Easy Taco Salad Bowls
These Easy Taco Salads are perfect for nights when you crave tacos but want to switch things up. Seasoned beef, cheese, and your favorite toppings are served over lettuce in a crispy tortilla shell. And since you can eat the bowl, you get plenty of crunch with every bite! Easy Taco Recipes like this one make dinner a little easier to get on the table quickly.
This ground beef taco salad works for a weeknight dinner or a weekend lunch. An easy kit helps you shape your own shells at home, and everyone can fill theirs just how they like. Set out the toppings and let everyone help themselves. The individual bowls make these fun to serve for Taco Tuesday, too.
When my youngest daughter was in college, she would request these Easy Taco Salad Bowls as her “coming home for the weekend” dinner every single time. I use my Homemade Taco Seasoning with lean ground beef and all our favorite toppings.
The individual bowls can be served as the main meal, but we also enjoy having this Hot Taco Dip with some chips, too. I love drizzling a bit of this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Spicy Cheese Dip over my salad. Of course, if you ask my daughter, she will say to add more jalapeños!
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Easy Taco Salads
This recipe makes four taco salad bowls using a kit to help shape the tortillas and a pound of ground beef. Taco seasoning adds flavor to the meat, while shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese make up the base of each salad. There is no separate dressing to mix, since the sour cream or guacamole adds a creamy topping.
We enjoy these salads with two topping combinations: tomato, green onion, and sour cream, or black olives, red onion, and guacamole. Whether you use these combinations or use a little of everything. It is an easy way to serve the same dinner while giving everyone some choice.
The Azteca Taco Salad Shells Kit is what I used to form the shells but you can also grab a set of these Non-Stick Tortilla Salad Mold Pans. Both methods are easy to form the shells and bake them.
Timesaving Tips and Variations
A few shortcuts can help with the filling and toppings. Use these ideas to save prep time or adjust the bowls to what you have.
- Use bagged shredded lettuce and pre-shredded cheese when you need to cut down on chopping and grating.
- Dice the tomato and onions while the beef simmers, or prep them earlier in the day and refrigerate separately.
- Choose romaine for a firmer bite or iceberg for a lighter crunch, and dry either well after washing.
- Drain the beef before adding the seasoning, then let any excess liquid simmer off so it does not collect in the shells. Nobody likes a soggy taco shell.
- Swap cheddar for Monterey Jack or a Mexican cheese blend; pepper jack adds some heat.
- Add drained black beans or corn, or offer jalapeños and salsa as extra toppings.
- Serve the filling in regular bowls with tortilla chips if you cannot get taco salad shells.
- Keep the bowl form from the kit as you can reuse it with other tortillas.
Keep the beef seasoning mild when you are serving people with different spice preferences. Hot sauce can go on the table for anyone who wants it. Add wet toppings just before eating to help keep the shells crisp.
What to Serve with Taco Salad Bowls
These taco salads are filling enough to serve on their own. If you want a little extra on the table, add a side of rice or something everyone can share. These recipes give you a few options:
- Quick Mexican rice
- Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
- Easy Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Choose the rice for a heartier meal or the salsa for a fresh side. The nachos are fun to share when family and friends come over.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can cook the beef and chop the vegetables ahead of time, then refrigerate them in separate covered containers. Prepare the shells according to the package directions and keep them separate from the filling. Reheat the meat and assemble the salads just before serving for the best texture.
Dry the lettuce thoroughly and avoid spooning extra liquid from the skillet into the shells. Add sour cream, guacamole, or any other wet toppings right before eating. Fill only the shells you plan to serve immediately, since assembled salads lose their crunch as they sit.
Let the baked bowls cool completely, then wrap securely and store at room temperature for up to two days. Keep them separate from the salad ingredients and fill just before serving.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
You’ll need a few basic kitchen tools to make this recipe, nothing fancy. Some of my favorite products are from Amazon.
