This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This is not your average scoop-it-on-a-plate taco salad. We’re talking crispy tortilla bowls you bake yourself, stacked high with seasoned beef, melty cheddar, creamy avocado, and a smoky chipotle vinaigrette that actually earns its spot.

It’s hearty, crunchy, a little messy, and exactly the kind of dinner that makes everyone stop what they’re doing and dig in.

Taco salad in tortilla bowl with beef, beans, veggies, avocado, sour cream.
Email this recipe!
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Here’s Why This Taco Salad Recipe Works

Taco salad in a tortilla bowl: All the best parts of your taco spread, meat, cheese, beans, and toppings, layered into a crispy shell. It’s taco night meets salad.

Smoky vinaigrette upgrade: Chipotle and vinegar bring a bold kick that beats bottled dressing any day.

Built like a meal: This isn’t a side salad. With meat, beans, cheese, and a solid crunch factor, it holds up as dinner.

Fully customizable: Swap toppings, change up the cheese, drown it in hot sauce. It’s the best part of a homemade taco salad. Try a zucchini salsa or corn salsa.

Taco salad in tortilla bowl with toppings; salsa and sides in background.

Recipe Tips

Oil the tortillas: A light brush of oil helps them crisp and take on that golden edge for a crunchy taco salad.

Bake twice for extra crunch: Flip and bake the shells upside down after the first round for a crispier finish.

Drain the ground beef well: You want flavor, not grease. Cook off the liquid, then drain any excess fat.

Emulsify the vinaigrette: Add the oil slowly while whisking so it blends instead of separating.

Taste the taco meat: Seasoning blends vary. Always taste before adding more salt. If you have leftovers, use it in our taco baked potatoes.

Change up the toppings and condiments to suit your own taste. Some ideas include juicy tomatoes, creamy avocadoes, sour cream, guacamole, and Monterey Jack cheese. 

Stacked empty tortilla bowls, with a filled salad bowl in the background.

Craving more taco-style dinners? Try our chicken taco pizza. Same bold flavors, totally different format.

Two tortilla bowls filled with colorful taco salad, limes in background.

Ground Beef Taco Salad

This beef taco salad pulls its weight. It’s hearty, customizable, and way more fun than your usual salad situation. Load it up, pile it high, and don’t stress the tortilla bowls. They’re easier than they look, and they make the whole thing feel like dinner and a party.

Pin this now to find it later!

Pin It
Two tortilla bowls filled with colorful taco salad, limes in background.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
4.89 from 9 votes

Beef Taco Salad in Tortilla Bowls

The versatile beef taco salad is served in homemade tortilla bowls. It is full of flavorful seasoned beef, lettuce, black beans, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and avocado with a spicy chipotle vinaigrette.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 6 servings
Email me this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients 

For the Tortilla Bowls:

  • 6 flour tortillas, extra-large burrito size
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

For the Chipotle Vinaigrette:

  • 2 tablespoons vinegar, or lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil

For the Taco Meat:

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

For the Salad

  • 6 to 8 romaine lettuce leaves, torn or chopped
  • ½ head Iceberg lettuce, torn or chopped
  • 1 (14 ounce) can canned black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 5 green onions, chopped
  • 12 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • ½ cup black olives
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro, optional
  • 1 jar salsa
  • ½ cup sour cream

Instructions 

For the Tortilla Bowls:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F
  • You can use a tortilla bowl mold or any oven-proof bowl to make the crispy shells.
  • Spray the inside of the bowls or molds with non-stick spray and set them on a baking tray. Brush some olive oil on the tortillas and press them into the bowls or molds.
  • Bake the tortillas for 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges start to get golden brown.
  • For extra-crispy shells, remove them from the molds, turn them upside down and return them to the oven. Bake the tortilla bowls upside down for 5 to 8 minutes until the bottoms get golden brown.

For the Chipotle Vinaigrette Dressing:

  • In a small dish, add the vinegar, chipotle powder, and salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Add it slowly to help the mixture emulsify. Set aside for later.

For the Beef Taco Meat:

  • In a medium-size skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef, breaking it up with a fork, and cook, stirring often, until no longer pink and the liquid evaporates. Drain off any accumulated grease, if any.
  • Add the taco seasoning mix, and tomato paste. Stir until the meat is coated with the seasoning. Pour in the water and cook until the liquid reduces and thickens.
  • Taste the meat mixture and add salt if needed.

To Assemble the Salads:

  • Mix both types of lettuce together and divide it among the tortilla bowls.
  • Spoon some of the taco meat on top of the salads then divide the rest of the condiments among each bowl.
  • Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette dressing over the top of each salad and serve with the salsa and sour cream.

Notes

Oil for crispier tortilla bowls: Lightly brushing the tortillas with oil before baking helps them brown better and adds extra crunch.
Double-bake for maximum crisp: For the crispiest results, bake the tortillas in the molds first, then flip them upside down and bake again without the molds. This gives the bottoms a nice, even crunch.
Taste before salting: If your taco seasoning includes salt, taste the meat before adding more. You might not need any extra.
Topping swaps: Have fun with the condiments and toppings. Try guacamole instead of avocado, or pepper Jack in place of cheddar. Other great add-ins: diced white onion, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, or a drizzle of creamy ranch dressing.
You can use canned beans or make your own Instant Pot black beans. You can also substitute the whole beans with refried beans.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 510kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 550mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

iconLike this recipe? Rate & comment below!

More ground beef recipes:

About Pat Nyswonger

Pat Nyswonger is a self-taught home cook with years of experience creating from-scratch meals for family and friends. As a wife, mother of four, and grandmother to seventeen, she understands the value of recipes that bring people together. Her kitchen has always been the heart of her home, where she enjoys developing flavorful, approachable dishes that home cooks of any level can make and enjoy.

You May Also Like

4.89 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. Lynda speakman says:

    I love cooking taco salad for me and my girlfriend

    1. Pat says:

      Thank you for visiting our site…I hope you like this recipe 🙂

  2. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says:

    5 stars
    We love taco night but I don’t have nifty bowls like this!!

    1. Pat says:

      Thanks, Maureen…these bowls are easy to make.

  3. John@Kitchen Riffs says:

    I love taco salad! Such a terrific combo of flavors. I’ve used those kits for making tortilla bowls you can buy in supermarkets, but like your method better. Good stuff — thanks.

    1. Pat says:

      Thanks for your comments, John….these ‘bowls’ are really easy to make. They are crispy, crunchy and no need to add chips.