These Healthy Taco Salads with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing are a must have for your dinner rotation. They’re quick and easy to put together, and are filling enough for a full meal.
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I know, I know. I’ve been talking about this thing for days. It’s about time to fill you in on the goods.
So, this taco salad is one that I can absolutely foresee becoming a regular meal in our dinner rotation at home. Not only is it wicked easy to make, but it comes together in no time. Seriously. And really, there’s only three main parts to creating this beauty…
First, prepare your dressing.
Next, cook up your meat.
Then, while that’s cooking (or before, or after) prepare your salad base.
Be sure to have some extra fun toppings, if you so desire. Mexican shredded cheese + tortilla strips were necessities for us.
Throw it all together, and before you know it, you’ve got yourself one killer, healthy taco salad you can feel good about eating.
Looking to make your own now? Well here’s a recipe for ya! (Keep in mind that many of the salad base ingredients do not include measurements. I’m pretty sure you can decide what and how much of your veggie toppings you’d like on your salads).
Healthy Taco Salads with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sour cream non-fat, low-fat, full-fat...your call
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
- Juice from 1 lime
- Garlic powder salt, and/or pepper, to taste
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 3/4 lb lean ground beef I used 90% lean, but feel free to sub in ground turkey or chicken too
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 cup jarred salsa
- romaine lettuce
- cucumber
- tomato
- red onion
- avocado
- shredded Mexican cheese blend
- tortilla strips
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by placing sour cream, Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, and spices in blender. Blend until thoroughly combined; place in fridge while preparing the rest of the meal.
- Prepare the meat mixture. In a large skillet, saute the red bell pepper and red onion over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until soft. Add the ground beef and chili powder and continue cooking until meat is completely browned. Add the salsa, mix to incorporate, and cook an extra minute. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad bases with romaine lettuce and veggies. Divide the meat mixture and top each of the salads with it. Add Mexican cheese and/or tortilla strips, if desired. Drizzle with creamy cilantro lime dressing.* Enjoy!
*We got 3 servings out of this recipe, but had quite a bit of dressing left over. Jay suggested pairing it with some fish tacos, which I think would be amazing.
Mmmm…I’m already excited about making this again! If you decide to give it a whirl, let me know whatcha think! :)
Natalie @ Free Range Human says
I love taco salads, and I think this dressing would be a great addition!
Elizabeth @ My Neon Running Shoes says
Looks great! Also, for your readers who might want to skip making their own creamy cilantro dressing, Trader Joe’s has one I LOVE and it’s very reasonable! On the other hand… you can’t really go wrong with three ingredients!
Linz @ Itz Linz says
WOW that creamy cilantro lime dressing sounds AMAZING!!! and perfect for summer coming up!!
Angela says
I loveeeeeeee taco salads. I will be making this one soon!
Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl says
Love Mexican inspired meals and that dressing looks like a major winner!
Ellie@Fit for the Soul says
I don’t blame ya for loving this! I’ve tried cilantro-y avocado dressing at a restaurant before and truly loved it!!!! This is a stellar recipe Courtney~
Elaine @ Cooking to Perfection says
I’m going to have to try that dressing! It sounds great, especially for Mexican salads or dipping quesadillas in. :)
Jenny@ The Wellness Journey says
This looks like a must try!! I think it will be on my list next week! Looks like you wouldn’t even need the dressing it’s that yummy! :-)
Maureen @ Breaking Free & Finding Me says
yum! can’t wait to try this!!
michelle kim says
OMG! I love how simple the dressing recipe is! I bet that would be good on any salad, too. Plus the color looks so nice!
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says
I am not typically a cilantro girl, but this salad and dressing look absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing :)
Audrey @ In Shape Cupcake says
Omg, making this ASAP
Katie @ KatieEnPursuit says
Wow, that dressing sounds amazing! I am making it for sure. I had a massive “taco inspired” salad for lunch today with shredded Mexican chicken, I think I could eat Mexican food everyday. Thanks for the recipe!
Brooke @ Running In Heels says
This looks awesome!! I think I found a new lunch staple!!
Theresa says
That dressing sounds amazing! I love Taco Salad, I usually just make a red wine vinegar dressing, but this sounds way better! I just pinned the recipe, so I’ll be trying it very soon! Thank you!
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles says
I adore taco salads, but I’m especially impressed with that dressing! Sounds delicious.
Ashley says
Mmmm these sound aweeeesome!
Danielle @ itsaharleyyylife says
I love taco salads. i’m not sure I could do the dressing though but it definitely looks delicious!
Gracie says
uh YUM. Mexican is my favorite cuisine…but not exactly the healthiest…so this is something I would definitely make. The dressing looks amazing.
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
That dressing sounds awesome! I am always looking for new homemade dressing recipes. Thanks for sharing :).
Andrea @Pencils and Pancakes says
That looks amazing!!! Taco salad is a regular weeknight meal in our house! I’ll have to try that dressing!
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
This salad sounds SO good, Courtney! I love the idea of the creamy cilantro lime dressing … cilantro is one of my favorite things ever!
Avery @ Southern Belle Living Well says
The dressing intrigues me the most. I love the green! This salad looks fantastic, especially the cheese :)
Lauren @ Fun, Fit and Fabulous! says
This looks amazing! We just had fajitas for dinner, but I think our next Mexican themed dinner will have to feature this gem! Thanks for sharing!
Becky says
This looks so good!! I definitely want to try it! Did you come up with this recipe yourself?
Courtney says
I got some inspiration from a random cookbook that my mom let me borrow :)
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
I love cilantro and lime, probably one of the best combos of all time. I thought your dressing was made with avocado at first but then realized it was just the cilantro that made it green. Either way, it sounds great!
Katie says
Oh this just looks fantastic! Can’t wait to try it.. Yum!
Amanda says
looove taco salads! we have them at least twice a month – but never with that dressing!! will definitely be making it the next time we have taco salads!! looks super easy
Victoria @ Reluctantly Skinny says
I’m definitely making this dressing next time we do Mexican at home!
Leigha says
That dressing… happening soon! Looks so good! I looove taco salad. I like to use ground turkey!
bek @ Crave says
I love taco salads!
Paula says
Sounds wonderful! I am going to make it tomorrow… Only I am marinating chicken overnight in cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and garlic and will grill it when I get home. I will use the chicken on the salad instead of the beef. Do you think the dressing will be good with light sour cream and yogurt?
Courtney says
I’m sure it will!
Monique says
Made taco salads last night with my creamy cilantro dressing and it was absolutely delicious!!! However mine was not quite as green as yours… more on the whiter side? This dressing will for sure be a staple for taco night!
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Carol says
11/2 lime extra garlic powder etc.
jessie says
I was just wondering how many calories are in this?
bitca says
gross. did you really put this online? trashy, trashy cooking. it’s not even cooking, just assembling mass-produced, pre-cooked ingredients. so sad.