This healthy Taco Salad recipe is everything you love about taco night, transformed into a wholesome package you can feel great devouring for nutritious lunches and dinners.
From the lean ground turkey, to the Southwest spices, to all of the best taco fixin’s, this Mexican-inspired recipe has it all.
Adios wimpy salads.
This is the best taco salad recipe that satisfies.
- It’s high in protein and fiber packs a wide array of taco toppings like cheese, avocado, corn, baked tortilla chips, and beans.
- This wholesome salad is a classic taco done lighter so you can enjoy it more often.
- In addition to its nutritious ingredient lineup and incredible flavor, the components of this healthy taco salad lasts well in the refrigerator, making it ideal for meal prep.
- It’s also far easier to eat than regular tacos. Who has time for shells? Just toss everything into a bowl and you’re ready to chow down!
Have you ever asked yourself if taco salad can be healthy?
This taco salad shouts a resounding YES!
Restaurant vs Homemade Taco Salad
Despite their perception as being “healthy” options, restaurant taco salads are deceptively unhealthy. Most restaurant versions:
- Are doused in heavy, high-calorie dressings
- Contain a scant number of wholesome vegetables
- Overdo it on the high-fat toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese or nacho cheese
- Are often served in a deep-fried taco shell (delicious but dangerous).
Making your own salad at home means that you can control the taco salad ingredients and portions to make it as wholesome as you choose.
5 Star Review
“Love this taco salad! The seasoning is low in salt which I was looking for and so yummy and super easy to make for a busy mama!!”
— Whitney —
How to Make Taco Salad
Whether you’re looking to add more healthy recipes to your repertoire or just love tacos (or both!), this healthy taco salad will quickly become a favorite.
The Ingredients
- Flour Tortillas. One of the secrets to making a really great taco salad is adding crunch. In place of fried chips, I use oven-baked strips of tortillas. It only takes a few minutes to toss the tortilla strips into the oven, and the texture they add is completely worth the small effort.
- Spices. Skip the taco seasoning packets, which are usually high in sodium. Instead make a homemade taco seasoning that combines salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder to season the ground turkey meat. You could also add paprika, oregano, onion powder, or a hit of hot sauce to taste.
- Ground Turkey. To create a lower-calorie taco salad recipe that still packs restaurant-worthy satisfaction, I used ground turkey. It’s equally as delicious here as season ground beef! The best taco meat!
- Romaine Lettuce. The crisp and fresh base for our salad. Romaine lettuce is high in minerals and low in calories, making it ideal for this slimmed-down salad. I prefer it over iceberg lettuce.
- Black Beans. A true super food! Black beans have been shown to be beneficial for cholesterol, are rich in fiber and protein, and are very low in saturated fat. They give the salad a creamy element and make it more satisfying. (My Instant Pot Black Beans would be perfect here; canned work too of course.)
- Corn. I used convenient canned Mexican-style corn and loved the additional flavors it added to the salad.
- Tomatoes. A handful of cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or chopped roma tomatoes adds bursts of flavor and vitamin C.
- Avocado. The creamy, nutrient-packed ingredient that we all love! Avocado adds oodles of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Cilantro + Green Onions. For a bit of bite and added flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese. I went lighter on the cheese quantity, so using an extra-sharp cheddar helps make sure you can still taste it in every bite.
- Greek Yogurt + Salsa. So simple but so delish! To make the BEST healthy taco salad dressing, simply mix together your favorite salsa with plain nonfat Greek yogurt, my healthy substitute for sour cream. Greek yogurt is high in protein and has calcium too.
Additional Toppings
Anything you love on your tacos is fair game!
- My favorite toppings are tortilla strips (or tortilla chips; my sister uses Doritos) and additional avocado, or jalapeño.
- To mix it up, try chopped red onion (or better yet, Pickled Onions), queso fresco, pico de gallo, fresh corn, mushrooms, bell peppers, black olives, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, sliced jicama, Homemade Guacamole, or toasted pumpkin seeds.
The Directions
- Bake the tortilla strips.
- In a nonstick, large skillet brown the turkey with the spices. Stir together dressing ingredients.
- Place the romaine in a serving bowl, add the salad ingredients, and top with the dressing. Toss to combine, sprinkle with tortilla strips, and serve. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Once assembled and dressed, the salad is best eaten within a few hours of serving. However, the deconstructed elements of this salad may be stored separately in airtight containers for 2-4 days in the fridge.
- To Reheat. Leftovers of the seasoned ground turkey may be warmed in the microwave, in a covered container, until steaming.
- To Make Ahead. Chop the veggies and cook the turkey in advance, storing them individually in the refrigerator. You can quickly assemble individual portions and add any other toppings you desire throughout the week.
Meal Prep Tip
If your plan is to prep this salad for lunches throughout the week, I recommend storing the salad in divided meal prep containers and then tossing everything together with the dressing when ready to serve.
Leftover Ideas
The best part about leftover taco salad topping is you can easily change gears and make other dishes like tacos, quesadillas, or game day-worthy nachos.
