Healthy taco salad. My current favorite summer obsession. This mouthwatering taco salad is wholesome, nutrient-packed, and full of protein! It definitely hits the spot, it’s zesty, smoky, and refreshing.
When I eat this salad, I forget that I’m eating a salad. Let me explain. Remember 90’s salads that were full of huge pieces of veggies, low-fat ranch, and some sad shred of cheese? That definitely tastes like a cold, leafy “salad”. But, this chopped taco salad is bursting with flavor, crunch, and satisfaction. It’s the lunch and dinner of my dreams. No sad “salad” taste here!
Team chopped salads all day, every day.
I am very convinced that chopping salads is the only way to eat salads. Who wants to bite into a big raw piece of kale? That’s not fun or enjoyable. Chopped salads plus a killer creamy dressing are way more my vibe. And that is exactly what this taco salad is!
The variety of veggies are chopped into bite-sized crunchy pieces. Then, we make a deliciously fresh, creamy Greek yogurt-based dressing to toss everything in. The last step, optional (but, not) is to enjoy with a bag of Siete grain-free tortilla chips and you are thriving!
Ingredients & Substitutions for Taco Salad
SALAD
Cheddar Cheese- You could also do dairy-free cheddar, Monterey jack, or a Mexican blend would taste great!
Cilantro- Adds a wonderful fresh bite to the salad and is essential in the dressing.
Cherry Tomatoes- I love the burst of juicy cherry tomatoes in this salad.
Chopped Bell Pepper- You can use any color you like.
Romaine Lettuce- Iceberg lettuce could work too. Note that it may wilt a bit quicker.
Ground Turkey, ground beef, or chicken – I used ground turkey and it turned out so so good!
Siete Taco Seasoning Packet- This taco seasoning has the cleanest ingredients I have found for a taco seasoning packet, and tastes great!! I love using the mild in this recipe since the dressing is relatively spicy. But you do you!
Siete grain-free chips – To scoop up all that goodness! Siete is my favorite brand of chip for its clean and simple ingredients. The nacho flavor would also taste incredible with this.
DRESSING
Avocado- adds a good creamy base for the dressing and good quality fat! Save the other half of the avocado to chop into the salad after mixing.
Greek Yogurt- I usually buy the big tub of Kirkland Organic Greek Yogurt from Costco. You can also use regular plain full-fat yogurt or even your favorite dairy-free yogurt!
Fresh Garlic Clove- Toss that little flavor bomb in the blender along with the other ingredients!
Jalapeno- Jarred or fresh works. I used jarred. You can definitely omit this if you don’t want the dressing spicy. Also, you can remove the seeds from a fresh jalapeno to make it less spicy.
Almond Milk- Or any milk you use.
Sea Salt
Fresh Lime- Fresh is always best.
Optional Add-Ins
Black Beans – Drain and rinse before tossing in the salad!
Corn – You could use frozen or fresh, both would be phenomenal in this salad!
Don’t skip this tip!
If you are not eating all of this big portion immediately, store all the prepared and chopped ingredients separately so it doesn’t get soggy.
Now let’s make this beautiful salad!! Leave me a review if you make this!
Paleo Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat of choice Beef, turkey or chicken all work here!
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 3 stalks chopped romaine lettuce about 8 cups of chopped lettuce
- 1/2 chopped avocado
- 2 tablespoons finely diced jalepenos jarred or fresh. remove the seeds if you don't want it to be very spicy.
- 1 small chopped red onion
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Dressing
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons chopped jalepenos jarred or fresh work here.
- 3 tablespoons almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 lime squeezed about 1 tablespoon juice
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Start by blending all the "dressing" ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor. Scrape down the sides as needed to allow it to blend smoothly. You can add more almond milk to make it a thinner dressing if you like. Place i the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Cook the ground meat in a pan on the stove with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add in 1 taco seasoning packet. (Follow the instructions on the back of the packet. Generally you add a little water as well.) Once it's cooked through, set it aside while you chop the veggies.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the cooked ground meat, lettuce, jalepenos, red onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. Drizzle everything with the dressing and mix until all the ingredients are fullyb coated in the dressing. Lastly, Add in the chopped avocado and gently mix to combine. Enjoy with chips! *If you are not planning on eating it all in one sitting, mix together only what you will eat. Keep the rest of the ingredients seperated in the fridge. This salad will get soggy if you don't eat it all at once.
