Jazz up your Taco Tuesday with this delicious Taco Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing! A ton of good flavor, spices, and textures that is sure to make this meal have a permanent place in the dinner rotation. Paleo, Whole30, and Keto!!
Another day, another way to enjoy your tacos. You guys don’t mind, right? Based on the popularity of my taco posts, I would say, you love them as much as me!
So as some of you already know, we eat tacos on the regular. It is not an option to skip Taco Tuesday, even if we’re enjoying on Thursday. And that happens A LOT!!!
Because we eat them so often, I am always looking of new ways to jazz them up! Also a side note to this, with us being in full blown summer baseball where every night is spent at the ball fields. Soooooo, I have been lacking in the creativity for dinner department lately. Spicing up a taco recipe seemed like something that would fit right into my busy schedule.
So I made my traditional taco recipe, and created a new dressing that I am pretty obsessed with: Chipotle Ranch!
How to make Taco Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing
This recipe does come together quite easily and simply. And you can feel free to add in your favorite taco toppings (not pictured are my beloved jalapeños), but here are the basics:
- Homemade taco seasoning: cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, chili powder, and salt.
- 2lbs ground beef (you can definitely use the leftovers for lunch)
- Apple cider vinegar to add some tang to the beef
- Veggies such as lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro
- Finally, the homemade dressing: chipotle spice, paleo mayo, onion powder, garlic powder, lime juice, and dried chives
Additionally, I like to toss in something crunchy like pumpkin seeds or plantain chips. Toss everything together and dinner (or lunch prep) is ready!
That’s it you guys! I love that this makes plenty for leftovers. This is helpful for my husband who packs a lunch everyday. This will serve us for dinner, plus give us lunch leftovers for a few days. That’s why I go ahead and make 2lbs of beef. Feel free to half the recipe if you don’t need as much.
Also, the dressing will keep well for about 10 days in the fridge! I would keep it separate from the beef, and just add the amount you need every time you serve (especially if you’re going to use as leftovers).
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Taco Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 3 tsp cumin
- 3 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 16 oz salad greens such as romaine, arugula, or spinach
- 1-2 avocados diced
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 diced red onion
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the Chipotle Ranch:
- 1 cup Paleo Mayonnaise
- 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 2 tsp dried chives
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
To begin, heat a large skillet to medium high heat. In a small bowl, mix together the blend of taco seasoning: cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, chili powder, and sea salt. Once the skillet is hot, gently grease the pan with avocado oil or olive oil. Add the ground beef to the pan
Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring consistently to break up the meat and evenly cook. Once no longer pink, drain any excess fat and water. Return back to the burner, cover the meat in seasoning. Now stir in the apple cider vinegar and tomato paste. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until beef is evenly coated.
Now make the dressing: in a food processor or blender, pulse mayonnaise, chipotle chili powder, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and lime juice. If too thick, add an additional tbsp of lime juice or thin out with 1-2 tbsp of water.
Now assemble the salad. In a large bowl, place greens, tomatoes, avocado, onion, and cilantro and toss to combine. Add in the ground beef, then pour on the dressing. If using the salad for meal prep, do not assemble the salad with dressing, but keep the dressing separate to add later with each individual use.
Made the taco salad last night with ground turkey. I ended up adding too much taco seasoning (the combo of cumin/chili powder/chipotle seasonings are redundant spices!!!) to the meat so it was saltier than it should have been. Add spices by checking how it tastes as you add to make sure the flavor is to your taste I also used Veganaise as opposed to making home mayo to save time.