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This single serving taco salad is fresh, flavorful, and easy to make. Packed with seasoned beef, crisp lettuce, and your favorite toppings, it’s a quick meal for one.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthy and Filling: This single serving taco salad is loaded with lean protein, fresh vegetables, and fiber for a balanced, satisfying meal.
- Quick and Easy: Ready in minutes, this recipe is perfect for a fast lunch or simple dinner.
- Customizable: Add your favorite toppings like avocado, corn, or black beans, or skip ingredients you don’t prefer.
- Budget-Friendly: Uses simple, affordable ingredients you likely already have on hand – an easy way to enjoy a flavorful taco salad without spending much.
- Great for Meal Prep: Cook the seasoned beef ahead of time and assemble when ready to eat for a quick, fresh taco salad anytime.
What I love most about this taco salad is how fresh and flavorful it is every time I make it. The seasoned beef, crisp lettuce, creamy avocado, and tangy salsa come together so perfectly. It’s one of my go-to meals when I want something quick, healthy, and satisfying without needing to cook a big dinner.
Round out your taco salad meal with a few simple sides and a touch of sweetness. Serve it with crunchy tortilla chips and creamy Mexican corn dip, plus a scoop of homemade guacamole for extra flavor. Pair your meal with a classic margarita and finish with a small tres leches cake for dessert.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy taco salad recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Olive Oil: Used to sauté the beef. Avocado or canola oil work well too.
- Ground Beef: The main protein. Use ground turkey for a leaner option. If you have extra beef, use it in chili mac for one, taco soup for one, or a small batch of nachos.
- Salt, Pepper, Ground Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder: Season the meat for great flavor. You can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning instead.
- Lettuce: The base of the salad. Romaine or iceberg both work well.
- Shredded Cheese, Avocado, Red Onions, Black Beans: Add flavor and texture. Swap black beans with kidney beans or chickpeas if you prefer.
- Salsa, Sour Cream, Cilantro: Optional toppings that add freshness and extra flavor.
Recipe Variations
Try one of these easy and flavorful taco salad variations:
- Vegetarian Taco Salad: Replace the beef with black beans, corn, and quinoa for a hearty, protein-rich option. Add a little cumin and a squeeze of lime for extra flavor.
- Spicy Shrimp Taco Salad: Use pan-seared or baked shrimp seasoned with Creole seasoning. Top with the avocado pureé that we use in our small batch shrimp tacos recipe or salsa.
- BBQ Chicken Taco Salad: Swap the ground beef for shredded chicken tossed in BBQ sauce. Add roasted corn, pickled red onions, and a drizzle of homemade ranch dressing.
- Mediterranean Taco Salad: Use seasoned ground lamb, feta cheese, and olives, then finish with a spoonful of tzatziki for a fresh, tangy flavor.
- Taco Salad with Chips: Add crushed tortilla chips or strips for extra crunch and texture, a favorite in many classic taco salad recipes.
How To Make A Taco Salad For One
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make the best taco salad. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Sprinkle with seasonings and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5–6 minutes.
- Transfer the beef to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.
- In a bowl, layer lettuce, cooked beef, tomatoes, beans, avocado, cheese, onions, salsa, and sour cream. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Prep Ahead: Chop and prepare the toppings while the ground beef cooks to save time.
- Make Ahead: Cook the beef in advance and store it separately. Reheat before assembling your salad.
- Customize It: Adjust ingredient amounts or swap in your favorite vegetables to make it your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cook and season the beef in advance and store it separately. Assemble the salad just before serving to keep it fresh.
Absolutely. Use black beans, pinto beans, or quinoa instead of meat for a vegetarian taco salad.
Yes, when made with lean protein, plenty of vegetables, and lighter dressings or salsa, taco salad is a healthy, balanced meal.
In this taco salad recipe, I skip the traditional dressing and use a mix of sour cream and salsa instead. It creates a creamy, flavorful coating that ties everything together perfectly.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this taco salad or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Taco Salad For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces ground beef
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin * See notes
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups lettuce
- 1 medium Roma tomato -chopped
- ¼ cup canned black beans -rinsed and drained
- ½ small avocado -chopped
- 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped red onions
- 2 tablespoons salsa
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- Optional: chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer the beef to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.
- In a bowl, layer lettuce, cooked beef, tomatoes, beans, avocado, cheese, onions, salsa, and sour cream. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Prep Ahead: Chop and prepare the toppings while the ground beef cooks to save time.
- Make Ahead: Cook the beef in advance and store it separately. Reheat before assembling your salad.
- Customize It: Adjust ingredient amounts or swap in your favorite vegetables to make it your own.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Looks delicious. I’ll have to try the taco salad recipe
Delish made with your Pico de gallo and salsa and sour cream as dressing
I’m so happy you enjoyed the salad!
I love a taco salad. I added a heaping teaspoon of taco seasoning and brushed a flour tortilla with oil and shaped into a bowl placed it in my 6.5 in. cast iron skillet and baked until crispy. Delicious!
have looked at every recipe on here they all look so good went to order your cook book from amazon cant wait to get here so i can start cooking for one i am 80 years old and a widow for almost 3 years now and cooking got very hard with leftovers to feed a Army
Hi Cindy, I’m so glad you found our website and hope you find the recipes helpful. Thank you for purchasing our cookbook your support means so much!
Bush’s brand has a “steak beans” mixture, small can, that I just rinse half and add to my onions & ground beef mixture while browning my meat & onions. I crush whatever chips I have, & mix all together with sour cream & salsa. Then serve from there. I usually have enough for two servings, so I plan it for lunch AND dinner!!! I LOVE this stuff! I use the leftover beans (unrinsed) in a later meal! They’re good as a side dish, or added to any salad. HTH!
Is this a keto friendly recipe???
What I love about this taco salad is that it can easily be customized. Add ingredients you love and leave out those you don’t. As written, it is a low carb recipe and if you’re avoiding beans, you can leave them out and it’ll be absolutely keto-friendly.
I made this for lunch and I really enjoyed it. I do have to say that I SO APPRECIATE you providing ideas for the “extra ingredients”. I was thrilled to see this. This is what I struggle with on other sites. Cooking for one (or two) is wonderful but I do not like to waste the extras and having ideas are terrific. The suggestions are wonderful! Thank you again!
Hi Nancy,
I’m so happy you enjoyed the taco salad, it’s one of my favorite salads. Thank you for taking the time to let me know you find our site helpful.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Joanie