Our homemade taco salad combines sautéed ground beef, black beans, taco-style spices, lettuce, tomato, sliced avocado, shredded cheese and a deliciously creamy avocado dressing. Served with toasted tortilla chips for added crunch, this salad is easy to prepare and makes flavorful, satisfying, one-dish meal.
PrintTaco Salad with Avocado Dressing
Made with taco-style spices, ground beef and a creamy avocado dressing, this tasty taco salad is a hearty one-dish meal.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (or turkey, chicken)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 can low-sodium (15-ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (or more to taste)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
For the dressing:
- 1 ripe Hass avocado, mashed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (1 medium lime)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 small clove garlic, very finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
For the salad:
- 6 cups romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
- 2 thin slices sweet onion, halved
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
- 1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 ripe Hass avocado, halved lengthwise and pitted
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (or more to taste)
- Tortilla chips (see notes)
- 4 lime wedges
Instructions
- Start by making the dressing. Place the avocado, olive oil, yogurt, lime juice, milk and garlic in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy, season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cilantro. Cover and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Drain any excess fat from the pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Continue cooking until the onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and black beans, then add the cumin, coriander and chili powder. Allow to cook for a minute or two, season to taste with salt and pepper, add a pinch of cayenne and adjust the chili powder if desired.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- To assemble the salad, divide the lettuce between 4 plates, top each with sliced onion and arrange the cucumber and tomatoes around the edges of the plates.
- Scoop the avocado halves from the skin, cut them into slices and add a portion to each plate.
- Spoon about 3/4 cup of the meat mixture into the center of each salad and top with grated cheddar.
- Arrange some tortilla chips around the edges of each plate and drizzle with a small amount of dressing. Serve with lime wedges and extra dressing on the side.
Notes
To make your own tortilla chips:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut four 6-inch corn tortillas into 6 wedges each. Brush both sides of each wedge with a little vegetable oil and sprinkle the tops with a bit of sea salt. Bake until golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
Beth says
This taco salad is nice and hearty with great flavors. I love the cilantro and avocado in the dressing and also the bright colors they add!
★★★★★
Lynne Webb says
Hi Beth,
Glad you enjoyed the taco salad. Thanks for letting us know.
The Omnivore says
This is my new favorite dressing! I could eat it with a spoon and want to put it on absolutely everything. 🙂
Lynne Webb says
Glad you like it – I love the tangy yogurt/buttermilk flavor combined with the avocado.