The Best Taco Salad Recipe

Today is May 5th. Here in Japan, it’s Children’s Day. But in America we always celebrated Cinco De Mayo today. This is also the day my grandmother passed away. So what better way to honor her memory than by making this amazing recipe?

I’ve mentioned my grandmother on this blog a lot. Mostly about how she wasn’t the best cook. This Taco Salad is one of the exceptions! Originally a Girl Scout recipe, my grandmother made this quite often.

Mini-Me is a 4th generation Girl Scout and just recently she had Girl Scout camp. What did they serve? Walking Tacos. Frito Pie is another name I’ve heard it given. That really got me craving this version!

The first time I made this for Mr. Chef Alyssa, he was hooked! It is so simple it doesn’t seem like it would be anything special. But let me tell you! It is AMAZING!

Ingredients

How do I always forget one thing in the ingredient picture? This week I forgot the cheese!

Ground Beef

The great thing about this recipe is that it just requires one pound of ground beef. Use any fat percentage you prefer. Ground turkey would also be acceptable if you prefer turkey.

Taco Seasoning

I prefer McCormick seasoning as that is what I grew up with. You can use any taco seasoning you like, including homemade.

Tomato

One medium tomato diced is all we need. If you hate tomatoes, skip it. Although, Mr. Chef Alyssa hates tomatoes and he wolfs this down so fast he doesn’t even notice the tomatoes.

Red Onion

Just 1/2 of a red onion is needed for this recipe. Dice is fairly fine, but not too fine.

Lettuce

Nothing fancy here, just a head of iceberg lettuce. Finely shred half a head of lettuce.

Kidney Beans

A 16oz can of kidney beans is all we need.

Sharp Cheddar

Any kind of cheese will work in this recipe, but sharp cheddar is strong enough to shine through the rest of the ingredients.

Sour Cream

Daisy sour cream is the best sour cream you can use. The ingredients are very, very simple. Cultured cream. That’s it.

Cholula

When I was growing up Tapatio is what my family used. Hot sauce is not really my thing, but Mr. Chef Alyssa loves hot sauce and his preference is Cholula. So that is what we have on hand. So that’s what I use. Tabasco would also be acceptable.

Fritos

Fritos are simple corn chips. An 11oz bag is enough for this recipe.

Instructions:

Ground Beef

Brown the ground beef first. In a medium-large cast iron pan or a heavy bottomed skillet, brown the ground beef until no pink remains. Sprinkle the taco seasoning into the meat and mix well.

Prep Veggies and Beans

Dice the tomato and the red onion. Shred the lettuce. Open the can of beans and dump into a fine mesh sieve. Rinse the beans well.

Shred Cheese

I definitely prefer freshly shredded cheese. But…I hate shredding cheese! Mr. Chef Alyssa shreds most of my cheese. He can’t really cook but he can grate some cheese!! You can also buy the cheese pre-shredded if you don’t have the time.

Mix Sauce

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and hot sauce until well blended.

Assemble

The order in which the ingredients are added will help ensure the meat is cool enough that the lettuce doesn’t wilt too much and the cheese doesn’t melt.

In a very large bowl, add the diced onion, tomato and kidney beans.

To this mixture, add the cooked and seasoned ground beef.

Gently fold the mixture. Add the sour cream mixture and mix thoroughly. Next, add the lettuce and mix gently. Next, add the shredded cheese and mix again. Finally, add the 11oz bag of Fritos and gently fold together.

Serve immediately! If making for a potluck or serving later, do not add the Fritos. You can alternately put a handful of Fritos in the bottom of a bowl and scoop the meat mixture on top.

Be prepared! I make this dish for my small family of three and there are NO LEFTOVERS! No, it’s not because there isn’t enough, it’s because it’s so good that we can’t stop eating it!!