What to Serve with Taco Salad
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Baking Sheets. These are an invaluable tool for your kitchen. I use them to bake up the tortilla strips in this recipe.
- Measuring Cups. An ideal way to measure AND mix your ingredients for salad dressing, without getting another bowl dirty. Plus, they can go in the microwave and dishwasher.
- Skillet. For cooking up all of that perfectly seasoned ground turkey.
The Best Knife Set
This Zwilling 19-piece knife set is made with quality, laser-cut steel and ergonomic handles. I’ve never wished for a different knife set.
So pour yourself a Skinny Margarita because tonight is taco (salad) night!
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be. If you’d like to minimize your carbohydrates and still enjoy a filling, healthy taco salad I would suggest omitting or limiting the crispy tortilla strips, black beans to knock off the most carbs from this recipe.
Typically the greens, vegetables, and other toppings are served cold. However, most taco salad recipes, including this one, will serve the meat warm over top of the salad.
It can be. To make this a gluten-free taco salad, opt for corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas (or skip them entirely). If you are especially sensitive to gluten check your labels to ensure all ingredients were processed in a gluten free certified facility to avoid cross-contamination.
While this is a complete meal all on it’s own, kick taco night up a notch with this Skinny Margarita, made with lime juice!
Taco Salad
Ingredients
For the Taco Salad:
- 2 fajita-size flour tortillas (or swap for corn tortillas to make gluten free)
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 head romaine lettuce roughly chopped
- 1 can reduced-sodium black beans (15 ounces), rinsed and drained
- 1 can Mexican-style corn (11 ounces), drained
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 medium ripe avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves chopped
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
For the Salsa Yogurt Dressing:
- 1/4 cup salsa (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Stack the tortillas and cut them in half, then slice each half into 1/2-inch strips. Scatter the strips in the middle of the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, then sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat, then spread them into a single layer.
- Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes, turning halfway through. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high. Add the turkey, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Break up the meat and stir with a spoon until it is cooked through; about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the salsa and Greek yogurt to make the dressing.
- Place the romaine in a large serving bowl. Top with 1/4 cup of the salsa-yogurt mixture, the turkey, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, cheese, and green onions. Toss lightly to combine, then sprinkle the tortilla strips over the top. Serve immediately with remaining salsa-yogurt dressing as desired.
Notes
- GLUTEN FREE OPTION: To make the recipe gluten free, swap corn tortillas in place of the flour tortillas. Check the baking time a few minutes early, as the corn tortillas may crisp more quickly.
- MAKE AHEAD: Store the cooked ground turkey in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, the corn and black beans in a separate container for up to 4 days, the dressing in a container for up to 4 days, and the chopped tomatoes in a container for up to 3 days. Washed, chopped lettuce can also be stored in the crisper drawer for 2 to 3 days. Warm the turkey and assemble the salad just before serving.
- TO STORE: Once assembled and dressed, the salad is best eaten within a few hours of serving. However, the deconstructed elements of this salad may be stored separately in airtight containers for 2-4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
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Taco night? More like Taco every night! Here are more of my favorite south-of-the-border Mexican recipes.
One of my favorite Pinterest finds! I’m not a fan of black beans and i omitted the taco shell – it was incredible! As good, if not better than any restaurant taco salad!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the salad, Linda! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this for my family this evening and everyone LOVED it!!! I used Cassava tortillas instead of corn. Only thing I really did differently is that I left all of the ingredients separate. We have multiple people in our household that have different specialized diets. I will definitely be making this again!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Alicia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
It was delicious! I accidentally forgot to add the avocado and cheese so I’m excited to remake it soon. :)
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Amélie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This salad was delicious and filling. I especially loved the dressing and the the spices on the turkey. I have mad ethos twice in one week because it was so good. I highly recommend it! :)
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Jessica! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
So good, will definitely be eating this on repeat all summer.
Hi Maryellen! So glad you enjoyed the salad! Thank you for this kind review!
Love this taco salad! The seasoning is low in salt which I was looking for and so yummy and super easy to make for a busy mama!!
Hi Whitney! So glad you enjoyed the salad! Thank you for this kind review!
This is my second time making this recipe, this time I didn’t have any corn, so I substituted chickpeas for corn, I’m going to see how that turns out, the first time I made it was great, thanks for the recipe
Hi Donald! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
So easy and delicious!
Hi Clara! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Easy to put together, doesn’t kill my calorie budget, and tastes great!
Hi Samantha! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Easy to put together, doesn’t kill my calorie budget, and tastes great!
Hi Samantha! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
The homemade tortilla strips were wonderful. I didn’t use avocado because my husband ate it! Very good flavor! I will at least double the dressing next time and throw in some black olives.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Tricia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
A great summer dinner and a perfect way to use left over taco meat. We subbed pinto beans for black beans and added some pickled jalapeños for a little more heat. Loved the salad dressing. Thank you Erin!
Hi Gina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!