Some days are just perfect for a fiesta and if you happen to be searching for a meal to serve during such a fiesta, why not a taco salad? Salads are always a good choice and in addition to the basic lettuce, tomatoes and cheese this taco salad also has sweet corn, black beans and spicy ground beef. It is definitely a fiesta in a bowl.
Let’s get this party started…
I feel it is important to start with a great dressing. You can use your favorite or make a batch of my poblano ranch dressing or my taco ranch dressing. Both are creamy, a little spicy and a great pairing with this taco salad.
Now that the important stuff is handled, let’s make this taco salad! Start by making your spicy ground beef…
Make the spicy ground beef by adding 1/2 lbs of ground beef into a skillet over medium heat. Add a crushed of grated clove of garlic, a tablespoon of tomato paste and some of your favorite taco or steak seasoning. I love Lawry’s steak seasoning in this ground beef, but feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend.
Once the meat has browned and is cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside for now.
While the ground beef is cooking, make a batch of pico de gallo. Finely chop 1 large vine ripened tomato, half of a small red onion and a small finely diced jalapeño. Transfer into a large bowl and add 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Squeeze the juice of lime into the bowl and mix well.
Take a quick taste test and add additional salt or black pepper, if necessary and then set aside.
Now, cook a little white rice according to the manufacturers instructions, cut some lettuce and rinse 6 ounces of sweet corn and black beans.
The way you garnish a taco salad is almost as important as what you put into it. Gather some finely chopped cilantro, lime wedges, crumble a little queso fresco or oaxaca cheese and grab some nacho chips…
When it comes time to assemble your taco salad, grab a couple of shallow salad bowls and add your chopped lettuce and white rice. I like a 60/40 blend (60% lettuce and 40% rice), but any combination will do just fine.
Add your spicy ground beef, pico de gallo, sweet corn and black beans and give everything a little toss.
Now that your taco salad is ready to go, garnish it with some lightly broken nacho chips for a little salty texture, crumbled queso fresco for a creamy, cheesy element and drizzle everything with the dressing of your choice. Toss some lime wedges and a little fresh cilantro over this beautiful bowl and get ready for a salad fiesta…
This salad is just perfect. It is full of so many layers of mexican inspired flavor and textures and if you decided to make my poblano ranch, then I am quite positive that you are in for a truly delicious salad.
Taco Salad
Ingredients
Spicy Ground Beef
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of taco or steak seasoning
Pico de Gallo
- 1 large vine ripened tomato, finely diced
- 1/2 of a small red onion, finely diced
- 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed, finely diced
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 lime
- salt and black pepper
Salad Assembly
- a small head of romaine, chopped
- 1 cup of rice, cooked
- 6 ounces of sweet corn, rinsed
- 6 ounces of black beans, rinsed
- nacho chips (optional garnish)
- lime wedges (optional garnish)
- dressing
Instructions
Make the pico de gallo...
- Combine diced tomato, red onion and jalapeño with finely chopped cilantro in a small bowl
- Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt and black pepper and set aside for now
Make the spicy ground beef...
- Add 8 ounces of ground beef into a medium skillet over medium heat along with a crushed garlic clove, a teaspoon of taco or steak seasoning and a tablespoon of tomato paste
- Cook until browned and cooked through and then set aside
Assemble the salads...
- Add chopped lettuce and cooked rice into the base of each salad bowl
- Top with spicy ground beef, sweet corn, black beans, pico de gallo and crushed nacho chips
- Drizzle with dressing and garnish with lime wedges and cilantro
