This simple layered taco salad is loaded with flavor! Seasoned ground beef, fresh veggies, beans, taco seasoning, cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips are put together for a hearty and tasty dinner option the whole family will love.
Layered Taco Salad Ingredients
If you’re a fan of Mexican cuisine and love a good salad, then layered taco salad is the perfect dish for you.
Not only does it look impressive with its layers of colorful ingredients, but it also packs an incredible amount of flavor in every bite.
From the creamy dressing to the savory beef and crunchy tortilla chips, every ingredient in this salad will leave you craving more.
You’ll need:
Dressing
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- ¼ cup jarred salsa
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon taco seasoning (from a 1-ounce packet)
Seasoned Beef Layer
- 1-pound ground beef
- ⅓ cup small diced red onion (plus additional for optional garnish)
- 1-ounce packet taco seasoning (minus ½ teaspoon used in dressing mixture)
- ⅔ cup water
Salad Layers
- 4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce (core removed from 1 small head)
- 15-ounce can seasoned black beans, rinsed and drained well
- 15.25-ounce can sweet golden corn, drained well
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (from a 1-pint container)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Haas avocado, small diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Optional Garnishes
- Crushed Doritos brand corn chips (Nacho Cheese flavor)
- Classic tortilla chips
- Diced red onion
- Sliced black olives
Substitutions And Additions
CHIPS: Use flavored tortilla chips to add an extra kick to your dish.
CORN: Add corn into the layers.
PEPPERS: I love adding chopped green or red bell pepper on top of this before serving.
GUACAMOLE: You can never go wrong with a little guacamole… yum!
BACON: Cook and crumble some bacon to add on top because bacon makes everything better!
SPICE: Don’t love heat? Leave out the jalapeños.
GROUND MEAT: Ground turkey or ground pork are two great alternatives to ground beef.
How To Make This Layered Taco Salad Recipe
Once you make the creamy dressing and cook the seasoned onions and beef, you can follow our directions below to create the tasty layers in this salad.
STEP ONE: Whisk together in a small bowl the sour cream, salsa, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and ½ teaspoon taco seasoning until smooth to create the dressing. Set aside.
STEP TWO: Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add the ground beef and red onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off as much excess fat from the skillet as possible before adding the remaining taco seasoning and water. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the liquids have evaporated and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
STEP THREE: To the bottom of a large (12-cup capacity) trifle dish add the chopped lettuce in an even layer, followed by a layer of the black beans, then corn. Be sure to add each ingredient in an even layer to the trifle dish being careful not to mix the layers.
STEP FOUR: Spoon the cooled seasoned beef evenly over the corn layer.
STEP FIVE: Spread the reserved dressing evenly over the seasoned beef. Add an even layer of halved cherry tomatoes, followed by an even layer of shredded cheddar cheese.
STEP SIX: In a small bowl gently toss together the diced avocado and 1 teaspoon lime juice. The lime juice helps to keep the avocado from turning brown too quickly once it is cut.
STEP SEVEN: Pile the avocado pieces onto the center of the shredded cheese layer and sprinkle with the chopped fresh cilantro. If desired, you can add some crushed Dorito chips, diced red onion or any other additional garnishes to the top of the layered taco salad before serving.
How To Serve This Layered Taco Salad Recipe With Ground Beef
This layered salad is an easy dinner idea for Taco Tuesday. Serve with tortilla chips on the side, along with our Spanish rice or Mexican corn salad, for a complete meal.
Don’t forget to offer everyone salsa, sour cream, and guacamole along with this dish.
Our Mexican casserole and Mexican beef and rice casserole are both loaded with plenty of flavors for a hearty meal.
MORE MEXICAN DISH RECIPES
Storing This Mexican Salad Recipe
Let’s have a look at how to store leftovers of the salad so that you can enjoy it the next day.
IN THE FRIDGE: This tasty layered taco salad recipe is the very best when served and eaten immediately. It will keep in the fridge, but the lettuce won’t be as crisp the next day.
IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend freezing this salad as all the crispy layers will become soggy.
Ground beef taco salad is a great meal for family taco night. Loaded with every possible taco topping and filling you can think of, there is so much deliciousness and plenty of satisfying crunch in all of the layers of this yummy layered taco salad.
Each scoop pulls in a mix of textures from top to bottom—see more easy meals in these Mexican-inspired dish recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
This layered salad is best enjoyed right away, but any leftovers can be kept until the next day. The lettuce won’t be quite as crisp as when made fresh.
This easy recipe would be tasty with ground pork or ground turkey as well.
If you’d like to customize this salad, you certainly can. There are no rules about how to make this delicious layered salad.
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Layered Taco Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- ¼ cup jarred salsa
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon taco seasoning (from a 1-ounce packet)
Seasoned Beef Layer
- 1 pound ground beef
- ⅓ cup red onion, small diced (plus additional for optional garnish)
- 1 ounce taco seasoning, minus ½ teaspoon used in dressing mixture
- ⅔ cup water
Salad Layers
- 4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce, core removed from 1 small head
- 15 ounces seasoned black beans, rinsed and drained well
- 15.25 ounces sweet golden corn, drained well
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (from a 1-pint container)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Haas avocado, small diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Optional Garnishes
- Crushed Doritos brand corn chips, Nacho Cheese flavor
- Classic tortilla chips
- Diced red onion
- Sliced black olives
Instructions
- Whisk together in a small bowl the sour cream, salsa, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and ½ teaspoon taco seasoning until smooth to create the dressing. Set aside.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add the ground beef and red onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off as much excess fat from the skillet as possible before adding the remaining taco seasoning and water. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the liquids have evaporated and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- To the bottom of a large (12-cup capacity) trifle dish add the chopped lettuce in an even layer, followed by a layer of the black beans, then corn. Be sure to add each ingredient in an even layer to the trifle dish being careful not to mix the layers.
- Spoon the cooled seasoned beef evenly over the corn layer.
- Spread the reserved dressing evenly over the seasoned beef. Add an even layer of halved cherry tomatoes, followed by an even layer of shredded cheddar cheese.
- In a small bowl gently toss together the diced avocado and 1 teaspoon lime juice. The lime juice helps to keep the avocado from turning brown too quickly once it is cut.
- Pile the avocado pieces onto the center of the shredded cheese layer and sprinkle with the chopped fresh cilantro. If desired, you can add some crushed Dorito chips, diced red onion or any other additional garnishes to the top of the layered taco salad before serving.
Video
Notes
- The dressing can be made up to 24 hours in advance, stored in the refrigerator, in a covered container, until ready to add to the layers of the salad.
- For a little extra spice, and flavor, you can substitute fire roasted or southwest style corn for the sweet golden corn layer.
- Pepper-jack and colby-jack cheeses are good substitutes from the cheddar cheese layer.
- Grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes or campari tomatoes all make excellent substitutes for the halved cherry tomatoes. If using a larger tomato, remove the pulp and seeds before cutting into ½-inch sized diced pieces.
Nutrition
Comments
jay platte says
such a good reccipe, so simple and delicious!
Gloria says
Fresh and colorful – very good flavors.
Sheila Boy says
This was a big hit with my girls’ night out!
So good!!!
Diana L says
Do what I do. Make it all up and leave the lettuce out. Want it, put your lettuce in your bowl/plate . Add the rest to the top. That way you have fresh salad for a few days.
Clovia Sykes says
Was so good….