Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ~2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 1/4 cups bottled fire roasted salsa
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 6 oz tortilla chips, lightly crumbled
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 large avocado, diced (optional)
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema (optional)
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion (optional)
Brown the Ground Beef
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Crumble in the beef in chunks and let it sear without moving it for ~3 minutes until browned on the bottom.
Turn and break up the beef with a spoon; continue cooking until cooked through, ~5-7 more minutes.
The goal is to get some good browning on the meat rather than just graying it out.
Season and Finish the Beef Mixture
Drain the fat from the beef, then stir in the salsa, chili powder, and cumin.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and heat through for ~1 minute to let the spices bloom.
Remove from heat and stir in the fresh cilantro.
The cilantro will wilt slightly from the residual heat, which is exactly what you want.
Assemble the Salads
Layer the chopped lettuce among individual plates or bowls.
Top each serving with the lightly crumbled tortilla chips, then the seasoned beef mixture while it’s still warm.
Add the shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, and any optional toppings like avocado, sour cream, and red onion.
Serve immediately while the beef is still warm and the chips are crispy.
Taco Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ~2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 1/4 cups bottled fire roasted salsa
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 large head romaine lettuce chopped
- 6 oz tortilla chips lightly crumbled
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 large avocado optional, diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema optional
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Crumble in beef and let sear without moving for 3 minutes until browned on bottom.
- Turn and break up beef with a spoon, continue cooking 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
- Drain fat from beef, then stir in salsa, chili powder, and cumin.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and heat through for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in fresh cilantro.
- Layer chopped lettuce among individual plates or bowls.
- Top each serving with lightly crumbled tortilla chips, then warm seasoned beef mixture.
- Add shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, and red onion as desired.
- Serve immediately while beef is warm and chips are crispy.
