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Taco Salad Bowls

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Taco Salad Bowls are a delicious and healthy 30 minute meal that satisfies everyone at the dinner table. They are simple, fresh, and easy to make. 

Taco Salad Bowls - enjoy all your favorite taco toppings in a bowl of salad. Make this easy 30 minute meal for busy nights! #salad #tacosalad #easy #dinner #30minutemeal #tacotuesday

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The other night my husband had a meeting at church, so that meant I was in charge of coming up with dinner for the kids and me.  I seriously thought about putting out a bag of chips and some Easy Homemade Salsa on the table and calling it dinner.

I’m getting so much better at coming up with delicious lean and green meals that our kids enjoy, so I headed to the kitchen to see what ingredients we had in our fridge.

Taco Salad Bowls - these easy salad bowls are a healthy way to enjoy a taco. Make this easy recipe and let everyone top their salad with their favorite toppings. #salad #tacosalad #easy #dinner #30minutemeal #tacotuesday

Since tacos are a favorite meal for all three of our kids, I decided to play with that flavor combo and see what happened.  I figured tacos were a pretty safe food because you can’t really mess it up too much.  

Haha!  Unless you ask my husband.  About 19 years ago, I told him we were having tacos for dinner, and then I made a taco ring.

Needless to say, he has not let me forget about that one.  It tasted just fine, but it wasn’t what he was expecting.

Taco Salad Bowls - this healthy taco salad is an easy dinner to make in a hurry. Great 30 minute meal that everyone loves! #salad #tacosalad #easy #dinner #30minutemeal #tacotuesday

Taco salad is a healthy option I like to make when I’m craving Mexican food. This easy taco skillet comes together in 30 minutes making it perfect for busy school nights.

Thankfully God has blessed us with three very easy going children.  They pretty much will eat whatever we make for them.  I did say pretty much.  There are a few foods that are met with resistance, but that’s true for me too.  

So, I knew that I could add quinoa in place of rice without any complaints.  We have been incorporating this super food and this Easy Cauliflower Rice into everything lately.

Taco Salad Bowls - this easy taco salad is a fun way to let everyone get creative with dinner. Easy 30 minute meal for those busy nights! #salad #tacosalad #easy #dinner #30minutemeal #tacotuesday

Tips for making Taco Salad Bowls:

Boil some water and then cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Feel free to substitute cauliflower rice instead to keep it a low carb meal.

While that is cooking, cook the hamburger meat and onions in a large skillet until done. Stir in the water and taco seasoning and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Stir in a can of undrained tomatoes and a can of rinsed black beans. Add the cooked quinoa.

Add lettuce to bowls and top with the taco mixture and toppings.

What goes on a taco salad?

  • Corn
  • Avocado chunks
  • Cheese
  • Salsa
  • Green Chiles
  • Onions
  • Cilantro
  • Ranch dressing
  • Crushed chips – tortillas or Doritos

There are so many other toppings that would be delicious on a salad bowl, but those are just a few of our favorites. I also suggest making some Spicy Guacamole to put on top as well.

Taco Salad Bowls - enjoy your favorite taco toppings on this easy salad bowl recipe. Easy dinner to make on busy days! #salad #tacosalad #easy #dinner #30minutemeal #tacotuesday

If you liked this recipe, try these other Mexican-inspired recipes:

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Taco Salad Bowls

Taco Salad Bowls

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Taco Salad Bowls are a delicious and healthy 30 minute meal that satisfies everyone at the dinner table. They are simple, fresh, and easy to make. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa* (see note below)
  • 1 pound hamburger meat
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1 - 1 ounce taco seasonings packet
  • 1 - 14 ounce can diced tomatoes and chilies
  • 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 8 cups chopped lettuce
  • avocado chunks
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • salsa
  • cilantro

Instructions

  1. Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.
  2. Cook the hamburger and onions in a large skillet.
  3. Stir the water and taco packet into the cooked hamburger. Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
  4. Add the undrained tomatoes and rinsed black beans. Add in the quinoa when it finishes cooking.
  5. Place desired amount of lettuce in bowls. Top with 1 cup taco mixture.
  6. Add corn, cheese, avocado, salsa, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

*Substitute cauliflower rice for the quinoa to make it even healthier.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 372mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 11gSugar: 5gProtein: 27g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Jocelyn @ Inside BruCrew Life
Cuisine: American / Category: Salads
Taco Salad Bowls - these easy salad bowls are a delicious and healthy meal to serve on busy nights. Make this easy recipe and let everyone add their favorite toppings! #salad #tacosalad #easy #dinner #30minutemeal #tacotuesday

*The post for Taco Salad Bowls was originally published on February 19,2014. The post and pictures have been updated, and the post was republished on January 4, 2019.

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Comments

  1. Rachel says

    I love quick and easy recipes that can be ready in 30 minutes or less. Another thing I like about quinoa is that I can cook it in a rice cooker which is something I have been experimenting lately. I will definitely try your recipe.

    Thanks again for a great article!

    Reply

  4. Sabrina says

    This is such a great way for everyone to customize what they want in their bowl too! Make a toppings bar and everyone can load up. Looks delicious!

    Reply

  7. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

    As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I wanted to make a vegetarian/vegan version! I used lentils in place of the ground beef and made some homemade guacamole to place on top of the salad. We all loved it 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply

  11. shawn @ IWYD says

    Wow, this looks phenomenal! I don’t have any hamburger on hand, so I am going to run out to the store right now to get some! 🙂 Can’t wait to try this out for dinner!

    Reply

  18. Kelly says

    Love these taco salad bowls – such a great dinner idea especially with adding the quinoa! Sounds so healthy and tasty – I am always looking for new ways to use quinoa and this sounds perfect! Pinning, awesome recipe 🙂

    Reply

  36. Mary. says

    R.R. said “now normally,” we eat itallian on wednesdays, ….so you should’ve posted this recipe on one of your (so-called) “taco” tuesdays I have a box of Quinola so I’ll try it…..tomorrow!

    Reply

  39. Marcie says

    I think you’re very good at this dinner thing, Jocelyn! I would eat this in a second. I don’t play around with quinoa enough because I’m pretty much the only one who eats it here, but I would just stash this for myself and enjoy it for a few days!

    Reply

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