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Layered Taco Salad (Easy, Crowd-Pleasing Favorite)

A layered taco salad is a fresh, hearty dish made with seasoned beef, lettuce, beans, corn, cheese, and crunchy chips, all stacked in layers and topped with creamy dressings and salsa. Perfect for easy meals or gatherings.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 348
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Dressing:
  • 1 Cup Sour cream
  • 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 Cup Prepared Salsa
  • 1 tsp Taco seasoning mix
For the Salad:
  • 1 lb Ground beef
  • 2-3 Tbsp Taco seasoning mix
  • 6 Cups Iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • 1 Can Black beans, rinsed and drained well
  • 12 oz Prepared salsa
  • 1 Can Corn, drained
  • 1/2 Cup Red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 Tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2 Cups Gouda cheese, shredded
  • 1 Avocado (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 Glass trifle bowl
  • 1 Skillet

Method
 

  1. Cook the Beef: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 8-10 minutes. Drain excess fat, then stir in taco seasoning. Let cool slightly.
  2. Prepare the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, salsa, and taco seasoning. Set aside.
  3. Layer the Salad: In a large glass dish or trifle bowl, start layering the lettuce first, then drained and rinsed black beans, and seasoned meat. Do not toss.
  4. Pour salsa evenly over the seasoned meat. Do not spread the salsa all the way to the very edge of the meat layer - if you do, liquid from the salsa will drip down and collect in the bottom. Keeping the salsa back from the edge minimizes this.
  5. On top of the salsa, layer the corn, cucumbers, and red onions. Spread the dressing mixture evenly over the onion layer.
  6. Top the dressing mixture with a layer of tomatoes and then a layer of cheese.
  7. Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
  8. Top it Off: At serving time, top with cubed avocado. Serve with chopped fresh cilantro and crushed taco chips for crunch.

Notes

When making your layers, a few tips to keep in mind:
  • Making sure all ingredients are very well drained and dry is key to being able to make this salad ahead of time. I use the salad spinner to make sure the salad is completely dry.
  • Make sure to rinse the beans and pat them dry with a paper towel. Remove the watery seeds from the tomates.
  • When you pour the salsa over the seasoned meat, don't spread it all the way to the very edge of the meat layer. If you do, liquid from the salsa will drip down and collect in the bottom.
  • Cut the avocado at serving time as it browns quickly.
  • When it's time for serving this tasty Layered Taco Salad, just layer the tortilla chips on top of the salad to add that classic taco crunch.