I had a giant craving for a taco salad this week, and got to work on creating the very best version I could dream up. I remember my mom making taco salad when were kids, and she would give us a scoop of tortilla chips that we could crunch up on our plates before adding toppings (which was mostly just cheese and meat as a kid, right?). My version has a little bit of everything, and a whole lot of color — ground beef with black beans and corn, yellow rice and crispy lettuce, tomatoes, olives and scallions, big slices of ripe avocado, and of course some cheese and tortilla crisps. I finished the salad off with a homemade honey lime vinaigrette; it’s easy to make in a small mason jar! Add in all of the ingredients and give it a vigorous shake before dressing your salad — and save the extra in the mason jar for taco salad leftovers for lunch the next day. Get the full recipe below:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ yellow pepper, diced
- ¼ red onion, dived
- 2 ears of corn, kernels removed
- 15 0z can of black beans
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Honey
- 1 Tsp. of Dijon mustard
- ¼ Tsp. of Garlic powder
- ¼ Tsp. of Onion powder
- ¼ Tsp. of Chili powder
- Salt and Pepper
- Yellow rice, prepared
- Lettuce, chopped
- Avocado, sliced
- Red onion, diced
- Tomato, diced
- Scallions, diced
- Black Olives
- Shredded Cheddar or Cotija cheese
- Tortilla Strips
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in ground beef.
- Once beef is nearly cooked through, add in yellow pepper, red onion, corn, black beans and taco seasoning, Mix and cook until onions and peppers begin to soften and then remove from heat to cool slightly.
- While the taco meat mixture is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a mason jar, combine lime juice, vinegar, oils, honey and mustard. Add in spices and salt and pepper, and tightly close the lid of the mason jar before shaking vigorously to combine. Set in fridge to chill.
- Prepare the salad in a large bowl by adding in the partially cooled taco meat, prepared yellow rice, and shopped lettuce.
- Top the salad with avocado slices, diced red onion, tomatoes and scallions, black olives and cheese. Add tortilla strips last, and serve with dressing on the side.
- Shake the salad dressing well before serving.
