Taco Salad: Make the Takeout

3 Comments | Written on April 10, 2012 at 9:00 am, by The Editors

The idea of eating the “bowl” your taco salad comes in is half the fun of ordering one at your favorite Mexican joint. Those curvy crisp tortillas cradling spicy meat, along with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and a sprinkling of cheese are great one-dish meals, where, yes, the dish is edible.

But even though they might have salad as part of their name, the taco salad you eat at the cantina or pick up to go often has a deep-fried shell and is loaded with fat (in the form of huge blobs of sour cream and beans refried in lard. Plus, this Mexican dish can cost more than a few pesos!

This Reduced-Calorie Taco Salad has everything you love, but without all the fat. First, the tortilla is baked, not fried. You get that wavy shape by baking them in 10-ounce custard cups. And lean ground beef or turkey keep the calorie count down, too. Tomato sauce, cumin, and crushed red pepper amp up the flavor. You’ll save plenty by buying your own ingredients and whipping up this delicious salad at home. Enough to buy a few cervecas and some limes, for a true Mexican dinner fiesta.