What could be better than tacos? Probably only a healthy taco salad! But tacos are already a healthy enough meal option, you say, and you’ll be right, but there can always be better! In this post, I’ll share with you the secret to making a delicious healthy lunch or dinner, this recipe is meal-prep friendly and you can make it ahead of time by simply adding the dressing before serving.
The taco salad recipe is sure to please everyone, and you can always adjust it to your personal preferences choosing vegetables and lettuce leaves to your taste, you can always replace the beef with chicken or turkey, and even make a vegan version with red beans!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Minced beef – for this recipe I take lean ground beef, I also often use ready-made burger patties, mashing them into pieces with a spatula during the cooking process. If there is too much fat in a frying pan, drain off the excess before adding the meat to the salad. Ground beef can be replaced with ground chicken or ground turkey. This will make the finished dish lighter and less caloric. If you replace the meat component with red beans, the dish will become vegan-friendly. If you love easy ground beef recipes, you’ll also love this recipe Easy Italian Ground Beef and Peas : Quick and Hearty Dinner Recipe
Black olives – You can add any olives you like, or not add them at all if you don’t eat them. They can be replaced with pickled cucumbers or pickled red onions.
Sweet corn – you can use canned sweet corn, frozen (pre-fried), or simply boiled.
Green onion and Cilantro – These fresh herbs enhance the flavor of the dressing and salad and make it authentic, so it is not recommended to replace these herbs in the recipe.
Сherry tomatoes – Choose sweet different colors cherry tomatoes, this will add color to the salad. They can also be replaced with finely chopped pink tomatoes.
Bell peppers – peppers should be large, flesh and multi-colored.Can be substituted with ranch or capia peppers.
Avocado – It is probably impossible to imagine a taco without avocado, choose a ripe soft tasty Haas avocado or Pura Vida variety.
Romaine salad – The classic greens for taco salad are romaine, but you can use a salad mix of your choice, I really like a mix of iceberg lettuce and arugula.
Tacos corn wrap – I cut the small tortillas into triangles and bake them in the air fryer. I add these crunchy pieces to a salad, so I get fewer carbs and more fiber than a regular taco. You can use ready-made nacho chips.
Greek yogurt – I usually use lactose-free Greek yogurt, but you can substitute a dairy-free alternative, such as cashew yogurt or cashew cream sauce, as in the Vegan Merry Me Pasta recipe.
Lime juice – can be substituted with lemon juice, but lime juice brings out the best flavor in this recipe.
Avocado oil – has a very mild, slightly sweet taste, can be replaced with olive oil. My favorite Avocado Oil brand is Chosen Foods
Garlic – I use freshly minced garlic, this way the sauce is more aromatic.
Honey – acacia or clover honey is always in my kitchen, as usual, honey can be replaced with agave syrup or maple syrup.
If you have leftovers of Air Fryer Sweet Potato or other baked vegetables you can also add it to taco salad.
How to make Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing:
1.Cook the beef with Mexican Seasoning until golden brown. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, drain off the excess.
2.Prepare the vegetables for the salad: wash and dry the lettuce leaves, cut into small pieces. Peel and finely dice the bell peppers, cut the cherry tomatoes in half.Cut the avocado into large cubes.
3.Open the canned corn and drain the water. Also drain the olives and cut them into rings.
4.Cut the tacos into triangles, add a little salt and olive oil and fry them in an air fryer or oven. You can also brown them in a frying pan. Or use ready-made Nachos chips.
5.For Creamy Cilantro dressing, combine Greek yogurt, finely chopped cilantro, lime juice, honey, garlic, avocado oil, salt and pepper. Mix well until smooth.
6.Assemble the salad – place all ingredients in rows on one large platter and pour the dressing over them. Mix well and serve sprinkled with chopped green onions. If you are making the salad for meal prep, place all the ingredients in individual serving containers and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before serving, add 2 tablespoons of the creamy cilantro dressing to each container and mix.
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Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing.txt
Ingredients
- 1 lb minced beef
- 1/4 cup black olives chopped
- 3 pcs sprigs green onions
- 1 cup canned sweet corn
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 pcs bell peppers
- 1 pcs avocado
- 1 tbsp mix peppers
- 1 heads romaine
- 3 pcs tacos corn wrap
- 1 tsp Mexican Taco Seasoning
For Cilantro dressing:
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain
- 2 lime juice
- 1 small bunch cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 honey
- 2 Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
- Sea Salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the beef with Mexican Seasoning until golden brown. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, drain off the excess.
- Prepare the vegetables for the salad: wash and dry the lettuce leaves, cut into small pieces. Peel and finely dice the bell peppers, cut the cherry tomatoes in half.Cut the avocado into large cubes.
- Open the canned corn and drain the water. Also drain the olives and cut them into rings.
- Cut the tacos into triangles, add a little salt and olive oil and fry them in an air fryer or oven. You can also brown them in a frying pan. Or use ready-made Nachos chips.
- For Creamy Cilantro dressing, combine Greek yogurt, finely chopped cilantro, lime juice, honey, garlic, avocado oil, salt and pepper. Mix well until smooth.
- Assemble the salad – place all ingredients in rows on one large platter and pour the dressing over them. Mix well and serve sprinkled with chopped green onions. If you are making the salad for meal preap, place all the ingredients in individual serving containers and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before serving, add 2 tablespoons of the creamy cilantro dressing to each container and mix.
Nutrition
What can I use instead of yogurt in a sauce?
Instead of yogurt, you can use sour cream or a non-dairy alternative, you can also use a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise, but the calorie content of the dish will be higher.
How To Make Mexican Taco Seasoning?
For Mexican Taco Seasoning mix 1 tsp each garlic, onion, paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander,1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional).
