TacosMediumFree

Taco Salad

Name: Taco Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 400 g Beef mince; 2 Tomatoes; 4 Pickled jalapeños; 500 ml Vegetable oil for frying; 4 Large flour tortillas; 400 g Refried beans; 1 Romaine or iceberg lettuce; 200 g Guacamole; 120 ml Soured cream; 1 sachet Taco seasoning; 150 g Grated cheddar cheese

45 min (20 prep + 25 cook) Medium 4 servings Tex-Mex

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 25 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Tex-Mex salad with seasoned mince and guacamole in a fried tortilla bowl.

About this recipe

Tex-Mex salad served in a fried tortilla bowl with seasoned beef mince, beans, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, soured cream and guacamole. A complete, colourful and satisfying dish that combines the best of tacos with the freshness of a salad.

History & Origin

The taco salad is one of the most creative and controversial inventions of Tex-Mex cookery, a dish that Mexican purists reject and Texans adore with almost religious devotion. Its origin is disputed between several Texas restaurants of the 1960s and 1970s, though the fried tortilla bowl version we know today was popularised in the 1980s both by fast food chains and independent Tex-Mex restaurants. The concept is ingeniously simple: a large flour tortilla fried in oil to form a crispy bowl that serves as both container and edible part of the dish. Inside go all the elements of a traditional taco but in salad format: seasoned beef mince with the characteristic Tex-Mex spice blend, refried beans, iceberg lettuce, fresh tomato, grated cheddar cheese, soured cream and guacamole. Unlike authentic Mexican food where green salads as a main course are uncommon, the taco salad reflects Anglo-Saxon influence on Tex-Mex cookery: the idea that any dish can be transformed into a hearty and nutritious salad.

Estimated cost

£12.00

Total cost

£3.00

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

680

Calories

35g

Protein

52g

Carbohydrates

38g

Fat

Fibre

890mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the tortilla bowl: stretch a large flour tortilla over an oven-safe bowl mould (or a large metal bowl). Bake at 200°C for 10-12 minutes until golden and crispy.
2
Season the beef mince with the taco seasoning, add a little water (4 tablespoons) and cook in a frying pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until the mince is well cooked and the sauce thickens.
3
Heat the refried beans in a small saucepan with a little water to give them a creamy consistency.
4
Build the salad inside the tortilla bowl: first a layer of hot refried beans, then the seasoned beef mince, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and grated cheddar cheese.
5
Top with fresh guacamole, soured cream, pickled jalapeños and a few spoonfuls of red salsa or pico de gallo. Serve immediately so the bowl stays crispy.