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30-Minute Taco Salad

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 25, 2009

Yield

Serves 4

30-Minute Taco Salad

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, minced2 tablespoons chili powder 4 garlic cloves, minced1 pound 90% lean ground beef 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce Salt and ground black pepper 1 recipe Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (see recipe)1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (10 cups)2 tomatoes, cored and chopped medium1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or Mexican cheese blendTortilla chips (for serving)

Before You Begin

Salsa, sour cream, and minced cilantro also taste great on this salad. Keep your eye on the beef mixture while it cooks, because it has a tendency to burn. Serve this salad with tortilla chips or in store-bought tortilla bowls.

Instructions

    sauté aromatics

  1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and chili powder and cook until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

    2. and simmer

  2. BROWN BEEF, ADD SAUCE, Stir in beef and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside to cool slightly. (While beef cools, make ­vinaigrette.)

    3. dress and assemble salad

  3. Toss lettuce with 1/2 cup of vinaigrette. Portion beef on top of salad and sprinkle with tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. Sprinkle remaining vinaigrette over top of salad, or pass separately. Serve with tortilla chips.
30-Minute Taco Salad

30-Minute Taco Salad

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
1 recipe Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (see recipe)
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (10 cups)
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped medium
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or Mexican cheese blend
Tortilla chips (for serving)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
1 recipe Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (see recipe)
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (10 cups)
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped medium
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or Mexican cheese blend
Tortilla chips (for serving)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
1 recipe Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (see recipe)
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (10 cups)
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped medium
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or Mexican cheese blend
Tortilla chips (for serving)

Why This Recipe Works

To prevent our taco salad recipe from being greasy, we chose 90 percent lean ground beef, browning the meat with sautéed onion, lots of garlic, and chili powder. A bit of tomato sauce moistened the otherwise dry meat and helped to unify the flavors. To contrast the robustly flavored meat, we favored succulent leaves of romaine, dressed with a simple cilantro-lime dressing (spiked with jalapeño, cumin, and shallot) that beautifully matched the flavor of the meat. Instead of a tortilla bowl for our taco salad recipe, which is messy to make, we thought of a simpler option: tortilla chips—same flavor, just in a different shape.

Before You Begin

Salsa, sour cream, and minced cilantro also taste great on this salad. Keep your eye on the beef mixture while it cooks, because it has a tendency to burn. Serve this salad with tortilla chips or in store-bought tortilla bowls.

Instructions

    sauté aromatics

  1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and chili powder and cook until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

    2. and simmer

  2. BROWN BEEF, ADD SAUCE, Stir in beef and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside to cool slightly. (While beef cools, make ­vinaigrette.)

    3. dress and assemble salad

  3. Toss lettuce with 1/2 cup of vinaigrette. Portion beef on top of salad and sprinkle with tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. Sprinkle remaining vinaigrette over top of salad, or pass separately. Serve with tortilla chips.

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