Taco Salad with Pickled Jalapeño Ranch Dressing

This crispy crunchy beef taco salad comes together with a delicious and easy pickled jalapeño ranch dressing. You’ll love it!

I love a salad with many components, especially when they’re all different textures. For this taco salad there’s savory spiced ground beef and black beans, crisp romaine lettuce, buttery avocado, nutty cheddar cheese, crunchy tortilla chips, and fresh pico de gallo. All of it tossed with an easy-to-make pickled jalapeño ranch dressing.

One of the most important components of a salad is the dressing. It ties everything together. And in the case of this taco salad, this dressing works wonders. You’ll take your favorite store-bought ranch dressing and blend it with pickled jalapeños and their juices and fresh cilantro. The creaminess works so well with the romaine and the spicy pickle brine contrasts the savory beef and beans.

Ingredient Notes:

• Ground Beef – If you don’t eat beef, you can substitute ground chicken or turkey. Just pick a grind with a higher fat content.
• Taco Seasoning – Any store-bought taco seasoning that you like works just fine. I like the Spicy Taco Seasoning by Siete Foods, which you can find at many grocery stores or buy here on Amazon.
• Cheddar Cheese – I use yellow cheddar for the color, but you can definitely use white cheddar if you prefer.

Taco Salad with Pickled Jalapeño Ranch Dressing

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Latin, Mexican

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 Large Pan
• 1 Large Bowl
• 1 Medium Bowl
• Food Processor (I used a mini one)

Ingredients

  

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For the Taco Salad:

• Avocado oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 oz. packet taco seasoning
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup water
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh lime juice to taste
• 20 oz. romaine lettuce chopped (about 2 heads)
• 2 avocados peeled, pitted, and diced
• Shredded cheddar cheese to taste
• Crushed tortilla chips to taste
• Pico de Gallo recipe below, or store-bought
• Pickled Jalapeño Ranch Dressing recipe below

For the Pico de Gallo:

• 2 Roma tomatoes diced
• ¼ cup red onion finely diced
• 2 tablespoons jalapeno seeded and finely diced
• 2 teaspoons cilantro leaves minced
• 1 lime juiced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Pickled Jalapeño Ranch Dressing:

• 1 cup Ranch Dressing your favorite store-bought brand or homemade recipe
• 6 tablespoons pickled jalapeño rounds
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño juice
• ½ cup cilantro leaves and thin stems packed

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Instructions

 

For the Taco Salad:

• Heat a large drizzle of avocado oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and taco seasoning, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and almost cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and cook, stirring to coat the beef, 1-2 minutes. Add black beans and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly absorbed, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Add a squeeze of lime juice, to taste.
• In a large bowl, make the salad. Add the romaine, beef mixture, avocado, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, pico de gallo, and as much of the Pickled Jalapeño Ranch Dressing as you’d like. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy!

For the Pico de Gallo:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and lime juice. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

For the Pickled Jalapeño Ranch Dressing:

• In the bowl of a food processor (I used a mini one), process the Ranch Dressing, pickled jalapeno rounds, pickled jalapeño juice, and cilantro until smooth. About one minute.

Notes

All components can be made or prepped ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Reheat the beef mixture until warmed through before serving. 

Keyword beans, beef, celiac, easy, gluten free, quick, simple

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