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Taco Salad Bowl

Name: Taco Salad Bowl
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 100 g Avocado (for guacamole); 200 g Black beans, cooked; 2 Large flour tortillas (30 cm); 80 g Cheddar cheese, grated; 250 g Ground beef

4.0(1 rating)

30 min (15 prep + 15 cook) Easy 2 servings Texas, USA

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 29, 2026 · Updated: Jun 22, 2026

🌯Tex-Mex

Tex-Mex salad served in a crispy fried tortilla bowl with seasoned ground beef, beans, and guacamole.

About this recipe

The Taco Salad Bowl is a complete salad served inside an edible bowl made from a deep-fried flour tortilla. The shell is moulded around a heat-proof bowl as it fries, turning golden and crisp. It is filled with lettuce, seasoned ground beef, beans, tomato, cheddar cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. A Tex-Mex creation that combines freshness with substance in a single dish, the edible bowl adds a fun, interactive element - diners can nibble the shell as they work their way through the salad.

History & Origin

The Taco Salad Bowl emerged in the United States in the 1960s as an inventive way to present a Tex-Mex salad with a flourish. Taco Bell popularised it on a massive scale in the 1980s with its famous Taco Bell Taco Salad, served in a fried tortilla shell called a tostada shell. Although it is clearly a Tex-Mex rather than an authentic Mexican creation, it has become a culinary icon recognized across the English-speaking world.

Estimated cost

$10.50

Total cost

$5.25

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

580

Calories

30g

Protein

48g

Carbohydrates

32g

Fat

Fiber

840mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
For the bowl: heat a generous amount of oil in a small deep pot (at least 8 cm deep) to 180°C. Drape a large flour tortilla over a heat-proof bowl. Fry while holding the shape for 3–4 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
💡 A large metal ladle works well for moulding the bowl shape while it fries.
2
Season the ground beef with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat for 8 minutes until well browned.
3
Warm the black beans with a pinch of salt. Shred the romaine lettuce into strips, halve the cherry tomatoes, and slice the red onion into thin strips.
4
Assemble the bowl: place the lettuce in the base of the tortilla shell. Add the ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and onion. Top with grated cheddar, a spoonful of guacamole, and sour cream.
💡 Serve immediately to keep the shell crispy.

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Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.