• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Organized Island
  • Home
  • Valentine's Day Recipes
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Valentine's Day Recipes
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
×

Organized Island » Recipes » Beef Recipes

Make Ahead Taco Salad

Published: Mar 6, 2020 · Modified: Dec 9, 2022 by Raquel · This post may contain affiliate links · 19 Comments

Sharing is caring!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
easy taco salad
Taco salad bowl
Taco salad with ground beef and tomatoes

This Make Ahead Taco Salad recipe first appeared on Organized Island 8 years ago. This Make-Ahead Taco Salad recipe is perfect for a summer dinner or a lunch. It also makes a great lunch on the go.

With busy schedules, this also makes a perfect make-and-take meal.

Easy taco salad recipe

Hello Friends! I have to say that I am grateful that I have been able to share this space with you for so many years. Time has flown by and thankfully, my photography has improved over the years. 

Why this Taco Salad Recipe?

This delicious Taco Salad recipe is very simple to make and it is full of flavor. I serve it with tortilla chips but you can serve it in a taco shell too! 

taco salad ingredients

Taco Salad Ingredients

Ground Beef – The ground beef makes the best taco salad, however, you can also use cooked chicken for this recipe.. 

Lettuce – Iceberg lettuce or Romaine works best with this recipe.

Avocado - This is the perfect addition to this salad, but you can skip it if you like.

Cheese -  I suggest using cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack.

Dressing - I use Catalina salad dressing for this recipe and it tastes great!

 

One of the things I love is that this is one of those Make-Ahead Taco Salad recipe which makes it perfect for spring and summer outings. 

 

make ahead taco salad recipe

 

This recipe serves 6-8.

This taco salad can also be made using black beans instead of pinto beans, it just depends on your family's tastes.

You can also add a little extra salsa for an added kick if you like.

how to make taco salad

 

Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips and enjoy!  

 

Easy taco salad recipe

Make-Ahead Taco Salad

Easy taco salad recipe

Make Ahead Taco Salad

Raquel Pineira
This Make-Ahead Taco Salad recipe is perfect for a summer dinner or a lunch. It also makes a great lunch on the go.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Easy Dinner Ideas, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 365 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1 pkg Taco seasoning any brand
  • 1 head of lettuce shredded
  • ½ cup red onion chopped
  • 1 small can kidney beans rinsed & drained
  • 1 avocado peeled and diced
  • 1 to mato chopped
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ bottle Catalina salad dressing any brand
  • 1 bag Corn or tortilla chips

Instructions
 

  • 1. Cook ground beef in a frying pan over low-medium heat until brown
  • .  2. Add taco seasoning mix packet, but do not add any liquid.  
  • 3. While beef is cooking, combine shredded lettuce, onion, beans, avocado, tomato, and cheese in a bowl.  
  • 4. Add ground beef to the mixture.  If you are going to serve this Taco Salad the next day or later today, cover the bowl and refrigerate until serving time.
  • 5. When you are ready to serve, add salad dressing (I use about ½ of a bottle, but you can add more if you like). You can also use a light Catalina dressing and it is really good. The sweetness of the dressing is a nice offset to the mild spices in the meat seasoning.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 32gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 265mgPotassium: 760mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 613IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 224mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Taco Salad Dressing

This taco salad with Catalina dressing recipe is a great salad to take to barbeques and picnics. It is crisp and refreshing and a wonderful way to use vegetables from the farmers' market. I know that Catalina dressing may sound strange, but it tastes delicious with this salad.

Other Dressings For Taco Salad

Other tasty dressings that would work with this salad are:

  • Cilantro Lime
  • Avocado Crema
  • Creamy Tomatillo

Making it A Packable Salad

make ahead taco salad

This taco salad is great to make ahead of time. You can serve the taco salad cold or you can warm up the taco meat when you are ready to eat - it is your choice.

I love this salad for lunch or dinner and because it is packable you want to store the chips and dressing separately for an easy lunch on the go!

This make ahead taco salad is all the goodness of a taco in a salad and perfect for taking on the go or preparing ahead.

More Easy Salad Recipes

For more summer salad recipes, check out:

Easy Chopped Salad Recipe – This Italian-inspired recipe makes for a wonderful lunch or light dinner in itself.

Mango Arugula Salad Recipe – Argula makes a nice change-up in a green salad. The addition of fresh mango makes this a delightful, colorful salad.

Easy Mediterranean Salad – Another perfectly colorful salad that brightens any table.

Don’t’ forget to bookmark or pin this recipe. We strive to help you make the most of your time with simple, tasty recipes like this one. 

Easy Chickpea Salad - Garbanzo beans and fresh vegetables make this a delicious and healthy salad idea!

Doritos Taco Salad - This delicious taco salad is a meal made with corn chips!

