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Tex-Mex Chopped Ground Beef Taco Salad Recipe

Super easy ground beef recipes are a family dinner staple. This Chopped Tex‑Mex Ground Beef Taco Salad comes together quickly and includes a bright taco salad dressing.

This post was created in collaboration with Beef It’s What’s For Dinner on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. I received compensation; all opinions are my own.

A large glass bowl of tex‑mex taco salad. There are tomatoes, tomatillos, corn, beans, taco meat, chips and cheese in the salad.

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Lockdowns and more time at home led many families to cook together. Bringing kids into the kitchen teaches life skills, basic math, science and responsibility. An easy beef recipe is an ideal way to introduce children to cooking while sharing conversation and connection.

Cooking side‑by‑side with family can genuinely change the way you relate to each other. Try video‑chatting a grandparent to make a recipe together and keep the family connected.

A glass bowl of tex‑mex taco salad. The salad is loaded with lettuce, taco meat, corn, tomatillas, tomatoes, taco meat, and has a sliced avocado on top.

Cooking with Your Kids Without Losing Your Mind

Food brings people together. To make cooking with kids enjoyable:

  1. Pick an approachable, fast meal — kids have short attention spans, so choose something quick and simple.
  2. Use a flexible recipe — swap ingredients to suit tastes (no peppers? add more tomatoes).
  3. Give everyone a job — toddlers can rinse beans, older kids can chop vegetables. Assign stations so everyone feels important and useful.

Dinner Ideas with Ground Beef

Ground beef is a go‑to for many families. It’s flavorful, satisfying and tends to please even picky eaters. Ground beef is affordable, freezes well, thaws quickly and adapts to many dishes.

Here are a few favorite ground beef recipes to try along with this taco salad:

  • Instant Pot Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
  • Ground Beef Taco Bowls
  • The Best Sloppy Joes
  • One‑Pan Enchilada Casserole
  • Cheesy Ground Beef Chili

A top view of a large glass bowl of tex‑mex taco salad. It is loaded with lettuce, corn, avocado, tomatillos and taco meat. There is a little dressing poured in the top part of the salad.

What’s a Cheap and Easy Dinner Idea?

Growing up in a large family taught me the value of simple, filling meals that bring everyone to the table. My mom swapped a fried taco bowl for a Doritos taco salad to keep things affordable and fun. The smell of ground beef sizzling and shredding cheese are comforting, nostalgic kitchen moments.

Teach Your Kids to Cook

Assign each child a station and walk through each part of the recipe together. This makes the process organized and gives kids actionable steps.

Ingredients for tex‑mex taco salad. There is a bowl of taco meat, a bowl of roasted corn, cilantro, chopped green bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, and chopped red onion.

What’s in Taco Salad

We often mix the salad in a large bowl so everyone helps stir. Typical components for this Chopped Tex‑Mex Ground Beef Taco Salad:

  • Lettuce (Romaine)
  • Tomatoes
  • Bell peppers
  • Cheese (Cubed Colby Jack, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack)
  • Black beans
  • Avocado
  • Taco salad dressing (see below)
  • Corn (roasted or thawed frozen)
  • Seasoned ground beef
  • Red onion
  • Crushed chips

A glass bowl filled with tex‑mex taco salad. A dressing is being poured over the salad. The salad is packed with corn, tomatillos, tomatoes, lettuce taco meat, and a sliced avocado is on the edge of the salad.

Taco Salad Dressing

This dressing blends ranch with fresh tomatillo, lime, taco seasoning and cilantro for a tangy, herby finish.

  1. Peel and rinse the tomatillo — the papery husk is sticky; rinse well and cut it in half.
  2. Add ranch dressing, tomatillo, a squeeze of lime juice, taco seasoning and a handful of cilantro to a blender.
  3. Blend until smooth and chill in the fridge.
  4. Store the dressing in a sealed container and use within a few days.
  5. Clean up while other parts are being prepared — tidying up is part of cooking.

