TACO SALAD
If you come over to our house and I wasn’t expecting you, I’ll probably try to feed you this taco salad. It’s one of my favorite easy recipes, and I never get sick of it (probably because it’s topped with avocado, salsa, and lime—three of my favorite things). I almost always have the ingredients on hand because, in my opinion, it’s just an amalgamation of Paleo staples. Onion, garlic, ground beef—the only thing you may not have in your kitchen right now is taco seasoning, but that’s easy enough to obtain (and if you had to go without it, this recipe would still be delicious). SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
1 to 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, diced
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound (454 g) ground beef
¼ cup cherry tomatoes (optional)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) taco seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups (720 ml) chopped romaine lettuce, or the salad mix of your choice
4 to 6 tablespoons (90 ml) your favorite Paleo salsa, for garnish
1 avocado, diced or simply quartered, for garnish
1 lime, cut into wedges, for garnish
- In a large pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute.
- Add the ground beef. Stir it around until it begins to brown, and cook all the way through, 5 to 7 minutes. If there’s a lot of liquid, carefully drain it off and return the pan to the heat.
- Add the cherry tomatoes (if using), and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until they start to get wilty and some of them begin to burst. Stir in the taco seasoning, season with pepper, and remove the pan from the heat.
- Divide the lettuce evenly among 4 bowls, and top each lettuce pile with the ground beef mixture. Garnish each salad with the salsa, avocado, and lime, and serve.
VARIATION 1 CHICKEN TACO SALAD: If you’re temporarily tired of beef, re-create this recipe with ground chicken instead (the cook time should be about the same).
VARIATION 2 SHRIMP TACO SALAD: Looking for a seafood meal? Use a pound of peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails removed instead of beef and cook until pink (the cook time will be a few minutes shorter).
PREP TIP: Cook the ground beef and chop the veggies on Sunday evening so you’re ready for a Monday or Tuesday taco salad dinner.
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This taco salad piles taco-seasoned ground beef on chopped romaine and finishes it with salsa, avocado, and a generous squeeze of lime. It is the amalgamation of paleo staples that comes together in 20 minutes. If you drop by unexpectedly, this is probably what gets served.
Pro Tips
- Brown the beef all the way through and drain off any excess liquid before the taco seasoning goes in. A greasy pool under the lettuce ruins the bowl.
- Cook the cherry tomatoes 2-3 minutes until they get wilty and some begin to burst. They bring sweetness to the seasoned meat.
- Stir the taco seasoning in off the heat and season with pepper. Use a paleo-friendly blend without sugar.
- Build each bowl fresh: lettuce first, then the beef mixture, then salsa, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
- Variations: make it with ground chicken instead, or swap in a pound of peeled shrimp cooked until pink.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is taco salad paleo?
It is with paleo salsa and taco seasoning - beef, onion, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and lime. No tortilla chips or cheese.
Can I meal-prep taco salad?
Yes - cook the ground beef and chop the vegetables on Sunday evening and dinner is ready to assemble on a Monday or Tuesday.
Can I use ground chicken or shrimp?
Yes - ground chicken cooks in the same time, and shrimp takes a few minutes less. Cook the shrimp until pink.
What taco seasoning is paleo?
Look for a blend without sugar or anti-caking additives, or mix your own from chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic, and oregano.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- In a large pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
- Sauté the onion until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and cook for another minute.
- Add the ground beef.
- Stir it around until it begins to brown, and cook all the way through, 5 to 7 minutes. If there’s a lot of liquid, carefully drain it off and return the pan to the heat.
- Add the cherry tomatoes (if using), and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until they start to get wilty and some of them begin to burst.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, season with pepper, and remove the pan from the heat.
- Divide the lettuce evenly among 4 bowls, and top each lettuce pile with the ground beef mixture.
- Garnish each salad with the salsa, avocado, and lime, and serve.