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, PFAS-Free, 10.25 Inches
GoodCook Everyday Nonstick Baking Sheet Set, 3 Pack Includes Small (13×9) Medium (15×1) and Large (17×11) Pans Carbon Steel Construction Cookie Sheets Bakeware Set, GrayTitanium Cutting Board for Kitchen, Pure Titanium/PP, Size 16”×11”Cooling Racks 8.5 x12 in, Tight-Wire Stainless Steel Baking Rack 2-Packimarku 3 Pieces Knife set, Japanese HC Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife Set4PCS Taco Salad Bowl Maker Set, Taco Bowl Shell Maker with Brush for Healthy Family Meals, Creative Party Dishes, Taco Shell Mold for Frying and BakingRio Rancho Tostada Bowls, 4-CountDivided Serving Tray with Lid and Handle, Stackable Snackle Box Container for Fruits Candy Organizer, Portable Spinning Rounded Veggie Tray for Kitchen, Party, Trave and Picnic-1 PACK
Ingredients for Easy Taco Salad Bowls
Easy-to-find ingredients make this recipe a cinch. The full measurements are in the recipe card, with the ingredients explained below.
- Taco salad shells: I use the Azteca kit, which comes with forms to shape the shells before baking.
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef works well here.
- Homemade Taco Seasoning and water: Use homemade seasoning or half a packet of your favorite store-bought mix.
- Shredded lettuce: Iceberg or romaine both work well.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Use freshly grated or packaged shredded cheese.
- Roma tomato and green onion: Dice the tomato and slice the green onion for topping the salads.
- Black olives and red onion: Slice these thinly so you get a little in each bite.
- Sour cream and The Best Guacamole: Set out both so everyone can choose their favorite.
Drain the black olives and slice the red onion thinly before assembling. Keep the lettuce and creamy toppings refrigerated while you cook the beef.
How to Make Easy Taco Salad Bowls
Prepare the four taco salad shells according to the package directions. Shred the lettuce and cheese if needed, dice the Roma tomato and green onion, and thinly slice the red onion.
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Cook to an internal temperature of 160°F, then drain any excess grease. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of the homemade taco mix and ¼ cup water to the meat. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.
Divide the shredded lettuce among the four shells. Add an equal portion of beef to each bowl, followed by the shredded cheddar cheese. Top two bowls with diced tomato, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Top the other two with black olives, sliced red onion, and a dollop of guacamole.
Serve the salad bowls immediately so the shells remain crispy while eating. Break off pieces of the shell to scoop the salad up and enjoy.
Change up the meat by using Crock Pot Taco Chicken in the taco salads. Top with cheese, black beans, and other favorites.
Easy Taco Salad Bowls
Equipment
- knife
Ingredients
- 4 taco salad shells (from the Azteca taco salad kit)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning)
- ¼ cup water
- 3 cups lettuce shredded
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- Roma tomato
- 1 green onion diced
- Black olives
- Sliced red onion
- Sour cream
- homemade guacamole
Instructions
- Make the taco bowls according to package directions.
- Brown the ground beef, drain any grease.
- Add taco seasoning and water, mix, bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes.
- Fill the bottom of each bowl with lettuce.
- Divide the ground beef between the bowls.
- Top with cheese.
- Sprinkle tomatoes and green onion on two, then add a dollop of sour cream.
- Sprinkle black olives and red onion on two others and add a dollop of guacamole.
Nutritional Disclaimer
“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
2026 Alphabet Challenge – “T”
We’re up to the letter “T” in the 2026 Alphabet Challenge. This year is flying by with so many great recipes from my blogger friends and me. Check out what everyone else has to share today.
- Butternut Squash, Thyme, Ham, & Wild Rice Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Chanya Tondak from Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Cheeseburger Tacos from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Garlic Lemon Tuna Steaks – Sous Vide from Food Lust People Love
- Homemade Taco Seasoning from Sneha’s Recipe
- Tomatillo Salad from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Tortilla Española from Culinary Cam
- Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili Joes from A Messy Kitchen
- Tuscan Sausage Soup from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Enjoy!
