We eat a lot of salads during the summer – both pasta and lettuce – and Taco Salad is one of my favorites. This Tex-Mex dish has been around since the 1960s and I often order it when I lunch at a Mexican Restaurant. It is so easy to make at home and you can add whatever and however much of the different ingredients you want. And that is a big plus.
I skip the fried flour tortilla shell (although I love them at the restaurant) and go right to the lettuce as the base. I think Iceberg is the best for this salad, but you can use whatever lettuce gets your Tex-Mex juices flowing.
The taco meat is really the star of the show and here is how I make it. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan on medium low heat. Add 1 pound of ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink. Then add 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook several minutes then add 8 ounces of jarred salsa at whatever heat level you like and 1/3 cup of chicken stock. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium low heat or until the mixture is warm and has the right consistency. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.
Now comes the fun part: layering the salad. You can add whatever ingredients you want but these are my favorite. On top of the lettuce, I spoon the taco meat. Then I add canned black beans that have rinsed and drained well; frozen corn that I run under hot water to thaw and drain well; diced avocado; and shredded cheese.
Now comes the dressing which is a bit of a twist. A Mexican restaurant in L.A. serves their Taco Salad with 1000 Island Dressing and it adds the perfect blend of tastes. You can find my easy 1000 Island Dressing here.
After I dollop on the dressing, I finish with diced Roma tomatoes and broken up pieces of crispy tortilla chips. I like the guacamole chips that I buy at a store that sells everything for a dollar.
And that is it. Taco Salad at home your way. Enjoy!
Guacamole chips at the Dollar Store?????????
Love this salad! The Mexican restaurant Raymond mentioned is a great little restaurant in Hollywood on Western Ave. It’s in a part of town where, when you park in the parking lot, you stay in your car until a security guard comes to escort you to the door—and upon leaving, they escort you back to your car. But the food is great, so I considered it worth the risk of being involved in a drive-by or a drug deal gone bad!
But now, I can have this in the safety of my own home and HOPEFULLY not have to hire security. ??