A fresh, fully loaded taco salad complete with a creamy cilantro-lime dressing. Super quick and easy to make, this healthy lunch or dinner will become a fast-favorite!
What You’ll Need to Make Taco Salad
Ground Beef – Or really any ground meat will do the trick. I’ve made this recipe with ground turkey in place of the beef, and it was just as tasty! For a vegan/vegetarian taco salad, refer to the “make it vegan” section below.
Taco Seasoning – A packet of taco seasoning will make your life a million times easier! It’s got all that taco flavor, in one convenient packet. It also adds some serious delicious flavor to the seasoned ground beef. I use and love the Siete Mild Taco Seasoning, it’s a total crowd-pleaser!
Lettuce – I used romaine lettuce, but really any lettuce will work! I love a good, crunchy lettuce for added texture, such as romaine, iceberg, green leaf, or butter lettuce.
Tortilla Chips – While optional, a small handful of crushed tortilla chips are what make this salad taste JUST like a taco. I recommend gluten-free Siete Tortilla Chips to keep it extra light and healthy.
Sour Cream – For a dairy-free version, use your favorite dairy-free sour cream to make the cilantro-lime dressing. I used this Forager Dairy-Free Sour Cream and it was delicious! But if not dairy-free, go ahead and use a regular sour cream instead. Or, if you’re in a pinch, plain unsweetened greek yogurt would also work in its place.
Cilantro – Tons of cilantro bring out the fresh flavors in this easy, healthy salad! Feel free to add more or less cilantro based on your preferences. Or, if not a fan of cilantro, you can totally leave it out of this recipe altogether.
Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs
Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: For a healthy vegan salad recipe, use cooked lentils, crumbled tofu, or chopped mushrooms in place of the ground beef. Also, take the dairy-free option below for a vegan cilantro-lime dressing.
Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free tortilla chips in your salad, most are already gluten-free, but it’s always good to double check!
Make it Dairy-Free: Replace the sour cream in the dressing with your favorite non-dairy sour cream. I recommend Forager or Kite Hill dairy-free sour cream.
Easy Healthy Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Course: Lunch, DinnerDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes15
minutes25
minutesA fresh, fully loaded taco salad complete with a creamy cilantro-lime dressing. Super quick and easy to make, this healthy lunch or dinner will become a fast-favorite!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 pound ground beef
pinch of salt
1 packet taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- For the creamy cilantro-lime dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of lime zest, optional but recommended
Directions
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add in ground beef and a big pinch of salt.
- Cook until beef is no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Then, add in taco seasoning and water, reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened.
- While beef cooks, make the cilantro-lime dressing by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking together until smooth.
- Assemble salad with all ingredients, then top with seasoned ground beef and creamy cilantro-lime dressing.
Recipe Video
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