Taco Salad for a Large Crowd

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Cook: 10 min.

Makes

26 servings (1-1/3 cups each)

Updated: Oct. 04, 2023
I made this huge taco salad to bring to a party and people were scrambling to figure out who made it. Needless to say I only brought home an empty bowl and the guests went home with a full stomach! Everyone loves this taco salad recipe. —Lisa Homer, Avon, New York

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 envelopes taco seasoning, divided
  • 1 medium head iceberg lettuce
  • 1 package (10 ounces) nacho-flavored tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
  • 2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chiles
  • 1-1/2 cups Thousand Island salad dressing
  • 1-1/3 cups salsa
  • 1/3 cup sugar

Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef with 1 envelope plus 2 tablespoons taco seasoning until no longer pink; drain.
  2. In a very large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, chips, tomatoes, beans, olives, cheese, onion, chiles and beef mixture.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing, salsa, sugar and remaining taco seasoning; pour over salad and toss to coat.

Test Kitchen Tips
  • Using lean ground beef in the meat loaf instead of beef that’s 80% lean saves 45 calories per 4-ounce serving of beef. Lean ground beef is also 29% lower in saturated fat.
  • Sharp cheddar cheese has been aged longer than regular cheddar. As cheese ages, its flavor becomes more pronounced. Using aged cheese in a recipe can add complexity and rich flavor, even to humble favorites like mac ’n’ cheese.
  • Check out our best taco salad recipes ever!
  • Nutrition Facts

    1-1/3 cups: 262 calories, 15g fat (4g saturated fat), 24mg cholesterol, 696mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 3g fiber), 10g protein.