Beef Taco Salad Bowls
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Last Updated on April 25, 2020 by Lisa Johnson
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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