Taco Salads are one of our favorite Healthier Family Meals, but I used to rely HEAVILY on the prepackaged Taco Seasonings at the store…until I realized how much cheaper it was to make at home!
Literally, this costs pennies compared to the mixes AND you can control the ingredients that go into it. I keep getting requests for this recipe on Instagram, because we use it all the time to make some of the meals I share over there:
- Taco Meat (ground beef, chicken, turkey, venison, even black beans or toasted quinoa)
- Seasoned Veggies
- Fajitas
- Mexican Rice
- Shredded Crock Pot Chicken
- Grilled Chicken
Just multiply this seasoning recipe by 10 and store it in a Mason Jar, then you’ll be all set for quick easy meals. Eating healthy doesn’t have to complicated or time consuming – because we’re all busy right?!
Here’s the seasoning mix, along with a recipe for Taco Salads if that strikes your fancy! My son eats SO many more veggies this way, when I serve this as a “salad bar” and let him fill his own plate! It’s a great idea for dinner parties & picnics too 😍
TACO SALADS & SEASONING MIX
Serves 4 (approx. 3 cups each)
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lean ground beef, turkey, chicken or venison, browned and drained
(sub 1 can black beans or chickpeas for plant based)
6 cups Romaine lettuce/spinach/salad greens
2 cups chopped veggies (onions, tomatoes, peppers, etc.)
2 cups salsa (low sugar/sodium preferred)
24 whole grain tortilla chips
1-1/3 cup shredded cheese if you aren’t dairy free
Seasoning:
1 Tbsp chili powder
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp coconut sugar (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- Brown meat in a pan over medium heat, breaking into small pieces as it cooks.
- While meat is browning, prepare salads.
- Add 3/4 cup water and seasoning ingredients to cooked meat.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Top salads with 3/4 cup meat, 1/3 cup cheese, 1/2 cup salsa and 6 crunched up tortilla chips.
What’s your family’s favorite way to eat Tacos? Salad, soft shell or hard shell?
I’m a big fan of cooking one main meal, then reusing it multiple ways later in the week. We all have a million things to do, so why spend extra time in the kitchen if we don’t have to? This fajita-seasoned chicken can be used SO many different ways.
As as life long picky eater, I was never one to get super adventurous with my food…Old El Paso taco seasoning and Taco Bell Crunch Wrap Supremes were about the extent of my exposure to Mexican food (super healthy too, right?).