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wendys taco salad

Taco Salad Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup chunky salsa
  • 2 cups corn tortilla chips, roughly crushed
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices

Method
 

  1. Heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1 lb ground beef, break it up, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until browned with no pink remaining.
  2. Drain excess fat, return the skillet to medium heat, and stir in the 1 packet taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the liquid absorbs and the beef looks glossy. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Divide the chopped iceberg lettuce across 4 bowls. Spoon 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup chunky salsa into each bowl on opposite sides of the lettuce.
  4. Top each bowl with the warm seasoned beef, diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, sliced black olives, and pickled jalapeños. Press the roughly crushed tortilla chips into the top and serve immediately with a lime wedge.

Notes

If you're making this for a group, hold off on assembling until just before eating — the chips go soft quickly once they touch the salsa and sour cream. The seasoned beef reheats well, so making it a day ahead and refrigerating it is a genuine time-saver on a busy night. One packet of taco seasoning is calibrated for 1 lb of meat; if you scale up, add seasoning proportionally rather than guessing.