READY IN 35 mins

Joy's Taco Salad

Read Reviews (38)

"This is one of those 'some of this and some of that' recipes. I call this garbage salad because when traveling to a picnic I carry it in a medium (untreated) trash bag, and fill a container when there! You can substitute fresh jalapenos for the canned green chiles, if you like. Serve with whole chips on the side." — Joy Valcarcel

Directions

Brown the beef, drain, season with chili powder and set aside to cool.
Prepare the dressing by whisking the Miracle Whip, ketchup and taco seasoning mix together in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, combine iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper, red or yellow pepper, green onions, jalapeno peppers, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, half of the cheese, half of the crushed chips, dressing and cooled ground beef. Mix well, cover and refrigerate.
Just before serving, top the salad with the other half of the cheese and crushed chips.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 35 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Feb 12, 2007

Easy and good...doesn't get any better then that. I did use salsa instead of ketchup, and half sour cream and salad dressing. To lower the fat and calorie content I used fat free salad dressing, sour cream and tortilla chips. My family could not tell the difference and the salad still rocked!! Thank you, Joy.

—LAURALEE46

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 19, 2006

I don't know what I was expecting, but we thought this was just ok. The dressing was a little bit peculiar, and the meat was pretty boring. Some cumin and lime juice would probably have helped. Oh well, thanks anyway!

—Caroline C

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52 Ratings

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Apr 08, 2004

I used a red french dressing for this...have no idea why, just thought it might be good...and it was. I really liked this. Although I do agree with another reviewer that it doesn't have great stage presence, of course that could be from my red dressing. It was very good and everyone who tried it wanted the recipe. Thanks for the post.

—Momof2

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Mar 02, 2004

Joy has reinvented the taco salad with this yummy dressing! This easy dinner becomes a next day follow up too! I chop it fine for a salad the first night...then the next day after everything has melded overnight it becomes a tasty lunch with Fritos to scoop it up with (dip like!) Thanks Joy! Always nice to have something new to rotate into my menu for dinner!!! A+ and then some!

—CHIEFCOOKJULIE

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Sep 09, 2003

Very tasty. I would like to try the dressing using sour cream instead of mayonnaise, but this versions was great!

—M.

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Aug 11, 2003

The recipie was good, but I would make less next time, alot went to waste because iceberg lettuce does not last that long...we also put the sauce on as needed on the individual plates as not to make the salad soggy!

—nikki

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Aug 03, 2003

I would use more meat next time I made this recipe. I would also use taco sauce in place of the ketchup. Otherwise very yummy.

—KRISMITHKRIS

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Sep 24, 2005

This is a wonderful salad. I made it for an office party, and it yields a lot more than Joy would make you think. Ironically, it is so large that I was not able to toss the salad in the largest bowl I own. I didn't read Joy's comment until just now, but what I did was toss the salad in a garbage bag. It worked like a charm. The reviews I got on the salad were wonderful, and I told everyone at work where to find it.

—Scott in FTL

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Nutrition

Calories
570 kcal
29%

Carbohydrates
53.7 g
17%

Cholesterol
66 mg
22%

Fat
30.7 g
47%

Fiber
7.8 g
31%

Protein
22.4 g
45%

Sodium
1401 mg
56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Joy's Taco Salad

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 570
Calories from Fat: 276

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 30.7g 47 %
Saturated Fat 10.1g 50 %
Cholesterol 66mg 22 %
Sodium 1401mg 56 %
** Potassium 676mg 19 %
Total Carbohydrates 53.7g 17 %
Dietary Fiber 7.8g 31 %
Protein 22.4g 45 %
** Sugars 13.4g
Vitamin A 65 %
Vitamin C 90 %
Calcium 41 %
Iron 37 %
** Thiamin 21 %
** Niacin 50 %
** Vitamin B6 30 %
** Magnesium 34 %
** Folate 60 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.