Beef Recipes – FoodWatcher

Taco Salad

This taco salad recipe is super customizable without compromising on its hearty and satisfying flavors. It’s the ultimate meal prep salad!

The post Taco Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Listen, I love Taco Tuesday as much as the next gal, but Taco Salads are really where it’s at. I have always said that salad is the ultimate “fast food”, and I’m sticking to it. Think about it, they’re quick, easy, and almost always require very little cooking. When you want a little extra somethin’ special, this taco salad with lean ground beef is it. You can make taco salad at home for a fraction of the price and have enough salad to meal prep all week long.

overhead view of taco salad with creamy white dressing and corn chips in a white bowl.

What Is Taco Salad?

Taco salad is everything you love about crispy beef tacos but in salad form! I’ve made sure it’s jam-packed with lettuce and extra veggies to keep you full all day long.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this taco salad:

Sour Cream: Forms the creamy and tangy base of the dressing.
Lime: The juice and zest of two limes adds acidity and bright citrus flavor to the dressing.
Garlic: Adds a balancing earthiness to the dressing.
Seasonings: Salt, chili powder, and sugar balance out the flavor of the dressing.
Olive Oil: Helps to emulsify the dressing.
Ground Beef: The classic choice for a taco salad. You could easily swap for ground chicken or turkey if you prefer. I used a lean ground beef, so I didn’t have to strain off any fat from cooking, saving me a little time. Vegetarian? No problem! This salad is crazy flavorful with or without the meat.
Taco Seasoning: Adds that classic Mexican flavor.
Vegetables: Red onion, tomato, corn, avocado, and jalapeño add freshness, crunch, and a touch of spice.
Black Beans: Add creaminess and extra protein.
Corn Chips: Add saltiness and crunch.
Cheddar Cheese: Adds creamy, cheesy flavor.
Iceberg Lettuce: The perfect neutral crunchy base lettuce to let the veggies shine.

What Else Can I Add?

I love that this is a great recipe to clean out those leftovers from the fridge. Here are some ideas:

Veggies: Roasted Summer Vegetables, Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Roasted Red Peppers.
Pickled Vegetables: Pickled Jalapeños or Pickled Red Onions.
Salsa: Chipotle Peach Salsa, Cowboy Caviar, or Pico de Gallo.

This salad is a crowd-pleaser! If I’m entertaining and have guests or family members who don’t eat certain ingredients, I keep everything separate so everyone can build their own perfect taco salad! I like mine without the ground beef and always use extra beans… yum! I love that everyone can enjoy this salad together with a wide range of toppings and feel full and content.

Taco Salad

This taco salad recipe is super customizable without compromising on its hearty and satisfying flavors. It's the ultimate meal prep salad!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Total Cost ($17.89 recipe / $2.98 serving)

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 5

Total Time 30

Servings salads (about 2 cups each)

Calories 804kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

Dressing

4 oz. sour cream $0.49
2 limes, juiced and zested $1.00
1 clove minced garlic $0.05
1/4 tsp salt $0.01
1/4 tsp chili powder $0.03
1/2 tsp sugar $0.01
4 Tbsp olive oil $0.80

Ground Beef Mixture

1 lb lean ground beef $4.99
1 1-oz. packet taco seasoning $0.59

Additional Toppings

1/2 red onion, julienned $0.37
2 roma tomatoes $0.60
1 cup corn kernels $1.66
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed $0.89
1 avocado, diced $0.99
1 cup tortilla chips, crushed $1.44
1 cup shredded cheddar (about 1/2 of an 8-oz. block) $1.25
1 jalapeno, sliced into thin rings $0.30
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces $1.79

Instructions

Gather and prep all topping ingredients: julienne red onion, chop tomato, defrost frozen corn, drain and rinse black beans, dice avocado, crush tortilla chips, shred cheddar cheese, and slice jalapeno. Set aside or mix together in a large serving bowl.
Chop iceberg lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
Combine sour cream, juice and zest from limes, minced garlic, salt, chili powder, sugar, and oil in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add lean ground beef and taco seasoning packet to skillet. Break apart the ground beef with a spatula and mix in the taco seasoning. Cook until all of the ground beef has turned brown.*
Top chopped lettuce with prepped veggies and cooked ground beef. Toss all ingredients together.
Drizzle a generous helping of dressing over the top with crumbled tortilla chips! Serve and enjoy.**

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I used a lean ground beef, so I added my seasoning and beef at the same time. I didn’t have any fat to strain off at the end, which saved me a little prep time.

**If you are meal prepping, keep the wet ingredients (like the beef and salad dressing) separate so your veggies and lettuce do not wilt and the tortilla chips do not get soggy. Just dress and toss when you’re ready for lunch.

Nutrition

overhead view of a serving of taco salad on a white plate.

how to make Taco Salad – step by step photos

overhead view of chopped veggies on a cutting board.

Gather all topping ingredients. Julienne 1/2 red onion, chop 2 roma tomatoes, defrost 1 cup frozen corn, drain and rinse 1 can black beans, dice 1 avocado, crush 3 cups of tortilla chips, shred 1 cup cheddar cheese, slice 1 jalapeno. Set aside or mix together in a large serving bowl.