If you are not yet subscribing to my newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share a few things that I don’t share here and I email you only once a week. I know how valuable your time is and respect that tremendously!

If you try this recipe or any other recipe on Organized Island, please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! To see what I am up to, check out my stories on Instagram and let me know you are following. It would bring me much joy!

Want to streamline your weekly meals? Check out my Beginner's Guide to Meal Planning book on Amazon.

What is your favorite salad for dinner?

Easy -simple-recipe-ideas

This easy and tasty taco salad is a great way to use farmers' market produce into your meal and you can make it ahead of time too!

« Watergate Salad Seafoam Salad
Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins »

About Raquel

Southern California mom who blogs about time-saving recipes, entertaining and party ideas.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Meredith @ Wait Til Your Father Gets Home

    September 29, 2012 at 8:56 am

    I used to make something like this all the time! Thanks for the reminder!

    Thanks for joining the CHQ Blog Hop last week! We hope you've found some fun new blogs to follow!!
    xo, Meredith @ http://www.waittilyourfathergetshome.com

    Reply
  2. trangquynh

    September 30, 2012 at 5:11 am

    your salad looks so colorful and delicious xD

    Reply
    • organizedisland

      September 30, 2012 at 6:55 pm

      Thank you for your sweet comment!

      Reply
  3. Paula

    October 01, 2012 at 3:48 am

    Looks yummy, followed you over from comment let on Call Me PMc, Tailgating. following on facebook.

    Reply
    • organizedisland

      October 01, 2012 at 9:44 pm

      Thanks Paula! Following you too 🙂

      Reply
  4. Bibi @ Bibi's Culinary Journey

    October 02, 2012 at 7:30 am

    I love this make ahead idea, Raquel! My oldest love Taco salad and I can actually make it for his school lunch 🙂

    Reply
    • organizedisland

      October 02, 2012 at 7:52 pm

      Yes, it is a great packable salad! Thanks for your comment Bibi!

      Reply
  5. Meredith @ Wait Til Your Father Gets Home

    October 03, 2012 at 8:52 am

    Looks fantastic!! I love Taco Salad :o)

    Thanks for joining Keep Calm & Link Up last week! We hope to see you again this Thursday evening! xo, Meredith @ http://www.waittilyourfathergetshome.com

    Reply
    • organizedisland

      October 03, 2012 at 8:04 pm

      I'll be there Meredith!

      Reply
  6. Jaime @ Mom's Test Kitchen

    October 04, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    I love Catalina dressing! That's & a salsa ranch make the best dressings for taco salads! Now, I want your salad!
    Thanks for sharing this at MTM Mondays!

    Reply
    • organizedisland

      October 04, 2012 at 8:53 pm

      Thanks Jaime!

      Reply
  7. Tamara

    April 28, 2016 at 5:20 am

    Mm...kidney beans! And catalina dressing! Our school lunch used to have a hot taco salad day and it was a hit, apparently. In my homeroom classroom, someone used to make a countdown to it! They called it Countdown to HTSD. (Hot Taco Salad Day) ha!
    And since the cafeteria served it once a month, there was always a countdown for like.. 30 days.
    And on the exact day, it would say "Happy HTSD!"
    (I swear I didn't expect that story to be so long)

    Reply
    • Raquel

      May 01, 2016 at 8:50 am

      That is such a cool story Tamara! Our cafeteria food was so blah but sounds like yours was great!

      Reply
  8. Akaleistar

    April 28, 2016 at 5:54 pm

    You had me sold at "make ahead". That taco salad looks so good 🙂

    Reply
    • Raquel

      May 01, 2016 at 8:49 am

      Thank you Ashley!

      Reply
  9. Donna @ Modern on Monticello

    March 17, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    I definitely pinned this one to try out this summer. It looks so delicious and "make-ahead" is always a good thing these days. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty

    Reply
  10. Viviene

    June 14, 2020 at 1:08 pm

    I made this and it was fantastic. However, lettuce was soggy next day. I would like to serve again but do not know what to do about this. Sorry comment was long!

    Reply
  11. Michele

    July 22, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    Delicious salad! Loved the Catalina dressing. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Raquel

      July 23, 2021 at 11:47 am

      Thanks Michele!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Raquel! I am a self-proclaimed foodie and have enjoyed cooking and baking since I was little. I loved baking cookies with my mother and grandma as a child, and later making dinners for my parents to foster my passion while in high school. I also had a passion for organizing and keeping things tidy.

More about me →

Budget Meals

  • Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
  • Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
  • Chicken Egg Noodle Casserole
  • Slow Cooker Beef Chili
  • Chicken Tenders Fried
  • Chicken Fajitas Crock Pot

Popular Recipes

  • Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
  • Chex Valentine Mix
  • Deconstructed Lasagna
  • Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups
  • Neiman Marcus Dip
  • Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Accessibility Statement

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 · Organized Island · Privacy Policy