wedge Salad
- Green Goddess Salad (Panera)
- Blackberry Chicken Salad
- Cobb Salad Recipe
I hope you enjoyed this Easy Taco Salad Recipe — if you did, be sure share your creation on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest? And don’t forget to rate and comment below.
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Easy Layered Taco Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 pound ground beef I used 90/10 lean ground beef
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½-1 teaspoon cumin
- ½-1 teaspoon garlic powder not shown in picture
- ½-1 teaspoon onion powder not shown in picture
- ½ -1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 head iceberg lettuce or head of Romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped
- 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn cooked, fresh or frozen (or canned, drained)
- ¾ cup sour cream I used full-fat, Greek yogurt may also be used
- ½ cup salsa use your favorite or try mine
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded, or use Mexican blend
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved (or cherry or chopped vine ripened tomatoes
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- 1 cup Tortilla chips lightly crushed
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Add olive oil (1 TBL) in a skillet and cook the ground beef (1 lb) in a skillet over medium heat. Break it apart with a spoon as it cooks. Once it’s browned, drain any excess fat.
- Add the chili powder (1 tsp), cumin (½ tsp), garlic powder (½ tsp), onion powder (½ tsp), kosher salt (½-1 tsp) and pepper to taste to the cooked ground beef. Stir well to combine, then remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large serving bowl or trifle dish, begin layering your taco salad:
- Start with a layer of chopped lettuce Iceberg (1 head) or Romaine (2 Romaine hearts) are fine here as the base. Spread the black beans (1 can drained and rinsed) evenly over the iceberg.
- Add the cooked corn (1 cup) on top of the black beans, next the cooked ground beef.
- In a separate bowl, make the dressing. Mix the sour cream (¾ cup) and salsa (½ cup) until well combined and spread the dressing over the beef.
- Add a layer of halved grape tomatoes (½ cup) on top of the dressing, sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips (1 cup crushed) evenly over the top.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese(1 ½ cups) evenly over, scatter the sliced black olives (½ cup) over the cheese. Garnish the salad with chopped fresh cilantro (2 TBL).
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, toss the salad gently to mix all the layers together.
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Notes
- Adjust the seasoning of the ground beef according to your taste preferences, adding more chili powder, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. You may also use a packet of taco seasoning.
- Use pinto beans, kidney beans, or a mix of beans for added variety and flavor.
- Feel free to incorporate other vegetables like diced bell peppers and red onions.
- Layering the salad ingredients in phases helps to distribute the toppings evenly and prevents the salad from becoming too soggy. Start with the sturdier ingredients like lettuce and beans at the bottom and finish with the more delicate toppings like tomatoes and cilantro on top.
- To save time, you can prepare the individual components of the salad ahead of time and assemble it just before serving. Keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to serve to maintain the crispness of the salad.
- Using a clear serving bowl or trifle dish allows your guests to see all the layers of the salad.
- To prevent the layers from getting too soggy, it’s best to keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to serve. You can store the dressing in a separate container and toss with the salad just before eating.
- Layered taco salads are best served fresh, but they may be stored in the fridge for up to four days. Leave off the salsa dressing and crushed chips until ready to serve.
- For a lighter option, substitute the ground beef with seasoned ground chicken or turkey. For a flavorful twist, stir leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey with taco seasoning.
- To make the salad more filling and nutritious, add a layer of cooked grains like quinoa, brown rice, or farro. These grains will absorb the flavors of the other ingredients and add a hearty texture to the salad.
- Instead of making your dressing, purchase a Salsa dressing, Dorothy Lynch dressing, or add ½ cup of salsa to your favorite ranch dressing.
- Keto Taco Salad: Omit beans, corn and tortilla chips. Add cubed avocado or guacamole to the salad and make sure your sour cream or Greek yogurt is full-fat.
Nutrition
Paula
This salad tasted amazing, but it also looked SO COOL! I was excited to bring it to a potluck because it looked so impressive and tasted great.
So happy to hear!
TAYLER ROSS
I made this taco salad for a party over the weekend and everyone loved it! So fun and delicious!
Yay! Love that!!
Sara Welch
Served this with dinner last night and it was a savory success! Easy, delicious and fun; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
Thanks Sara!!
Liz
Made this for a party over the weekend and it was a hit! Thanks for the tasty idea!
You are most welcome!!
Nikki
This is my favorite summer salad! Perfect for potlucks!
Thank you so much!