Ultimate Crunchy Taco Fiesta Salad 🌮🥗

Cheesy Crunchy Taco Salad 🥗

Cook Time: 10 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Description:

This Cheesy Crunchy Taco Salad is an absolute crowd-pleaser, perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or as a refreshing family meal during hot weather. It’s a standout dish that ensures you won’t end up with duplicate recipes on the table. Plus, it’s easily adaptable for vegetarians by omitting the meat and substituting with hearty black beans. Bursting with flavor and textures, everyone will be asking for seconds!

Recipe Category:

Beans

Keywords:

Vegetable, Meat, Potluck, < 30 Mins, Easy

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories: 5826.9
Fat: 392.4g
- Saturated Fat: 95.9g
Cholesterol: 486.4mg
Sodium: 7480.2mg
Carbohydrates: 409.6g
- Fiber: 49g
- Sugar: 79.4g
Protein: 188g

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 head lettuce, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 can black olives, sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed
3/4 – 1 cup of your favorite taco sauce or dressing

Recipe Instructions:

Prepare Ingredients: Start by cooking the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until it’s fully browned and crumbled. Drain excess fat and set aside to cool slightly.
Mix Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked ground beef, chopped lettuce, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced onion. Toss everything together until well mixed.
Chill: Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for about 10-15 minutes. This helps to meld the flavors together and keeps the salad crisp and refreshing.
Add Dressing: Just before serving, pour your favorite taco sauce or dressing over the salad mixture. Start with 3/4 cup and add more according to your taste preference. Toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly.
Top with Crunch: Finally, sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips over the salad. These add a satisfying crunch and extra flavor to every bite.
Serve: Transfer the Cheesy Crunchy Taco Salad to a large serving bowl or platter and garnish with extra shredded cheese and chopped fresh cilantro if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy the deliciousness!

Serving Suggestions:

This salad is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the tortilla chips separate until ready to serve to maintain their crunch.
Customize your salad by adding your favorite toppings like diced avocado, jalapeños, sour cream, or salsa.
For a vegetarian version, simply omit the ground beef and increase the amount of black beans or add other meat substitutes like crumbled tofu or vegetarian ground “beef.”
Feel free to adjust the quantities of ingredients according to your taste preferences and the number of servings needed.