Chop 1 head of iceberg lettuce into bite-sized pieces.

Combine 4 oz sour cream, juice and zest from 2 limes, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, and 4 Tbsp oil in a small mixing bowl.

Whisk to combine.

raw ground beef and spices in a frying pan.

Add 1 pound lean ground beef and 1 packet of taco seasoning to skillet. Break apart the ground beef with a spatula and mix in the taco seasoning.

cooked seasoned ground beef in a frying pan.

Cook until all of the ground beef has turned brown. I used a lean ground beef, so I added my seasoning and beef at the same time. I didn’t have any fat to strain off at the end, which saved me a little prep time.

overhead view of taco salad with ingredients separated in a white bowl.

Top chopped lettuce with prepped veggies and cooked ground beef.

Toss all ingredients together.

drizzling dressing over taco salad in a white bowl.

Drizzle a generous helping of dressing over the top with crumbled tortilla chips! Serve and enjoy.

overhead view of taco salad with creamy white dressing in a white bowl.

This hearty taco salad is sure to satisfy!

More Southwest-Inspired Recipes

The post Taco Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.

45 Fresh and Healthy Mexican Recipes

Here’s a collection of our most popular Mexican recipes! Whether you are looking for Cinco de Mayo recipes, easy vegetarian meals, tasty Mexican appetizers, authentic Mexican classics, or fresh and tasty side dishes, you’ll find inspiration here.

Here's a collection of our most popular Mexican recipes! Whether you are looking for Cinco de Mayo recipes, easy vegetarian meals, tasty Mexican appetizers, authentic Mexican classics, or fresh and tasty side dishes, you'll find inspiration here.

Porcupine Meatballs

These easy and flavorful Porcupine Meatballs are made with ground beef and rice, then simmered in a savory tomato sauce.

The post Porcupine Meatballs appeared first on Budget Bytes.

I don’t know how I let Beth talk me into making these porcupine meatballs, but I’m glad she did!😄 They’re incredibly tender, super flavorful, very filling, and so delicious! They were a hit in my house and my husband and kids absolutely loved them! And don’t let the name scare you, these meatballs are simply made with ground beef, rice, seasoning and a savory homemade tomato sauce. Adding in inexpensive rice is also a great way to stretch a pound of beef into more servings. And did I mention this meatball recipe is also perfect for meal prep!

Overhead view of porcupine meatballs on a serving plate with white rice and a fork cutting a meatball in half.

What Are Porcupine Meatballs?

Porcupine meatballs are an American comfort food dish that was popular during the Great Depression. During that time supply was limited and these porcupine meatballs only required a few basic ingredients like ground beef, rice, and tomato soup. Their funny name comes from their unique appearance. As the meatballs cook the rice begins to poke out of the side, resembling the look of a porcupine! Does anyone else remember these tasty little meatballs growing up?

Here’s everything you need to make these easy porcupine meatballs:

Lean Ground Beef: I used 93% lean ground beef to reduce the amount of grease that collects inside the pot while the meatballs are cooking. But 85% lean should also work pretty well.
Long Grain White Rice: Rice is a key ingredient! Not only does it help bulk up the meatballs and makes them more filling, but it’s also how you get the classic porcupine look! You’ll want to use long-grain white rice for this recipe.
Onion and Garlic: Onion and garlic creates a wonderful flavor base for the meatballs.
Seasoning: The meatballs are seasoned with Italian seasoning for lots of herbal flavor along with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Egg: The egg is used as a binder to help keep the meatballs from falling apart.
Tomato Sauce: Another key part of this meatball recipe is the delicious tomato sauce. Instead of just using a can of plain tomato sauce, I added Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper to add more depth of flavor. I also added a can of crushed tomatoes to thicken the sauce, a little bit of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and water to help the rice cook. All together this sauce adds wonderful flavor to these porcupine meatballs!

Should You Cook The Rice First?

You may be wondering if you have to cook the rice first before adding it to the meatballs. The answer is no. Cooking the rice first just adds an extra step to the process, and I didn’t find it necessary. Using uncooked rice allows the rice to cook at the same time as the meatballs and soak up all the seasoning and flavors from the dish.

You can store any leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, simply microwave for about 2 minutes, or until heated through.

If you want to freeze the meatballs, I suggest freezing them uncooked, then make the tomato sauce fresh when you need a quick weeknight dinner meal. To freeze uncooked meatballs, place the raw meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze on the baking sheet until solid (1-2 hours) before transferring to a gallon-sized freezer bag to store for up to three months. When you’re ready to cook them, thaw the meatballs in the fridge overnight, then simmer them in the sauce as directed.

Serving Suggestions

You can easily serve these porcupine meatballs with a simple side salad or caesar salad. We served them over a bed of rice, but mashed potatoes or pasta would also be good.

Porcupine Meatballs

These easy and flavorful Porcupine Meatballs are made with ground beef and rice, then simmered in a savory tomato sauce.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Total Cost $11.34 recipe / $1.89 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings (4 meatballs each)

Calories 191kcal

Author Marsha – Budget Bytes