Author: Susanne at Dish With Me
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Jump to RecipeOh, ya. This is so my kind of meal. Love it, love it, love it. This Taco Salad is light and yummy, but made with wholesome ingredients so you feel like you’ve actually had a meal. You know, satisfied and in your happy place.
Why is it even called a taco salad? It is a salad, but it certainly isn’t a taco. Why not just call it steak salad or beef salad, or Tex-Mex salad? Where did the taco salad originate? You know I had to Google it and find out. On one site I read that it originated in Texas as a fusion of the Mexican taco and the American salad. Another site states that it started with the founder of Frito’s and links to Disneyland. I don’t know. I guess it matters not.
**My Grilled Flank Steak, Fresh Salsa recipe and my Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Dressing are phenomenal and really a MUST with this Taco Salad.
HELPFUL HINTS FOR TACO SALAD
Sooo… the shells for the bowls. At many stores you can buy kits to make the shell bowl for the Taco Salad. You can also just buy a package of flour tortillas and use a metal tortilla bowl maker and bake in the oven. They, also, have electric tortilla bowl makers. I haven’t actually tried the electric one yet, but I am very interested in it!
You can use ground beef or chicken instead of the sliced flank steak in this salad, but this Flank Steak is scrumptious and, also, remember, unless you are feeding a bunch of people, you will probably have left over flank steak to make something else during the week. So, again, cook once, eat twice. You could make tacos, burritos, or even huevos rancheros (recipe coming next week, btw).
If you choose to make all of the components of this dish on the same day, you’re going to be in the kitchen for awhile. Not because there is anything hard to make. There is absolutely nothing hard about making any of the parts of this salad, there are just several parts and that takes time. Once everything is prepared, it is super simple to assemble.
Instead of tackling everything in one day, I suggest making the Fresh Salsa and Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Dressing the day before, even two days, if that is when you have time.
Also, you can marinate the Flank Steak the night before, or morning of and just let it hang out in the refrigerator. Take it out of the refrigerator about half an hour before you’re ready to cook it. With those things out of the way you really only have to worry about grilling the Flank Steak, which is super quick and then assembling the salad(s).
***REMEMBER to always cut the flank steak AGAINST the grain!
TACO SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 Flank steak * Please see my Grilled Flank Steak recipe
- 1 large flour tortilla you can, also, just use a bowl
- 1 avocado smashed & seasoned with salt, pepper and lime juice or you can use guacamole.
- 1/2 can refried beans warmed
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce shredded
- 1/2 tomato diced
- 1/2 cup white cheddar, mozzarella or whatever your favorite cheese is
- 1 batch Fresh Salsa for sprinkling on top and chip dipping * Please see my recipe for Fresh Salsa.
- 1 batch Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Dressing * Please see my recipe for Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Dressing.
Instructions
- For easy assembly when it is time to eat, it is best to make the Fresh Salsa and Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Dressing ahead of time, or even a day or two before.
- Please see my Grilled Flank Steak recipe and allow time for marinating and grilling the meat.
- Add warmed refried beans to the bottom of the tortilla bowl
- Add shredded lettuce
- Add a large or 2 small scoops of smashed avocado, white cheddar cheese, tomatoes and then the flank steak in the middle.
- Drizzle or dip the creamy jalapeno ranch dressing
- Sprinkle with Fresh Salsa
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Please note that ingredients other that the flank steak, salsa and dressing are for each salad. So 1/2 can of refried beans for each individual taco salad, etc..