Fresh, fast , and filling. This salad is a quick meal for lazy weekdays. I used juicy shrimp and fajita marinated steak in mine but this could easily be adapted for any protein, or a no protein meal.

The bed of lettuce sits in a giant crunchy taco shell. Then that shell holds all the taco salad toppings you could dream of. Pops of tomatoes, creamy avocado, or a bite of cheese all fall right on top of crisp bites of romaine, tender fajita steak, and juicy shrimp. This salad wont leave you hungry.

Pro tip- Use refried beans to “glue” your shell to the plate.

Giant Taco Salad
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Giant Taco Salad

Course: DinnerDifficulty: Medium
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

This Giant Taco Salad is very easy to assemble.
I gave this a medium difficulty rating just for the steak prep. But if you chose to use another steak variation or omit the steak this recipe is easy and perfect for a quick midweek meal.

Ingredients

  • Large burrito tortillas

  • Cooking spray

  • Protein(s) of your choice – I used a skirt steak that I marinated for fajitas and grilled jumbo shrimp

  • Romaine Lettuce – I used a bag of Romaine Hearts that I chopped myself, but you can buy bags of romaine salad mix for even faster prep

  • Salad Toppings of your choice- I used cherry tomatoes, avocados, red onion, cilantro, and Monterrey Jack cheese

  • Refried Beans

  • Salad Dressing of your choice – A chipotle ranch paired well with the fajita meats I was using but sometimes I toss this salad with a chimichurri dressing.

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F
    – To create a shell shape drape a tortilla over an oven safe dish. You will want to use something that has a larger surface area so your taco shell is widely open. I used a mug and this allowed the handle the hang down in the oven rack and stabilize my base while my shell got crispy. Spray both sides of the tortilla with non stick spray, drape and bake for 12-15 minutes.
  • Prep the salad
    -While you allow your shells to bake and cool prepare the proteins you want in your salad. For me this was a fajita marinated skirt steak and grilled shrimp. Chop any vegetables and lettuce you will be using.
  • Assemble the salad
    – Once the shell is sturdy and in place begin to fill with salad and desired toppings.
  • Dress the salad
    -Using a salad dressing of your choice finish the salad off with a drizzle and serve.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Try adding pico de gallo , guacamole, or a crema to your salad.
  • You can also use this same method to make taco bowls rather than shells. Instead of draping the tortilla over a mug, shape the tortilla to the inside of a bowl.
  • For extra flavor chop cilantro and mix it in with your romaine lettuce.
  • Be cautious not to allow your tortilla to touch the oven rack while baking. This can cause your shell to burn.