How To Make Homemade Taco Shells
Theres a vast range of different methods and recipes for preparing homemade taco shells. You first need a pack of tortillas from the store or a stash of tortillas that youve prepared from scratch earlier using your tortilla press. Then you can bake them, fry them, turn them into tortilla chips, or crunchy taco bowl shells!
For each of the following methods, youll need 10 x 8-inch taco shells. We suggest using corn tortillas , but you can try making a hard shell taco from whole wheat or white flour tortillas too!
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Is Wendys Taco Salad Nutritious
Ordering a salad from your favorite fast-food spot is a bit of a catch-22, as the seemingly healthier options are oftentimes actually some of the worst things on the menu in terms of nutrition. This, unfortunately, is the case for Wendys taco salad. The fan-favorite is the most calorie-laden salad option at the chain, with a total of 690 calories , but thats not all. To make matters worse, the meal also contains 34 grams of fat, 68 grams of carbs, and more sodium than 160 Lays potato chips , which is certainly not ideal.
The upside of ordering a taco salad from Wendys is that all of its components are packed separately, making it easier for you to put together a slightly healthier meal. Skipping the chips and sour cream are two ways you can lower the dishs calorie count, and pouring less chili on top of your veggies can help as well. Wendys taco salad is also big enough to split into two separate meals, which would each ring in at a more acceptable 345 calories each.
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Should You Eat Taco Salad Hot Or Cold
Its entirely up to you. The salads contents and the dressing are prepared cold, and the meat is piled on fresh and hot, but you could always opt to refrigerate your bowl before serving if youd like the whole thing chilled.
If you do go the cold route, then wait until serving to add the tortilla chips. Otherwise, theyll get stale and soggy in the fridge.
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Taco Salad Dressing Recipe
Lets talk dressings, one of my required ingredients. You really can go wild when it comes to dressings for your taco salad, there are so many good options. Buttermilk Ranch and Thousand Island come to mind. But I love to make my own of course! Im including two dressing options that are both delicious, one is stupid simple, one is a little more involved but to DIE for.
Creamy Salsa Dressing: this is simple. Take the sour cream and the salsa that you were already planning to put on your taco salad, and mix them up beforehand. Add in a little taco seasoning and the juice from one lime to give it that acidic kick. I prefer to use Restaurant Style Salsa, either this homemade version or one from the store. Restaurant style just means that its blended rather than super chunky.
Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch: this is the dressing that I put on these Cafe Rio Burritos. Its made with mayonnaise, sour cream, serrano pepper, tomatillos, cilantro, and a dry packet of buttermilk Ranch. Its so incredibly tasty!! Definitely make this one if you have the time, it is well worth a quick process in the blender.
Taco Salad With Homemade Tortilla Bowl
May 31, 2022
Eating your Taco Salad out of a Homemade Tortilla Bowl will forever be the BEST way to eat taco salad. Drizzle with a homemade Avocado Cilantro Vinaigrette and you are in for such a treat with this fun recipe.
Tis the season for salads, and I am a big fan of making salads as interesting and fun to enjoy as possible. Have you ever been to a restaurant where they serve the Taco Salad in a giant tortilla bowl? Its crunchy, fun to eat and delicious.
Okayyou may be thinking how do you make these fancy schmancy bowls? Its really easy, I promise!
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Easy Taco Salad Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for taco salad recipes, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
You can easily customize this healthy taco salad recipe to your liking. Feel free to throw in any other veggies you have on hand, or omit anything you dont like. Thats one of the great things about easy salad recipes you dont have to be that precise!
Ultimately, what goes in a taco salad is very much up to you, but no matter what combo you choose, the key to making taco salad healthy is using natural ingredients.
You really dont need any store bought dressings or chips in there. But, for those that do want a little crunch, you can try adding tortilla chips .
Tortilla Chips Or Corn Chips
Were die-hard corn chip fans here. We love using the corn chips because theyre nice and small and are easy to eat with the salad.
If youre using tortilla chips, youll want to pre-crush them with your hands before placing them on your plate.
PRO TIP: Those leftover crumbs in the bottom of a tortilla chip bag are great for taco salad!
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How To Make A Taco Salad Shell
Spray taco shell molds and place on baking sheet. If you do not have molds, no worries!! You can use a oven safe dish. I like to use a medium size Pyrex dish. Put it upside down and lay tortilla over
Add one tortilla per mold
Bake at 375F in oven for 10-15 minutes or until crispy and no longer limp.
