Beef Taco Salad

SERVES 4 Ingredients Taco Meat • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) coconut oil or Rendered Animal Fat (see page ix) • 1 onion, chopped fine • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chili powder • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 1 pound (454 g) ground beef • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce • ½ cup Chicken Broth or Stock (see page 239) • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) white balsamic vinegar • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) palm sugar • Sea salt and pepper to taste Salad • 4 (10-inch) Tortillas (page 32) • Coconut oil or Rendered Animal Fat (see page ix) • 2 romaine lettuce hearts (12 ounces), shredded • 8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered • 2 scallions, sliced thin • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice, freshly squeezed • Sea salt and pepper to taste Preparation 1. For the Taco Meat: Heat oil in twelve-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through but still slightly pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes; mixture will be saucy. Remove from heat and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. 2. For the Salad: Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 425° F (220°C). Arrange four oven-safe soup bowls (or four slightly flattened, three-inch aluminum foil balls) upside down on two rimmed baking sheets. Place Tortillas on plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave until warm and pliable, about 15 to 30 seconds. 3. Drape Tortillas over soup bowls, pressing the tops flat and pinching the sides to create a four-sided bowl. Bake until Tortillas are crisp, 10 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Allow to cool upside-down. 4. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, and two tablespoons cilantro in a large bowl; toss with lime juice and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Place Tortilla bowls on individual plates. Divide salad among bowls, top with taco meat, and sprinkle with remaining two tablespoons cilantro. Serve.

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Beef taco salad gets the full diner treatment: saucy chili-spiced beef over crisp romaine and tomatoes, all inside a baked paleo tortilla bowl. The tortilla bowl takes ten minutes in a hot oven and turns dinner into an event. Four of them, restaurant energy included.

Pro Tips

• Cook the onion until properly softened before the chili powder and garlic join — those 30 fragrant seconds bloom the spices without burning them.
• Take the beef off the heat while it's still slightly pink; it finishes in the hot sauce and stays tender.
• The meat mixture is meant to be saucy — the tomato sauce and broth simmer down just enough to coat the salad beneath it.
• To form the bowls, warm the tortillas under a damp towel until pliable, then drape them over inverted soup bowls or foil balls and pinch the sides into a four-sided shape.
• Bake the tortilla bowls at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway, and cool them upside-down so they hold their shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make the crispy tortilla bowls?

Drape warm tortillas over inverted oven-safe bowls or flattened foil balls on a baking sheet, pinch the sides into a bowl shape, and bake at 425 degrees until crisp — about 10-15 minutes.

Can I skip the tortilla bowl?

Absolutely — serve the meat over the salad as a straight taco salad. You lose the crunch bowl but none of the flavor.

Why is the taco meat so saucy?

By design — tomato sauce, broth, white balsamic and a touch of palm sugar simmer into a glossy sauce that dresses the lettuce as you eat.

Can I make the meat ahead?

Yes, it reheats beautifully. Bake the tortilla bowls fresh and assemble at serving time so the salad stays crisp.

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