This Healthy Low Calorie Taco Salad Recipe is just 364 calories, and can be made with meat, or meatless for a vegan Mexican salad recipe!
Plus, you can make this recipe for healthy taco salad in just 15 minutes from start to finish.
And perhaps best of all, you can make this low calorie taco salad as meal prep lunches of dinners!
I like to make extras just for the reason… Make some for dinner tonight, then when you go to clean up after dinner the meat will be cool enough to assemble your meal prep meals for the rest of the week with leftovers!
This Healthy Taco Salad Recipe is just 364 calories, and can be made meaty or vegan!
Low Calorie Taco Salad Recipe
What You’ll Find in this Article:
Ingredients for Healthy Taco Salad
I used lean ground beef to make this homemade taco salad recipe. But you can choose turkey, chicken, or even planet based crumbles.
These ingredients in taco salad are versatile, and swaps have been noted to make this a vegan taco salad should you desire to do so.
You can even make the dressing for taco salad vegan with the help of cashew yogurt, or your favorite vegan yogurt.
Shopping List for What Goes in Taco Salad:
- Ground lean beef (or ground turkey, ground chicken, or plant based crumbles)
- Homemade Taco Seasoning (or store-bought)
- Black beans
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Corn
- Avocado
- Shredded sharp cheese (or Mexican cheese blend)
- Greek Yogurt (optional)
- Protein Chips (optional)
- Taco Bowl (optional)
Taco Salad Dressing:
- Lime
- Greek Yogurt (or cashew yogurt)
- Homemade Taco Seasoning (or store-bought)
- Cilantro leaves
How to Make Healthy Taco Salad
This easy taco salad recipe can be made in just 15 minutes, from start to finish!
As I noted above, this is one of our favorite meal prep lunches and dinners. Here’s directions on meal prepping taco salad…
How to Meal Prep Mexican Salads:
- Choose number of servings you want to make (there’s a button for that in the recipe card) we like to make 8 servings, some for dinner tonight and use the leftovers for meal prep.
- Make the taco meat as directed and cool completely (if you make as dinner and use leftovers for meal prep, just let it cool while you enjoy dinner).
- Skip adding the dressing to the meal prep containers, instead place in individual containers or a mason jar.
- Add the avocado at the last minute to avoid browning, or toss avocado in extra lime juice to stop browning.
- Will hold in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Make Taco Salad:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the meat or plant based crumbles. Cook and crumble until mostly cooked (about 5 minutes).
- Add in the taco seasoning, 1/4 cup of water, and the beans. Mix to combine and reduce to low to simmer for 5 minutes while you make the dressing and assemble the salads.
- To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and mix together, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time until it can drizzle off your spoon.
- Add the lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and Mexican salad dressing to a large bowl. Toss well to combine.
- Divide the salad between 4 plates, bowls, or meal prep containers. Top with cooked meat, avocado, cheese, Greek yogurt (it tastes like sour cream!) and if you desire, some protein chips.
- Serve hot or cold.
Low Calorie Taco Salad Recipe
This is hand’s down the best healthy Mexican Taco Salad Recipe ever! I made a similar salad with Rachael Ray, and even supplied you with a video below of us making it.
You can use whatever meat (or plant based crumbles) you like, we used beef and have noted that in the nutrition and calorie section below.
Low Calorie Salad Recipes:
Low Calorie Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lean beef, turkey, chicken or plant based crumbles
- 1 tablespoon Homemade Taco Seasoning (or store-bought)
- 1 15-oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup frozen corn defrosted
- 1 avocado diced
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheese (or Mexican cheese blend)
- 4 tablespoons Greek Yogurt (optional)
- 1 cup Protein Chips (optional)
Taco Salad Dressing:
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (or cashew yogurt)
- 1 teaspoon Homemade Taco Seasoning (or store-bought)
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 1/8 cup water
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the meat or plant based crumbles. Cook and crumble until mostly cooked (about 5 minutes).
- Add in the taco seasoning, 1/4 cup of water, and the beans. Mix to combine and reduce to low to simmer for 5 minutes while you make the dressing and assemble the salads.
- To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and mix together, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time until it can drizzle off your spoon.
- Add the lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and Mexican salad dressing to a large bowl. Toss well to combine.
- Divide the salad between 4 plates, bowls, or meal prep containers. Top with cooked meat, avocado, cheese, Greek yogurt (it tastes like sour cream!) and if you desire, some protein chips.
- Serve hot or cold.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition and Calories in Taco Salads
The nutrition and taco salad calories are based off of using 90% lean ground beef. If you choose to use turkey, chicken, or plant based crumbles the calories will be slightly lower.
Serving size is about 3 cups of salad… that’s a BIG salad! And to make sure you get to 3 cups, get a head of romaine, not a romaine heart (which is just the inner part). This will bulk up the salad and supply you with more to eat!
Important Note: As a reminder, at Lose Weight By Eating it is my goal to make you healthier, all-natural versions of your favorite recipes… not all will be “diet worthy” depending on the diet you are on. But they will be healthier versions to help curb your cravings.
What to Read Next:
Lose Weight By Eating Cookbooks
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Article History:
- Originally written and published August 3, 2022 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on May 15, 2023 by Audrey Johns
