Healthy Taco Salad Recipe
This healthy taco salad is so easy and filling, you will keep making it again and again! With wholesome ingredients it is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. You will not need anything else. I made my kids and Alex pasta to go with the salad, but I was good.
You can meal prep it in jars for a week ahead. Just don’t add crunchy chips or one ingredient secret dressing.
Now, about that.
Healthy Taco Salad Dressing
What I despise the most about unhealthy salads is the bottled high calorie, sugar and sodium loaded salad dressing. And what I don’t like even more is a complicated salad dressing in a healthy salad recipe. I just know that I will never make it, especially for a one meal – “Ain’t nobody got time for that”.
So, all there is to my healthy taco salad dressing is plain whole yogurt. Here is why…
Is Taco Salad Healthy?
This low calorie taco salad is made with very well Tex Mex seasoned ground turkey and corn. Then mixed with all the classic ingredients like black beans, tomato, avocado, cheese and chips. That’s a lot of flavor going on here.
So to help all ingredients “marry each other” all you need is quality plain yogurt. The best dressing and totally enough. Buy organic or grass fed Greek or regular yogurt with fat content of 3% and up and you will be blown away by its taste. No more low fat 0% crap. Healthy fat is good for you in moderation like anything else. Even kale.
Oh, and a lot of salad greens because they are healthy and yummy.
How to Make Healthy Taco Salad
- Add vegetables, tortilla chips and cheese to a large salad bowl.
- Saute ground turkey with seasonings.
- Cook corn with seasoning in the same skillet. You want to give it a good char, so cook undisturbed.
- Drizzle plain yogurt over all ingredients combined in the salad bowl.
- Gently toss and serve.
Variations of The Salad
You don’t have to do what I do exactly. I know many of you liek to make my recipes “your own” and it’s fantastic!
- Taco bowl: Place large whole grain tortilla in an ovenproof deep bowl (stainless or metal works) and bake at 450 degrees F until crispy. Place salad in a bowl and voila.
- Vegetarian: Replace ground turkey with cooked chickpeas or tofu. Cook with spices just like I do.
- Shredded chicken: Use shredded chicken and cook it in spices following teh recipe. Just 5 minutes less than raw ground turkey.
What Tortilla Chips Are Healthy?
Chips are chips. They are a treat. But there are better and worse chips. Here is my guide for buying healthy tortilla chips:
- Organic and non-GMO will have the best ingredients list.
- Multigrain or corn are both made with wholesome ingredients.
- Look for lower in sodium ones. Often the case but not always with organic and non-GMO, so read the label.
- Baked vs. fried if you can find those. Deep fried is deep fried but in organic oil vs. GMO canola is already a step ahead.
- Brands I buy (as an avid Costco shopper LOL): Que Pasa, Food Should Taste Good, Kirkland.
How Long Does Salad Last?
You can refrigerate salad leftovers for up to 2 days. Surprisingly, this healthy taco salad doesn’t become too soggy. I don’t know about you but I do love the mushy mess of flavored meat and veggies.
More Healthy Salad Recipes to Try:
- Healthy potato salad – creamy classic without a cup of mayo. So good cold!
- Healthy cobb salad -If you love taco salad, you will love this one!
- Chickpea avocado salad – A bowl of delicious plant-based proteins.
- Mexican kale salad – Kale and veggies mixed with delicious avocado dressing.
Healthy Taco Salad
Healthy Taco Salad Recipe with ground turkey and one simple ingredient that replaces unhealthy bottled dressing. This taco salad is so easy and filling, you will keep making it again and again.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 8 large servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1/2 large container greens salad mix
- 14 oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
- 4 small tomatoes, chopped
- 2 medium avocados, chopped
- 1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed
- 1/2 cup any hard cheese, shredded
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp onion powder/flakes
- 2 cups corn, cooked or thawed
- 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (not Greek)
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, add salad greens, beans, tomato, avocado, tortilla chips and cheese. Set aside.
- Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add turkey and cook for 5 minutes, constantly breaking into small pieces with spatula. Add 1 tbsp taco seasoning and onion flakes; cook for another 2 minutes, stirring a few times. Transfer to a salad bowl with other ingredients.
- Return skillet to medium heat and add corn. Cook for a few minutes undisturbed, sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning, stir and cook for another minute. Transfer to a bowl.
- Drizzle yogurt on top and gently toss. Adjust salt to taste. Serve immediately.
Store: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. Surprisingly, this healthy taco salad doesn’t become too soggy.
Make Ahead: Refrigerate all ingredients except chips, avocado and yogurt for up to 24 hours. Assemble right before serving.
Notes
Greek yogurt is too thick to mix well with other ingredients. I used 2% plain yogurt.
You can use Romaine lettuce, spinach or any greens in place of a salad mix.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
