Best Taco Salad Board is a classic taco salad recipe, with favorite toppings such as Frito chips, inspirational to serve for a taco night.

woman holding a Taco Salad Board

This Best Taco Salad Board version is quick, flavorful, hearty, and so easy to make for dinner! Everyone loves a good taco bowl or taco salad! And if you want to make dinner special? Serve it on The Big Board. Yes, we have 2 new colors and sizes that we added to our store. Details below—a new cherry color.

Best Taco Salad Board

We think the best taco salad recipe starts with seasoned beef and melted cheese, and then a handful of crunchy chips. And then it gets better from there–with toppings like, corn, olives, peppers, tomatoes, and a delicious homemade dressing.

Best Taco Salad Board

Easy Homemade Taco Salad Recipe

I’ve been eating taco salad since I was a kid. My mom made it with Dorito chips or Frito Chips, and to this day, our family loves this easy recipe.

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Taco salad is also an easy weeknight recipe, and it’s fun to serve on a board if you’re hosting a small gathering.

ingredients for Best Taco Salad Board

Gather these ingredients to make a taco salad board

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Onion
  • Ground beef
  • Taco seasoning (we bought Trader Joe’s 1.3 oz pack)
  • Black beans
  • Fresh salsa
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Mexican cheese
  • Green bell pepper
  • Green onions
  • Cooked corn
  • Trader Joe’s Crispy Jalapeno Pieces (so good – a nice crunch!)
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Lime
  • Frito chips (or tortilla strips or tortilla chips, broken into bite-sized pieces)

Tip for Trader Joe’s Crispy Jalapeno Pieces

TIP: What I love about this salad, and what makes it different, is the (new to us) Trader Joe’s Crispy Jalapeno Pieces.

You can buy them, here.

ground beef for taco salad

Make the Creamy Salsa Dressing:

Gather these ingredients.

  • Sour cream
  • Taco seasoning
  • Lime
  • Salsa

homemade salsa dressing

How do you make a taco salad board?

  1. In a large skillet over medium, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until clear. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
  2. Add 2-3 tablespoons of taco seasoning, fresh salsa and water. Stir to combine and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat to cool before adding it to the salad board.
  3. In a small bowl add the sour cream, salsa, seasoning, and lime juice. Optional to blend the ingredients, but not necessary.
  4. Chop the remaining ingredients.
  5. On a BIG BOARD, arrange the large bowl for meat, and 4 smaller bowls for the sauce, cheese, corn, and olives.
  6. Add the remaining veggies and ingredients around the bowls and serve with large low-line salad bowls for everyone to make their own taco salad.

Don’t forget the crispy jalapeno pieces and more chips to add on top!

ingredients Taco Salad Board

Take a board shortcut:

Taco Salad is a great “last-minute” meal to put together, even for a larger group. You can double or triple this recipe for 12 or more! Use several sizes of our boards, and stretch the meal by adding more side dishes.

Think about adding a chips and salsa board for appetizers.

Prep toppings while ground beef is browning.

Buy a large bag of pre-cut romaine lettuce.

olives and chips for taco salad

Tips and substitutions:

  • Use ground turkey in place of ground beef.
  • Add kidney beans in place of black beans.
  • Replace the Mexican cheese for cotija cheese (or add both the board).
  • Mix up the peppers – use a variety of colors.
  • Pour the dressing in a bell pepper (with top removed), so it’s like a small bowl.
  • Make your own baked tortilla chips. To do so brush corn tortillas with olive oil, season with salt then cut into wedges, bake on greased cookie sheet about 10 – 15 minutes until lightly golden brown, turning once halfway.
  • Use light sour cream for the dressing, if you don’t want to use regular.
  • Want to make your own taco seasoning? We love this Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe!

homemade dressing on taco board

What Goes With Taco Salad?

Taco salad is so filling, it’s a great meal on its own—yet another thing to love about taco salad!

But you can round it into a full Tex-Mex meal by adding more recipes on the side. How about filling up another board with side dishes?

Here’s our dream menu for a Tex-Mex night.

Homemade Refried Beans

Cilantro Lime Coconut Water Rice

Mexican Slaw Dip

setting up a taco salad board

The Big Board®

Friends, The Big Board® is here! Yes, I’ve partnered with JK Adams, the premier woodmaking company in Vermont, with my own line of RE boards!

  • 20-inch round, maple
  • 26-inch round, maple
  • 12 x 36-inch maple
  • 12 x 24-inch maple
  • 26-inch round, cherry
  • 12 x 36-in, cherry
  • 26-inch ebonized BLACK, cherry
  • 12 x 36-inch ebonized BLACK, cherry
  • 12 x 24” TRAVEL BOARD (folding – maple)
  • A board with a lip (or raised edged) so the food doesn’t fall off
  • FOOD SAFE
  • Made in the USA
  • Undercut handles (a unique design)

Thank you for your support, as we’ve sold out so many times already!

Order The Big Board® today!

Best Taco Salad Board
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Get the Recipe:

Taco Salad on the Big Board

Best Taco Salad Board is a classic taco salad recipe, with favorite toppings such as Frito chips, inspirational to serve for a taco night. Made on the 12x36" Big Board.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ small onion, diced
  • 2 lb lean ground beef
  • 3-4 Tbsp taco seasoning, we bought Trader Joe’s 1.3 oz pack
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 15voz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup mild fresh salsa
  • 1 large Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup cooked corn, from 2 ears, frozen or canned, drained
  • Trader Joe's Crispy Jalapeno Pieces
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves
  • 2 limes, cut into fourths
  • 1 bag Frito chips, or tortilla strips or tortilla chips, broken into bite-sized pieces

Creamy Salsa Dressing

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1-2 Tbsp taco seasoning, depending on how spicy you like it
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • ¼ cup salsa, or more depending on the flavor you want

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet over medium, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until clear. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes.
  • Add 2-3 tablespoons of taco seasoning, 1/4 cup fresh salsa and 1/4 cup of water. Stir to combine and cook until slightly thickened, 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat to cool before adding it to the salad board.
  • In a small bowl add the sour cream, salsa, seasoning, and lime juice. Optional to blend the ingredients, but not necessary.
  • Chop the remaining ingredients.
  • On a BIG BOARD, arrange the large bowl for meat, and 4 smaller bowls for the sauce, cheese, corn, and olives.
  • Add the remaining veggies and ingredients around the bowls and serve with large low-line salad bowls for everyone to make their own taco salad.
  • Don’t forget the crispy jalapeno pieces and more chips to add on top!
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: Appetizer
Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!

taco salad