Wonderfully crispy and crunchy!
Ready for taco salad now!! You can also use these shells for holding dips and chips.
Fill with your favorite lettuce and toppings! I like tomato, onion, sour cream, cheese and avocado ranch. For mor creative ideas, HannahsFoodJourney.com
- 2.0 Large flour tortillas
- 2.0 Salad shell mold or Oven safe glass bowl
- Butter or olive oil
Are Taco Salads Bad For You
Yes, if youre not careful. There are about 500 calories in one traditional taco salad. And that would be without the shell or any of the other goodies inside like beans or cheese!
This is why you should make your own taco salad- its much easier to control what goes into your salad, and you can even use healthier ingredients . You can also use lettuce shells instead of taco shells, like in the photo above.
You should be careful with store-bought dressing because most of them are very high in calories and fat. Try making your own dressing at home with healthier ingredients, like this Ranch Dressing Recipe, or look for lower-calorie options at your supermarket.
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How To Make Your Own Taco Salad
Many other recipes can be found for the Fiesta Taco Salad. You will only need tortilla chips and the toppings you choose. You can make your own salad, but good salads should include these:
Shredded meat
Vegetables
Seasoning mix
Garnish
The shredded meat , should be cooked on medium heat. After that, add the seasoning mixture and the vegetables. After stirring for a few minutes, arrange the meat in tortilla shells. If desired, you can add cheese, sour-cream, or any other sauce.
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Taco Bell eliminated its taco salad in order to improve the ordering process and lower operational costs. The shells would have gone stale by the time the employees left the kitchen.
Taco Bell now offers the Taco Menu Bowl. This is the same taco salad, but its served in a bowl instead of a tortilla shell.
Restaurant Vs Homemade Taco Salad
Despite their perception as being healthy options, restaurant taco salads are deceptively unhealthy. Most restaurant versions:
- Are doused in heavy, high-calorie dressings
- Contain a scant number of wholesome vegetables
- Overdo it on the high-fat toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese or nacho cheese
- Are often served in a deep-fried taco shell .
Making your own salad at home means that you can control the taco salad ingredients and portions to make it as wholesome as you choose.
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What Are Some Toppings For Tacos
The fun thing about Taco Tuesday is it gives you a chance to get creative. You can really make any kind of taco you want! If you want to keep it classic, the best taco toppings are cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream. But you can also add in caramelized onions, jalepenos, green chiles, beans, and more!
Taco Salad Recipe Variations
Like all salad recipes, this one is great to play with. Swap in the veggies you have on hand or adjust the toppings to make something you really love. Here are some suggestions:
- Switch the sauce. Any of the 3 versions of my cilantro lime dressing would work here. Omit the avocado and serve it as a vinaigrette, or use Greek yogurt instead of the avocado to make it creamy. You could also skip this dressing entirely and finish the salad with tomatillo salsa or chipotle sauce.
- Change up the creamy component. I love avocado here, but guacamole is just as good. Alternatively, try adding crumbled Cotija or grated cheddar cheese, cashew sour cream, or Greek yogurt!
- Make it fruity. Substitute mango or pineapple salsa for the pico, or use both!
- Vary the veggies. Raw or sautéed bell pepper, charred poblano, corn, or green onions would all be great additions.
- Make it a burrito bowl! Reduce the lettuce by half and add a scoop of cilantro lime rice to the bottom of your bowl.
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What To Serve With Taco Salad
A taco salad can be served as a side dish or as the main dish. The additional dishes will vary depending on how you plan to serve it. Taco salad can be served as a side dish for grilled chicken, burgers, steak, seafood, or kabobs.
When taco salad is served as a main dish, you can serve soup or chips and queso as a starter. For a side dish try refried beans, cowboy caviar, flatbread, or cilantro rice. Desserts such as spicy chocolate ice cream, elephant ears, or strawberry nachos would work well.
How To Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Combine taco seasoning ingredients . Combine sour cream, salsa, and 1/2 tbsp. taco seasoning for the dressing and set aside.
Cook and crumble the ground beef and drain grease. Add seasoning and salsa. Heat on low.
