Taco Salad With Tomatillo Salsa Dressing Recipes

BEST TACO SALAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Start with the taco meat.** Brown 1 pound ground beef in a skillet on the stove, over medium heat. Break up the meat into small pieces. Once it is no longer pink (3-5 minutes), remove from heat. Tilt the pan and scoop the grease into a foil-lined bowl (then refrigerate and toss when solidified). Return the pan back to the stove and set over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup Premium McCormick's taco seasoning. (Or a regular taco packet will do. See notes for a homemade recipe.) Add 3/4 cup water to the pan. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Turn off the heat when there is still thickened liquid at the bottom of the pan. If you cook until all the liquid has evaporated, you will have dry taco meat; no thanks. Set aside and keep warm, covered.
• Prep the lettuce and herbs. Chop the romaine into bite size pieces and dry in a salad spinner (or dry off with paper towels). Add 1/2 cup chopped green onions and 1 bunch of chopped cilantro. Spin to mix, or add to a large bowl and toss together.
• Prep your toppings. Grate 1 and 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Chop 1 and 1/2 cups tomatoes. Thinly slice 8 radishes. Dice half a red onion. Chop 2 avocados (or make a quick guacamole with them by adding a bit of lime and salt). Thaw out 1 cup of frozen corn (I usually stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds and then let it finish thawing on the counter). Slice 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers. Crush some Juanitas or Fritos, but leave some whole for garnishing.

AL PASTOR TACO SALAD WITH SPICY SALSA VERDE RANCH

Steps:

• For the tortilla bowls: Heat the oil in a large, heavy, deep pot to 350 degrees F.
• Gently press a tortilla into the center of 7-inch spider to form a bowl. Using a 5-inch spider, gently press down into the tortilla to hold its shape. Carefully submerge the spiders into the hot oil and fry the tortilla until puffed, crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and gently place upside down on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain of excess oil. Season with salt. Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas.
• To make the spicy salsa verde ranch: Mix together the ranch dressing and salsa verde in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded lettuce, cilantro and about 1/3 cup of the salad dressing, adding more if desired. Divide the salad among the 4 tortilla bowls. Top each with 1/2 cup Al Pastor, radishes, Pickled Red Onions and 2 tablespoons queso fresco. Drizzle some dressing on top. Serve immediately.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, onion, poblano, garlic and jalapeño. Cook, flipping the veggies as needed to evenly char and soften, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Carefully remove the stem from the poblano chile, so as to not let the juices spill out (we want that yummy pepper juice!) and add to the carafe of a high-speed blender. Squeeze the garlic from the skins into the blender. Add the remaining roasted veggies and any juices from the bottom of the pan. Add the cilantro, lime juice, green onion and salt. Blend on high speed until pureed and smooth.
• In a large bowl, add the achiote paste, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, cloves, black pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fully combine into a paste. Add the pork and rub the paste all over to completely coat. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a pressure cooker, mix together the crushed pineapple, chicken broth, garlic, bay leaves, chile, onion, oregano and sage. Add the achiote-rubbed pork. Pressure cook on low for 4 hours or high for 1 hour until the pork is fork-tender. Carefully release the steam away from your face. Remove the pork to a plate or baking sheet and shred using 2 forks.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and spoon some of the braising liquid over to moisten, as needed. Season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Set aside.
• Place the onions in a food storage container and set aside while you prepare the pickling liquid.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the vinegar, granulated sugar, salt, cumin seeds, bay leaf and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar and salt are dissolved, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the onions and allow to pickle for at least 30 minutes. At this point, you can either strain the onions to prevent from further pickling and use immediately, or put the lid on top and store in the refrigerator to further pickle until ready to use.

POTATO 'SALAD' AND TOMATILLO TACOS

Steps:

• Steam the potatoes above 1 inch of water for 10 minutes, or until tender. Remove the potatoes from the heat but don't discard the steaming water.
• Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the potatoes and oregano or thyme, and continue to cook, stirring, for a few more minutes, until the onions are beginning to color on the edges. Add the garlic and stir until it begins to smell fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the salsa and the cilantro and stir together.
• Heat the tortillas. Wrap them in a kitchen towel and place in the steamer. Bring the water back to a boil, cover and steam 1 minute. Turn off the heat and allow the tortillas to sit undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Top the tortillas with the potato mixture and top the potatoes with another spoonful of salsa and some crumbled cheese. Garnish with more cilantro, fold the tortillas over and serve.

TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Purée the ingredients in a blender or food processor with 1/2 cup ice water. The salsa is best the day it is made but will keep a couple of days in the refrigerator.

TORTILLA CHIP TACO SALAD

Steps:

• Combine salsa, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a small bowl.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Toss together the lettuce, tomatoes, turkey, cheese, olives, and avocado in a large bowl.
• Add salsa dressing and toss, being careful not to mash avocado cubes.
• Top with crushed tortilla chips.

EMILY'S DRESSING FOR TACO SALAD

Steps:

• Mix sour cream, ranch dressing, picante sauce, and chili powder in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

CAFE RIO TOMATILLO SALAD DRESSING (COPYCAT)

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
• Dressing last 2 weeks in frig.

TACO SALAD WITH LIME VINEGAR DRESSING

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Add water and taco seasoning mix; cook and stir until water is evaporated and beef is evenly coated in seasoning mix, about 5 minutes.
• Mix romaine lettuce, kidney beans, tomatoes, avocado, carrots, green bell pepper, celery, and Cheddar cheese in a large bowl; top with ground beef.
• Whisk lime juice, honey, vinegar, cilantro, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until dressing is well mixed; served alongside salad.