Beef Taco Salad Tortilla Bowl (Printable version)

Tex-Mex style beef and vegetable salad served in a crunchy tortilla bowl with creamy toppings.

# Ingredient list:

→ Tortilla Bowls

01 - 4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
02 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

→ Beef

03 - 1 pound lean ground beef
04 - 1 small onion, finely diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
07 - 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
08 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Salad

09 - 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
12 - 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
13 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
14 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
15 - 1/4 cup sliced black olives
16 - 1 avocado, diced

→ Toppings

17 - 1/2 cup sour cream
18 - 1/2 cup salsa
19 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
20 - Lime wedges, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush both sides of each tortilla with vegetable oil. Drape tortillas over oven-safe bowls or inverted muffin tins to shape bowls. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Allow to cool before removing from molds.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and diced onion. Cook, breaking meat apart, until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
03 - Stir in taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, toss chopped romaine, halved cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, diced red bell pepper, and half the shredded cheddar cheese until well mixed.
05 - Place each tortilla bowl on a plate. Fill with the salad mixture, then top evenly with warm seasoned beef, remaining cheddar cheese, sliced black olives, diced avocado, sour cream, salsa, and chopped cilantro.
06 - Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything tastes better when you can eat the bowl, and these tortilla shells stay crispy longer than you'd think.
  • It's endlessly adaptable—swap the beef, skip the cheese, pile on extra avocado, and it still works.
  • The contrast of warm seasoned meat against cold crisp lettuce makes every bite interesting.
  • Cleanup is minimal because most of the work happens in one skillet and one oven.
02 -
  • If your tortillas crack while baking, they were too dry or not oiled enough—next time, warm them slightly in the microwave first to make them pliable.
  • Don't skip the water when adding taco seasoning or the spices will clump and stick to the pan instead of coating the meat.
  • Let the tortilla bowls cool completely before removing them from the molds or they'll lose their shape and droop.
03 -
  • Use a pastry brush to oil the tortillas evenly—missed spots will stay pale and chewy instead of crisping up.
  • If you don't have oven-safe bowls, crumple foil into ball shapes and drape the tortillas over those instead.
  • Warm your plates slightly before assembling so the tortilla bowls don't crack from the temperature contrast when you add hot beef.

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