Seven-Layer Taco Salad with Seasoned Beef
Tortilla chips form the bottom layer of this platter, and everything a taco usually holds gets spread over them: shredded lettuce, ground beef browned with a packet of taco seasoning, black beans and halved cherry tomatoes, then a dressing of sour cream stirred into salsa, shredded Mexican blend cheese, diced avocado and red onion. A little cilantro on top is optional.
Only the beef needs the stove. It cooks in a skillet over medium heat for about ten minutes, gets drained and takes on the seasoning, then cools slightly so the lettuce does not wilt on contact when it goes on. The rest is chopping and layering on a large serving platter, roughly half an hour from start to finish, which puts it among the easy shareable dishes in my party appetizer recipes.
My preference is to assemble it right before serving, since chips under wet layers lose their crunch quickly. Chilling the lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream ahead helps the layers stay crisp against the warm beef, and a few diced jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce turn up the heat.
PrintSeven-Layer Taco Salad
Tortilla chips, lettuce, seasoned ground beef, black beans and tomatoes, finished with a sour cream and salsa dressing, cheese, avocado and red onion.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 bag tortilla chips
- Cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain the excess fat, stir in the taco seasoning and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a bowl, stir the sour cream and salsa together to make a creamy dressing.
- Cover a large serving platter with a layer of tortilla chips.
- Add a layer of shredded lettuce, then the seasoned beef.
- Scatter the black beans and cherry tomatoes evenly over the beef.
- Drizzle the sour cream and salsa dressing over the top.
- Sprinkle with the cheese, then add the diced avocado and red onion.
- Garnish with cilantro if you like and serve.
Notes
For more heat, add diced jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce. Chilling the cold ingredients before assembling keeps the salad crisp.
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