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Enjoy a delicious and convenient single serving Taco Salad, packed with flavors and ready in just 10 minutes. Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, this recipe combines hearty ground beef, crisp lettuce, and a variety of vibrant toppings, all portioned ideally for one. For more quick meal ideas, explore our selection of 10-minute lunch ideas.
Elevate your taco salad with well-chosen sides and a sweet finale. Enjoy the crunch of golden tortilla chips alongside a creamy, cheesy Mexican Corn Dip. Add fresh guacamole for a creamy and zesty touch. A classic margarita brings a tangy cleanse to your palate and cap off your meal with a slice of indulgent Tres Leches Cake, a moist and rich treat.
Why You’ll Love This Taco Salad Recipe
- Wholesome: This single serving taco salad is packed with nutritious ingredients, offering a balance of fresh vegetables, lean protein, and fiber.
- Quick: Ideal for those busy days, this taco salad can be prepared easily. It’s a fantastic choice for a quick lunch or a no-fuss dinner, ready to enjoy in just a few minutes.
- Customizable: Tailor this taco salad to suit your taste. Feel free to mix in your favorite toppings or leave out anything you’re not fond of.
- Economical: Made with ingredients commonly found in your pantry or fridge, this taco salad is cost-effective. It’s a great way to enjoy a delicious and satisfying meal without straining your budget.
What Is A Taco Salad?
A taco salad combines the delicious elements of a traditional taco – meat, veggies, and seasonings – but is served on a bed of lettuce, making it a perfect blend of crunch and flavor.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this taco salad recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Olive oil: Used to sauté the beef; can be replaced with avocado or canola oil.
- Ground beef: The main protein source; for a leaner option, use ground turkey. If you have any ground beef leftover from this recipe, consider using it in Chili Mac, Taco Soup, or Nachos.
- Salt, pepper, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder: These spices season the ground meat perfectly. You can use 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning instead.
- Lettuce: Forms the base; Romaine or iceberg are both good options.
- Shredded cheese, avocado slices, chopped red onions, and black beans: These ingredients make the salad even more delicious! The black beans add additional fiber and can be swapped with kidney beans or chickpeas.
- Salsa, sour cream, cilantro: These are totally optional.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.
Check out our other Single Serving Salad ideas!
Recipe Variations
Experimenting with your taco salad can lead to delightful results. Here are some twists you might want to try:
- Vegetarian Taco Salad: Swap out the traditional meat for a hearty blend of black beans, corn and quinoa. This plant-based alternative is not only flavorful but also packed with protein. Add a sprinkle of cumin and a squeeze of lime for that zesty kick.
- Spicy Shrimp Taco Salad: Elevate your taco salad with some pan-seared or baked shrimp with a spicy Creole seasoning. Consider using the avocado pureé that we add to our shrimp tacos as the dressing for the salad.
- BBQ Chicken Twist: For a sweet and tangy twist, mix in shredded or diced chicken tossed in BBQ sauce instead of the usual taco meat. Complement this with roasted corn, pickled red onions, and a drizzle of ranch dressing.
- Mediterranean-Style Taco Salad: Introduce a Mediterranean flair by using seasoned lamb, feta cheese, and olives. Drizzle with a tzatziki dressing to bring a refreshing and unique taste to your taco salad.
Remember, the beauty of a taco salad is its versatility. So, let your culinary imagination run wild and create a plate that satisfies you!
How To Make A Taco Salad For One
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a taco salad. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a spoon. Add the seasonings and cook, stirring occasionally until the beef is browned, about 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer the ground beef to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Place the lettuce in a bowl and top with cooked beef, tomatoes, beans, avocado, cheese, chopped onions, salsa, and sour cream.
Expert Tips
- Prep your ingredients: To help make the most of your time, I recommend chopping and prepping the toppings while the ground beef is browning.
- If you’d like to make this salad in advance, you can! A taco salad is great for meal prep. Keep the cooked ground beef in a separate container and warm it up right before serving your salad.
- Customize: This salad recipe is very versatile. You can add more or less of the ingredients called for in this recipe or use your favorite vegetables instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taco salads can be served warm or cold depending on your preference.
Interested in optimizing the nutrition of your taco salad? Here’s how:
* Swap ground beef for leaner ground turkey.
* Opt for light sour cream or skip it, and embrace guacamole as an alternative.
* Enrich your salad with additional veggies, like corn and diced bell peppers.
* Forego store-bought salad dressings. With the rich flavors in this taco salad, you might find them unnecessary. Alternatively, craft your own dressing.
* Moderate cheese usage by reducing the amount or excluding it entirely.
In this taco salad recipe, traditional dressings take a backseat. I blend sour cream and salsa, then mix them into the salad. This combination creates a rich, creamy coating that enhances flavor beautifully.
Yes! You can cook the ground beef ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the salad.
Absolutely, grilled or shredded chicken is a great alternative.
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:
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
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
- 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 the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a spoon. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic powder and cook, stirring occasionally until the beef is browned, about 5-6 minutes.Pro Tip: Instead of using these seasonings, use 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning instead.
- Transfer the ground beef to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Place the lettuce in a bowl and top with cooked beef, tomatoes, beans, avocado, cheese, chopped onions, salsa, and sour cream.
Notes
- Prep your ingredients: To help make the most of your time, I recommend chopping and prepping the toppings while the ground beef is browning.
- If you’d like to make this salad in advance, you can! A taco salad is great for meal prep. Keep the cooked ground beef in a separate container and warm it up right before serving your salad.
- Customize: This salad recipe is very versatile. You can add more or less of the ingredients called for in this recipe or use your favorite vegetables instead.
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