These Taco Salad Bowls are one of those easy meals that never disappoint. You get all the flavours of a good beef taco, but served up in a fresh, colourful bowl with crisp salad, plenty of texture and a little crunch on top. It is hearty, satisfying and perfect for when you want something that feels a bit lighter without giving up on flavour.
The homemade taco seasoned beef really is the star here, adding a rich, savoury kick that pairs perfectly with all the fresh toppings. Great for a quick family dinner, an easy meal prep option or even set out buffet-style so everyone can build their own just how they like it.
Calories in Taco Salad Bowl
This recipe serves 4 and is 530 calories per serving.
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 500+ calorie recipes.
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Extra lean ground beef: The beef is the hearty base of these taco salad bowls, cooked until browned and full of flavour. Using extra lean ground beef keeps this lighter while still giving you that rich, savoury taco filling.
- Homemade taco seasoning: A simple mix of chilli powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, tomato paste, stock, salt and black pepper, optional cayenne for a bit of extra heat, gives the beef all that classic taco flavour. It is smoky, savoury, slightly spicy and coats the beef beautifully.
- Onion: Onion is cooked with the beef to add extra savoury flavour and a little natural sweetness. It helps form a really tasty base for the taco filling.
- Lettuce: This adds a fresh, crisp base that keeps the bowls light and colourful. Romaine or iceberg both work well here.
- Avocado: Avocado adds a lovely creamy texture that balances the seasoned beef and fresh salad ingredients perfectly.
- Tomatoes: Juicy tomatoes add freshness and a little sweetness, which works really well with the taco flavours.
- Black beans: Black beans add extra protein, fibre and a delicious earthy flavour, while also making the bowls more filling.
- Red onion: Red onion adds a little sharpness and crunch, which helps balance the richer elements in the bowl.
- Corn: Sweetcorn adds little pops of sweetness and extra texture throughout.
- Colby cheese: A sprinkle of Colby cheese adds a creamy, cheesy finish that works perfectly with the warm beef.
- Salsa: Salsa adds a fresh, tangy spoonful of flavour and ties everything together.
- Soured cream: A dollop of soured cream adds a cool, creamy contrast to the warm taco beef.
- Jalapeno slices: These add a little extra heat and a fresh pop of flavour to the bowls. Add as much or as little as you like depending on how spicy you want it.
- Tortilla chips: These add the perfect crunchy finish and make the bowls feel even more taco-inspired.
- Lime wedges: A squeeze of fresh lime adds a bright, zesty finish that really lifts all the flavours.
- Fresh cilantro: A little chopped cilantro adds a fresh pop of flavour to finish.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions
Variations and Subsitutes
These taco salad bowls are really easy to adapt, so feel free to switch things up with what you have on hand or what your family enjoys most. Instead of ground beef, you can use ground chicken, ground turkey or extra lean ground lamb for a slightly different flavour. You could also swap the black beans for kidney beans or pinto beans if that is what you have in the cupboard.
For some extra bulk and colour, roasted sweet potato or butternut squash work really well added to the bowls, bringing a little natural sweetness that pairs perfectly with the taco flavours. Roasted seasoned potatoes are another great option if you want to make them even heartier, or you can serve everything with my lime cilantro rice for more of a burrito bowl style meal. Guacamole is also a great addition if you want even more creamy avocado flavour. You can also add extras like sliced jalapenos, bell peppers, cucumber or shredded red cabbage for more crunch and freshness, and swap Colby for cheddar, mozzarella or a Mexican style cheese blend if preferred.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
If you want to save a little time, this homemade taco seasoning is great to make in a bigger batch and keep in a jar ready to use whenever you need it.
To make the seasoning mix:
- 4 tablespoons mild chilli powder
- 4 tablespoons paprika
- 4 teaspoons cumin
- 4 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Mix well until combined, then store in an airtight jar or container in a cool cupboard.
To use for 1lb (450g) of ground meat:
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons of taco seasoning mix
- ½ cup stock (chicken or beef)
Brown the ground meat with the onion, then stir in the tomato paste and taco seasoning. Add the stock and let it simmer until slightly reduced and the meat is coated in all that delicious flavour.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
The taco meat is great for making ahead, which makes these bowls perfect for meal prep.
Storing
Allow the taco meat to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing
Once cooled, place the taco meat in a freezer-safe container or bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat the taco meat in a frying pan over a medium heat until piping hot, adding a splash of stock or water if needed to loosen it up. You can also reheat in the microwave until hot through, stirring halfway.
For Meal Prep
If making these for meal prep, it is best to store the taco meat separately from the salad ingredients so everything stays fresh and crisp. Then each day, just reheat a portion of the taco meat and add it to a bowl with the lettuce and your choice of toppings like tomatoes, beans, corn, avocado, cheese and red onion. Finish with salsa, soured cream, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime just before serving.
More Ground Beef Recipes
Need more ground beef inspiration? Here are some recipes you'll love:
See more Ground Beef Recipes →
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Recipe Card
Taco Salad Bowl
These Taco Salad Bowls are packed with all the delicious flavours of tacos, served over a fresh, colourful salad for an easy meal that is hearty, satisfying and perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 455g (1lb) of extra lean ground beef (mince)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- For the taco seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon of mild chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of oregano
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- optional for extra heat: ½ teaspoon of cayenne
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste (puree)
- ½ cup (120ml) of chicken or beef stock
For the salad bowls:
- 1 small iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 20 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 125g (4.4oz) of black beans, canned and drained
- 125g (4.4oz) sweet corn, canned and drained
- 6 tablespoons of salsa
- 6 tablespoon of soured cream
- 120g (4.2oz) fresh avocado, cubed
- 100g (43.5oz) of colby or cheddar cheese, grated
- 100g (3.5oz) of tortilla chips
- 1 lime, sliced
- 2 jalapenos thinly sliced
- handful of fresh coriander
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat, add the ground beef and onion and cook until browned. Add the taco seasoning and stir until the beef is evenly coated, then add the tomato paste and stock. Simmer until slightly reduced and the sauce loosely coats the meat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Divide the lettuce between 4 bowls, then top with the taco meat. Add the black beans, corn, red onion, tomatoes, salsa, soured cream, avocado, jalapeno slices, cheddar and fresh coriander. Serve with the tortilla chips on the side of the bowl or crumble over the top.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly - meat only
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Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 530Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 8gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 155mgSodium 894mgCarbohydrates 49gFiber 12gSugar 11gProtein 36g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
Naomi says
Aren’t the sweet potatoes syns as they are baked?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Naomi, sweet potatoes are a free food on Slimming World and should be eaten cooked. You can cook them any way you wish. But if course if you choose to use oil (instead of Syn Free spray oil) etc then you would Syn what you add to it.
Amy says
Hi. This recipe is amazing! Just I’m a bit confised with the avocado. You said in the recipe 13 syns for 40g but I’ve seen elsewhere it’s 9.5 syns per 100g. I weighed half an avocado and it was 80g so seems like you’re saying for the whole recipe share 1/4 of an avo between 4 bowls! Doesn’t seem much, have you maybe made a mistake in the recipe with the amount of avo? Thanks !
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Amy - it should say 4x40g/1.5oz of avocado - so 160g in total which equates to 13 syns.Thanks for noting the error 🙂 and letting me know. Also, make sure you only weigh the flesh of the avocado, you don't weigh the skin or stone, as you don't eat those parts. Enjoy 🙂
Christy says
This is a regular dish in our house... So Good!!