Healthy Taco Salad with turkey taco meat instead of ground beef, vegetables and cheese. It’s full of crunch, texture, flavor and drizzled with one simple ingredient that ties it all together.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Better for you: This healthy taco salad is made with ground turkey to keep it nice and lean, homemade taco seasoning to avoid all the added sodium, and greens, beans, tomatoes, and corn.
- Full of texture: A few crushed baked tortilla chips, corn and fresh crispy greens add an unbelievable crunch.
- Flavorful: Spicy, juicy and fresh flavor in every bite.
- One ingredient salad dressing: Because it’s seasoned well, I top my taco salad with plain yogurt instead of sour cream which doubles as a creamy dressing.
- Customizable: Make this salad as simple or as jazzed up with toppings as you like.
Reader’s Review
This is so good and tasted so so fresh! Wasn’t sure about the yogurt but it really added a lot to the recipe. It was so easy and quick to put together with not a lot of dishes and clean up. Will definitely be making again!
Courtney
Ingredients for Healthy Taco Salad
- Ground turkey: Lean protein. It’s lower in calories and has less fat than ground beef. Can also use leftover Instant Pot chicken breast that has been shredded instead.
- Greens salad mix: Sometimes referred to as spring mix. Can also use a head of romaine lettuce, baby kale, or regular kale and spinach.
- Black beans: They add fiber, protein, and texture. Make Instant Pot black beans or here is step by step tutorial how to cook dried beans to further reduce sodium.
- Chopped tomatoes: I like to use tomatoes on the vine or any juicy, flavorful tomatoes that are in season.
- Avocados: Adds creaminess and healthy fats.
- Corn: Cooked or thawed from frozen, sweet juicy kernels of corn add a pop of color and tons of taste and texture.
- Tortilla chips: Multigrain or corn are both made with wholesome ingredients. I look for organic and non-GMO chips that are lower in sodium and are baked vs. fried. Brands I buy are Que Pasa, Food Should Taste Good, and Kirkland.
- Shredded cheese: Freshly grated from a block. Any hard cheese will do. Cheddar is a popular choice.
- Avocado oil: Used to cook the turkey as it doesn’t produce as much oil.
- Taco seasoning: I use my homemade taco seasoning recipe.
- Salt and onion powder: Just to add a bit more flavor.
- Plain yogurt: Regular, not Greek yogurt with fat content of 2% or more. It needs to be thin enough to be pourable. It’s naturally tangy and super creamy, and it helps all of the ingredients marry their flavors without taking over!
How to Make Healthy Taco Salad
- Cook turkey: In a skillet over medium heat, sauté ground turkey in oil with taco seasoning and onion powder. Then remove to a plate. You could also omit the meat entirely and serve this taco salad alongside your protein of choice like this grilled chicken breast or cilantro lime chicken.
- Cook corn: Saute corn with taco seasoning in the same skillet. You want to give it a good char, so cook undisturbed.
- Drizzle plain yogurt over vegetables, tortilla chips, cheese, turkey and corn in a large bowl. You want to be able to mix salad comfortably as it is a large meal size salad. Then gently toss and serve immediately.
Recipe Tip
Get creative! The sky’s the limit for flavor combinations and add-ons. Jazz it up with salsa, pico de gallo, easy guacamole, or avocado cilantro dressing!
How to Store
Store: You can refrigerate salad leftovers for up to 2 days. Surprisingly, the healthy taco salad doesn’t become too soggy.
Reheat: Reheat the taco meat and corn in a skillet. The only way to do this is if you’ve kept them in a separate container in the fridge.
Meal Prep and Leftover Ideas
Meal prep: Store all the taco ingredients in a glass jar for a week ahead. Just don’t add the crunchy chips, avocado, or yogurt until just before serving.
Leftovers: Make a healthy taco salad bowl! Place a 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.
More Healthy Salad Recipes
More Taco Recipes to Try
Healthy Taco Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 8 ounces greens salad mix, Romaine lettuce, spinach or any greens
- 14 ounces can low sodium 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 1/2 cups plain yogurt, 2% fat or higher, not Greek
For the Turkey and Corn:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning, low sodium, divided
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 cups corn, cooked or thawed
- 1/4 teaspoon 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 ground turkey and cook for 5 minutes, constantly breaking into small pieces with spatula.
- Add 1 tablespoon taco seasoning and onion powder; 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 tablespoon 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.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. Surprisingly, this 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just want to say, brought it out for a picnic, forgot the secret ingredient (yogurt) at home, and it was still yummy! We had the leftover the next day with yogurt. We used Greek co it was what we had and it was still as good as the regular one (I’ve made the before as per recipe). Thanks once more Olena! Looking up what my next meals will be!
You are so welcome!!!!!!!
Very good! Didn’t have lettuce or wraps so used cucumbers. Very good as always
Thank you Stephanie!
This recipe is delicious!! Just had it for lunch. I eat plant base so I subbed turkey for crumbled taco tofu and used plant base yogurt. Was a little skeptical about adding yogurt but adding it made all the difference, it made the whole meal come together. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
So welcome!!!
This is so good and tasted so so fresh! Wasn’t sure about the yogurt but it really added a lot to the recipe. It was so easy and quick to put together with not a lot of dishes and clean up. Will definitely be making again!
Thanks for sharing your positive thoughts Courtney!
Just a question can I use a silicone steamer basket in the instant pot?
Yes.
Thank you for recipe and a lot of helpful tips!
You are welcome Anastasiia!
Thank you for this recipe!! Trying it this week. 🙂
Yay!!! Hope you like it! Please let me know.
We love this recipe! Easy to prepare. I cut the tomatoes and avocado before heading to work as well as setting out all needed cookware and non-refrigerated items so I could get this on the table quick.
We used ground chicken but any meat would be good. Might try pork or shrimp next. If you like things spicey you will want to livein’ this up. Seasoning is good just not spicey hot.
Make sure you dont put chips in the serving bowl. Your leftovers will end up getting soggy in the fridge.
We will be making this again, soon.
Good work on meal prep and so happy to hear you liked my healthy taco salad!
This salad is a keeper. Super good and way healthier than restaurant taco salads. I used to think that only restaurants have good salads but so happy to realize that I can make even better salads thanks to your blog 😉
No-no-no. No way. 3 more salad recipes and you will not like restaurant salads anymore. TRUST ME. Glad you enjoyed.:)
I have just come across this recipe and cannot wait to make it. It is so easy and simple. I love that the carbs and protein are balanced out here too. So many recipes the carbs or protein are not even close to each other and for me and my daughter with IBS balancing both is important to keep food in.
I’m a strong believer in balanced amount of carbs, otherwise you end up eating mostly animal products which can’t be good. Enjoy!