Who needs tortillas?! These Taco Salad Bowls pack in all the deliciousness of a taco, minus the empty carbs. With seasoned ground beef, crisp romaine, black beans, and all your favorite taco toppings, they’re sure to satisfy!
Even salad haters have to make an exception for these taco salad bowls (and my Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad!). Complaints about salads being boring or not filling enough disappear when you’ve got a bowl full of taco meat, black beans, corn, guac, and all the taco fixings—oh, and yes, there’s lettuce in there too. Make them for a Taco Tuesday dinner or as a meal prep lunch to enjoy throughout the week!
Why These Taco Salad Bowls Are the Perfect Meal
There’s a lot to love when it comes to these taco salad bowls.
- Hearty and satisfying. This isn’t a side salad! With seasoned ground beef and black beans, these taco salad bowls will definitely keep you full and satisfied.
- Customizable. One of the best things about Ground Beef Tacos is that everyone can make them their own way. The same goes for these taco salad bowls, which means even your kids will love them!
- Great for leftovers and meal prep. Not only do these taco salad bowls make a great lunch the next day, but you can also use any remaining toppings to make other Tex-Mex dinners—maybe Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas?—later in the week.
What You’ll Need
When it comes to the toppings, feel free to use any or all of your favorites. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Taco Meat:
- Olive oil – For cooking the beef.
- Red onion and garlic – These add flavor to the ground beef.
- Lean ground beef – You can swap in ground turkey if you prefer it.
- Spices – Cumin, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, chili powder, onion powder, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
Bowl:
- Romaine lettuce – I like using romaine because it’s a nice, crisp variety that stands up well to all the other ingredients in this taco salad bowl.
- Black beans – I use low-sodium beans and drain and rinse them well to keep the salt level in check.
- Frozen corn – The kind that’s fire-roasted is especially good in this salad!
Toppings:
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Sour cream
- Pickled Onions
- Pickled jalapeños
How to Make Taco Salad Bowls
You’re just a few minutes away from taco salad time! Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to do.
- Cook the aromatics. Add the oil and onion to a skillet set over medium-high heat. Once it’s translucent, add the garlic and sauté until it’s fragrant.
- Add the meat. Cook the ground beef, breaking it up as you go, until it’s no longer pink. Stir in the seasonings and remove from heat.
- Cook the corn. In a clean skillet set over medium-high, sauté the corn until it’s lightly browned. Remove from heat.
- Assemble. Add the lettuce to bowls, then add the ground beef, corn, beans, and your toppings of choice.
Variations
Salad recipes are super versatile and this taco salad bowl is no exception. Here are some ways to make it your own.
- Make it vegetarian. Swap the ground beef for plant-based meat to make these taco salad bowls totally vegetarian.
- Add crunch. Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips can be sprinkled on top for a satisfying crunch.
- Dress it up. I skip the dressing in these bowls because I find the toppings are enough, but you could add ranch, lime crema, or stir together some restaurant-style salsa and sour cream to use as a dressing.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: For the freshest leftovers, store the different components of the taco salad bowl separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Assemble when ready to eat.
- Freezer: The cooked ground beef can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before adding to your bowl.
- Reheat: To reheat, simply microwave or heat the meat and corn on the stovetop until warmed through. Add the fresh ingredients before enjoying.
More Meal Bowl Recipes
Taco Salad Bowl
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Beef
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Description
These taco salad bowls pack in all the deliciousness of a taco, minus the tortilla— seasoned beef, romaine, beans and your favorite toppings!
Ingredients
Taco Meat:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- 2 lb lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Bowl:
- Romaine Lettuce, roughly chopped
- 15 oz. can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
Toppings:
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Sour Cream
- Pickled Onions
- Pickled Jalapenos
Instructions
Taco Meat:
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and red onion to the pan. Saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add in garlic, saute for 30 seconds.
- Once the aromatics are cooked add lean ground beef to the skillet, cook until no longer pink. Chop up with a wooden spoon to make smaller pieces the entire time. Approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Add in cumin, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, chili powder, onion powder, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir until all the spices are mixed together. Remove from heat.
Saute Corn:
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add frozen corn to the pan and saute until slightly browned, stirring frequently. Approximately 5 minutes. Remove corn from the heat when done.
Assemble Bowls:
- Add 1 1/2 cups of romaine to the bottom of a bowl. Top with ground beef, corn, black beans, and all your favorite toppings. (I like to use guacamole, pico de Gallo, sour cream, pickled onions and jalapenos)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (not including extra topping)
- Calories: 406
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 670 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 93 mg
