RECIPE: Taco salad makes for an easy-to-customize, quick dinner
For a fun, customizable twist on taco night, replace soft tortillas with chips and turn the meal into a crunchy, crisp taco salad.
It’s easy to tweak the protein base of the salad to whatever your family prefers. You can keep things relatively lean by using ground turkey, or extra savory with ground pork. You can choose to make it vegetarian by using a plant-based substitute, such as Impossible burger meat. Me? I like to use ground beef for traditional Tex-Mex flavor.
Whatever protein you choose, make sure to give it the best opportunity to shine by giving it a good, hard sear. The easiest way to do that with ground meat is to spread it into an even, flat layer (think giant burger patty) in hot oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle on taco seasoning and then let it sear without touching it for a good five minutes to form a crust on the bottom. From there, you can break up the meat into pieces and stir it around to coat all in the seasoning mix. You’ll have browned and just-cooked-through meat in less than 10 minutes.
For the salad portion of the dish, I like to go with extra-crunchy, extra-tangy coleslaw to counteract the rich ground beef. A bag of pre-chopped coleslaw mix is the easy, prep-free base, which I toss with half a packet of taco seasoning, fresh lime juice, and a drizzle of neutral vegetable oil. I let the coleslaw rest for as long as possible — basically, however long it takes to cook the beef and grab any toppings from the fridge — in order to get the seasonings into the cabbage and let it wilt a bit.
Combine both the coleslaw and ground beef on top of a bed of tortilla chips, which are easier to manage than the giant fried tortilla bowls you’ll find at Tex-Mex chains. Serve with whatever toppings you can rustle up from the fridge.
- 1 (12-ounce) bag pre-chopped coleslaw mix
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning, divided
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 4 cups tortilla chips
- On the side: Toppings of your choice, such as shredded cheese, sour cream, and cilantro
- In a large bowl, stir together the coleslaw mix with 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Let sit at room temperature while you cook the beef.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the beef and press it into an even, flat layer. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining taco seasoning. Cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Break up the meat and continue to cook until no longer pink, 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of lime juice.
- Divide the chips between serving bowls and top with the coleslaw mixture and ground beef. Garnish with the toppings of your choice. Serve. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 673 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 28 grams protein, 56 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 37 grams total fat (10 grams saturated), 77 milligrams cholesterol, 853 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