Prepare remaining salad ingredients. Add lettuce to serving plates or to a large salad bowl. Add the warm meat mixture, followed by the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with salad dressing or serve it on the side!
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Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: Everything can be prepped a day or two in advance. Reheat the meat mixture in the microwave or in a skillet, and serve hot.
To freeze: Allow meat mixture to cool completely and store in freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
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My Taco Salad Backstory
When I was growing up, my dear mom always tried to get me to eat tossed salads. Im still not a big fan, but there are a few tossed salads I will always eat. One is the berry mandarin tossed salad I wrote about, and the other is taco salad. Over the years, the recipe has been refined, and today Im offering the latest version to you. Read on to learn the secrets to making the best easy taco salad recipe.
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Want To Make It Healthier
- Use ground turkey in place of ground beef or even swap half pound of the beef for a can of drained and rinsed black beans.
- Make your own baked tortilla chips. To do so brush corn tortillas with olive oil, season with salt then cut into wedges, bake on greased cookie sheet about 10 15 minutes until lightly golden brown, turning once halfway.
- Use light sour cream or omit. Same with the cheese.
- Add more veggies to the salad. Bell pepper, corn, or radishes are great options.
How To Meal Prep Taco Salad
Taco salad is perfect for meal prepping. Everything can be done ahead of time. Chop your lettuce and add in the green onions and cilantro, and get them as dry as possible. Wrap in a paper towel and place in a ziplock. Place your meat or beans in one container that can be heated up in the microwave. Then add all your other vegetable toppings to a separate container.
Tomatoes are going to give you the most trouble. Overnight is okay, but if you are planning for the whole week, I would take a minute to chop your tomatoes and add them to your veggie container the night before you plan to eat it. Add chips, dressing, salsa, and sour cream last minute. Perfect healthy meal that will last you all week!
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Can I Add A Dressing For Taco Salad
Yes! While you can skip the dressing, one of the most appealing parts of the homemade taco salad is the salad dressing. You can use something as basic as ranch or even a zesty Catalina or French dressing.
Ive included a super simple homemade taco salad dressing recipe you can try. Mix ranch dressing with a little taco sauce for a kicked up version of the popular salad topping.
Whatever dressing you choose, serve it on the side for make your own individual salads. If youre serving the salad family style, add the dressing to the salad right before serving, give it a good toss and your all set.
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What You Need To Make This Recipe
Beef if you want to save yourself the effort of draining the fat from cooked beef, get lean ground beef.
Taco seasoning you can make your own taco seasoning mix or use a packet from the store!
Lettuce I love using romaine lettuce as it has a nice crunch to it. You can chop your own or buy the lettuce pre-cut to save time.
Shredded cheese use your favorite cheese for this taco salad recipe: mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mexican cheese blend, or a combination of a few kinds of cheese.
Avocado I love how avocado adds a creamy component to the salad. You can use guacamole if you prefer.
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How To Make Taco Salad:
For a crowd, or if uncertain of your guests preferences, set up a build-your-own taco salad bar.
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Tips For Easy Taco Salad Recipe
- Leftover beef. Leftover taco meat is perfect for this taco salad recipe. You can even double this recipe with the intention of freezing some to use later because the beeffreezes beautifully for quick prep ahead dinners.
- Add cayenne pepper to taste. Depending on how spicy your salsa is and how spicy you would like your beef, you may or may not want to use cayenne pepper. I suggest making the beef without the cayenne pepper then tasting to see if you would like to add it. Keep in mind, it is okay if the beef is on the spicy side because it will mellow and be perfect once combined with all of the taco salad ingredients.
- Time saving tips. In addition to using defrosted make ahead beef, you can use pre-chopped Romaine lettuce, store-bought pico de gallo instead of tomatoes and onion and pre-shredded cheese.
- Prep the taco salad dressing first. The Cilantro Lime Dressing is very best chilled no one wants lukewarm dressing! So, plan on making the dressing earlier in the day and refrigerating it or pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving if youre running low on time.
- Customize taco salad. All of the ingredients are just a guideline. You can use more or less of each ingredient, add other vegetables or omit some completely. The ingredient list is up to you to make it YOUR favorite Taco Salad!
- Different dressings. Have fun trying different dressings such as Tomatillo Avocado Ranch, Baja Catalina Dressing or Creamy Salsa Avocado Dressing.
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