Beef Taco Salad Bowls
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Celebrate Taco Tuesday with these fun and delicious Beef Taco Salad Bowls! They are easy to make and everyone in the family can choose their own toppings. I made mine with grilled steak, but there are many other options to choose from. Don’t worry, there are also lots of dressing options as well to keep everyone happy!
I will not lie, there are a lot of different steps and components to this recipe. If you plan ahead assembly will be a breeze, even on busy weeknights.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe:
- Flour Tortillas – I used La Banderita CarbCounter tortillas
- Cheddar Cheese
- Beans – I used black
- Cilantro-Lime Rice – I used my Cauliflower version
- Sirloin Steak
- Spice Rub – I used Taco Seasoning
- Romaine Lettuce
- Pico de Gallo or Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa
- Guacamole
- Cojita Cheese
- Cilantro
- Lime Wedges
- Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
How to make Beef Taco Salad Bowls
To make the Tortilla Bowls –
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortillas on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese.
Bake for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is melted but still tortilla is still pliable.
Carefully lift the tortillas off the baking sheet and slide them into tortilla shell molds*.
Bump the oven temperature up to 400 degrees. Return baking sheet to the oven and bake until shells are crispy, about 3 to 5 more minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside.
To make the Grilled Steak –
Coat both sides of the steak with spice rub.
Cook steak on preheated grill until cooked to your desired doneness. This will take 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of steak.
Alternate cooking options – cook in a cast iron pan on the stove, or in the oven until cooked to your liking.
Remove from grill, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
To assemble the salad –
Place a tortilla shell on a serving plate.
Add 1/4 cup of beans (black/pinto/refried).
Top with 1/4 cup of rice.
Thinly slice the steak and place 1/2 of the slices on top of the rice.
Add the shredded lettuce, then the pico de gallo.
Top with guacamole and chopped cilantro.
Sprinkle with cojita and add a lime wedge.
Serve with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing (or dressing of your choice) on the side.
All of the flavors and textures combine perfectly!
Recipe Notes
- The cheddar cheese on the tortilla shells if optional. The tortilla shells are delicious plain as well.
- *If you do not have tortilla shell pans; place the cheesey tortillas into a small oven-safe bowls, or 6-inch cake pans and bake until crispy.
- To make plain shells without shell pans; rub an oven-safe bowl with one teaspoon of oil and place upside down on a baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven until crispy. You can also spray a tortilla with olive oil spray and place upright, inside an oven-safe bowl. Place on a baking sheet and and bake until crispy.
- To save time purchase pre-made salsa and guacamole.
- Cojita cheese is an aged cheese that is salty and smells a lot like Parmesan. Feel free to substitute Queso Fresco, Monterrey Jack or Pepper-Jack cheese if you prefer.
Additional Filling Options
- Mexican-Style Shredded Beef stove-top or the Instant Pot version
- Instant Pot Red Chile Pork
- Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
- Salsa Verde Chicken (Instant Pot)
- Southwest Chicken
Additional Dressing Options
More Delicious Mexican Recipes
- Taco Salad – with ground beef and no tortillas
- Fish Taco Bowls
- Mexican Burgers with Queso Blanco
- Creamy Seafood Enchiladas
- Grilled Steak Fajitas
- Shredded Beef Chimichangas
- Grilled Shrimp Tacos
- Chicken Enchiladas
Date Night at Home
- Start with chips and Salsa or Taco Popcorn
- Wash it down with Classic Margaritas or Frozen Watermelon Margaritas
- Finish with Instant Pot Kahlua Flan or Mexican Coffee Cocktail for dessert
Enjoy!!
Beef Taco Salad Bowls with Tortilla Shells
Equipment
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Tortilla Shell Molds or Oven-Safe Bowls
Ingredients
Flour Tortilla Shells
- 2 large flour tortillas 10 to 12-inch
- ¼ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese olive oil for plain shells
Grilled Steak
- 8 ounce sirloin steak or steak of your choice
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning or spice rub of your choice
To Assemble Salad
- ½ cup black beans or beans of your choice
- ½ cup cilantro-lime rice
- 1 heart romaine lettuce thinly sliced/shredded
- ½ cup pico de gallo or salsa of your choice
- ½ cup guacamole
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 wedges lime
- 2 Tablespoons cojita cheese finely grated/shredded
- dressing of your choice I used Cilantro-Lime
Instructions
To make the Tortilla Bowls
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortillas on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is melted but still tortilla is still pliable.
- Carefully lift the tortillas off the baking sheet and slide them into tortilla shell molds*.
- Bump the oven temperature up to 400 degrees. Return baking sheet to the oven and bake until shells are crispy, about 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Grilled Steak
- Coat both sides of the steak with spice rub.
- Cook steak on preheated grill until cooked to your desired doneness. This will take 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of steak. Alternate cooking options - cook in a cast iron pan on the stove, or in the oven until cooked to your liking.
- Remove from grill, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
To Assemble the Salad
- Place a tortilla shell on a serving plate.
- Add 1/4 cup of beans (black/pinto/refried). Top with 1/4 cup of rice.
- Thinly slice the steak and place 1/2 of the slices on top of the rice. Add the shredded lettuce, then the pico de gallo.
- Top with guacamole and chopped cilantro. Sprinkle with cojita cheese and add a lime wedge.
- Serve with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing (or dressing of your choice) on the side.
Notes
- The cheddar cheese on the tortilla shells if optional. The tortilla shells are delicious plain as well.
- *If you do not have tortilla shell pans; place the cheesey tortillas into a small oven-safe bowls, or 6-inch cake pans and bake until crispy.
- To make plain shells without shell pans; rub an oven-safe bowl with one teaspoon of oil and place upside down on a baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven until crispy. You can also spray a tortilla with olive oil spray and place upright, inside an oven-safe bowl. Place on a baking sheet and and bake until crispy.
- To save time purchase pre-made salsa and guacamole.
- Cojita cheese is an aged cheese that is salty and smells a lot like Parmesan. Feel free to substitute Queso Fresco, Monterrey Jack or Pepper-Jack cheese if you prefer.
Nutrition
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