Skillet Taco Salad Recipe

This skillet taco salad is a wonderful Taco Tuesday meal!

By now, most of you know that Mexican food is my all-time favorite. I just cannot get enough of it. While I wouldn’t call my recipes “authentic” in the finest sense of the word, I will say that using fresh ingredients will get you about as close to authentic as you can get without going to Mexico. And fresh ingredients are what this blog is all about!

A small, cast iron skillet sits on a wood surface, filled with this Clean Eating Skillet Taco Salad. You can see beautiful, bright green lettuce and fresh-cut, red cherry tomatoes with shredded cheese sprinkled over the top. A few corn chips sit to the side.

One of the things I love about this salad is that it’s basically a “one-pot” meal. Or maybe, “one-pan” would be a better term here. Either way, you won’t have a ton of dishes to wash, and I don’t know anybody who would argue with that!

Taco salad is wonderful stuff, and all the toppings are adjustable to your needs and wants. In fact, if you are making this for a few people who all want different things, divide the cooked meat between a few smaller, single-serving skillets or bowls and let everyone top their own. It’s the easiest way to ensure that everyone is happy with dinner! You can work a taco salad to fit nearly any eating style. Simply add and subtract ingredients as needed to suit your tastes and dietary needs. And if you try this, I’d love to hear what you did to make this recipe just right for you. Leave me a comment below!

P.S. – Check out the end of the recipe directions to see different ways you can accommodate different eating styles with this recipe. It’s easy, I promise! And no matter how you make it, it will be super tasty. You’ll see!

MORE HEALTHY MEXICAN RECIPES:

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Clean Eating Skillet Taco Salad Recipe

Skillet Taco Salad

A delicious, versatile dish for Taco Tuesdays!
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 214kcal
Author: Tiffany McCauley

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 tbsp. oil
  • 1 cup chopped, yellow onion
  • 1 ½ cups chopped, red bell pepper
  • 6 medium garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 2 tbsp. minced jalapeño pepper (optional)
  • OPTIONAL HOT TOPPINGS (add before putting in oven)
  • refried beans
  • shredded cheese (if you want it melted)
  • OPTIONAL FRESH/COLD TOPPINGS (add after cooking in the oven)
  • tomatoes (chopped)
  • lettuce (chopped)
  • spinach (chopped)
  • shredded cheese (if you prefer it not melted)
  • guacamole (see link above
  • greek yogurt
  • olives (sliced)
  • fresh cilantro (chopped)

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, brown the turkey meat in the oil.
  • Add the onion, peppers, garlic and spices and cook until the meat is cooked through.
  • Top with optional ingredients, leaving the cheese to be the very top layer and place the entire skillet in the oven at 350 F for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.
  • Top with fresh optional ingredients, and serve.
  • Diary free? I didn’t use cheese on mine and it still turned out great. So if you’re dairy free, just skip the cheese and use the fresh toppings.
  • Paleo? Skip the beans and cheese.
  • Low Carb? Skip the beans and yogurt.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible. Data is for the meat mixture only and does not include any toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25the recipe | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2270IU | Vitamin C: 83.8mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3.9mg

This recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted 6/10/14.

Author: Tiffany McCauley

Title: Journalist

Expertise: Food, cooking, travel

Bio:

Tiffany McCauley is a nationally syndicated journalist and an award-winning cookbook author. She is also a food blogger. She has been featured on MSN, Huffington Post, Country Living Magazine, HealthLine, Redbook, and many more. She has helped thousands of people learn to cook simple, clean, and healthy foods in their own home kitchens. She lives in Maine and loves Elvis, sunflowers, and a good seafood chowder, as well as travel writing.

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18 Comments

  1. How to Philosophize with Cake says:

    That looks awesome! Love how healthy it is, I am a big fan of taco salad but sometimes it isn’t too good for you. 😀

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      How to – Exactly. It’s one of those foods that can go either way!

  2. I’ll be trying this one for sure! I love Mexican food too…..your clean eating chicken fajitas is my favourite fajita recipe, so I have complete faith in your Mexican recipes!!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Jane – Haha!! Why thank you!!! 😀

  3. what kind of cheese did you or could you use? I don’t see cheese listed in the ingredients list. thank you!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Sallie – Sorry, just added it. You can pick any type you like. I think I mixed cheddar and jack together for this one.

  4. I will definitely be making this soon. Thank you for posting this.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Alicia – My pleasure! I hope you enjoy it!

  5. Kate @Framed Cooks says:

    I love how versatile this is – it will work perfectly for the various picky eaters in my house as they can add the toppings to their particular servings and customize to their heart’s delight!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Kate – Exactly!

  6. I made this the other night and it was very, very good! Yum! I will have to add more ingredients next time for our bigger family!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Kelly – So glad you enjoyed it!

  7. I love Mexican food it is my all time favorite also. So I love a new way to have taco salad.
    I have been eating Clean Eating for a year now and I am 3 pounds away from my goal weight. That will be a total of 65 pounds. So thank you for your help with all your wonderful recipes.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Janis – Wow! That’s amazing!! Congratulations!!! 😀

  8. I make your other taco salad often. Kids eat it as tacos. This looks good going to try it.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Angela – Awesome! I hope you enjoy this one just as much! 😀

  9. Nanc from MN says:

    I like (almost) anything that is made in a skillet. I will be adding this to my list of recipes to try.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Nanc – I hope you enjoy it!