A bowl of roasted corn with cilantro leaves scattered around the bowl.

What Veggies for Taco Salad?

Assign a veggie station for chopping and preparing produce:

  1. Remove the lettuce core, rinse leaves to remove dirt, and dry in a spinner or towels.
  2. Chop lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and avocado into bite‑size pieces.
  3. Rinse drained black beans. Thaw frozen roasted corn by placing it in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes, then drain. Set prepared veggies and beans aside.

taco meat being poured into a bowl with corn, tomatillos, cheese cubes and chopped onions.

How Do You Cook Hamburger Meat for Tacos?

Beef provides iron and protein. Cooking it properly builds flavor and texture:

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add beef only to a hot pan so it browns and caramelizes.
  2. Cook for a minute or two, then break up the beef with a meat chopper or wooden spoon. Continue cooking about 8–10 minutes until browned.
  3. Drain excess grease in a colander.
  4. Return beef to the pan, add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water, stir and simmer until slightly thickened and well coated (2–4 minutes). Remove from heat.

A close-up of tex‑mex taco salad. You can see the fresh lettuce, tomatoes, corn, chips, and taco meat.

Assembling Taco Salad

In a large bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, cheese, avocados, crushed chips and cilantro. Add the warm (or cooled) seasoned beef, pour in some dressing and toss to coat evenly.

A glass bowl filled with tex‑mex taco salad. The salad has avocado slices, corn, taco meat, tomatillos, tomatoes, and chips. Dressing is being poured from a glass container onto the salad.

Serve immediately so the chips retain some crunch.

Oh Sweet Basil Pro Tip

Don’t overdress the salad. A well‑dressed salad should be flavorful without becoming soggy — add dressing gradually and taste as you go.

A large bowl of tex‑mex taco salad. It is loaded with tomatillos, lettuce, roasted corn, cilantro, meat, and chips. a little dressing is in the upper corner of the salad.

FAQ About Taco Salad

Are Tomatillos Spicy?

Tomatillos are mildly tart and slightly tangy rather than spicy. They work great chopped into salads or blended into green salsa.

Is the Meat in Taco Salad Hot or Cold?

You can serve the beef hot or cooled. Hot beef will slightly wilt the greens, which some people enjoy; cooled beef keeps the salad crisper.

What Goes With Taco Salad?

Taco salad is a complete meal on its own. If you want to add sides, consider a simple salsa, horchata, warm tortillas or a fresh fruit salad.

More taco and beef recipe ideas include Doritos Taco Salad, Frito Salad, Taco Ground Beef Pinwheels, Ground Beef Taco Soup and Taco Ground Beef Casserole.

Chopped Tex‑Mex Ground Beef Taco Salad

By Sweet Basil
Prep: 30 mins | Total: 30 mins | Servings: 8
Chopped Tex‑Mex Ground Beef Taco Salad is a quick, family‑friendly meal that’s great for teaching kids to cook.
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Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 1 tomatillo, peeled and rinsed
  • 1 squeeze lime juice
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 handful cilantro leaves

Taco Beef

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup water

Salad

  • 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 2 green bell peppers, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced (optional)
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 cup roasted corn (thawed if frozen)
  • 1 handful cilantro, chopped
  • 1–2 avocados, chopped
  • 1 cup cubed cheese
  • 2 cups crushed chips

Instructions

For the Dressing

Combine ranch, peeled tomatillo, lime juice, taco seasoning and cilantro in a blender. Blend until smooth and chill.

For the Taco Beef

Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, breaking into crumbles. Drain grease, return to pan and add taco seasoning and water. Stir and simmer until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

For the Salad

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, add the beef and chips, then dress to taste and toss gently.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cup • Calories: 535 kcal • Carbohydrates: 36 g • Protein: 18 g • Fat: 37 g • Saturated Fat: 10 g • Sodium: 558 mg • Fiber: 6 g

Nutrition information is an approximation.