OH MY WORD! You must make this! I mean it!! For real!! Take My Word For IT!!!!!
I’ll tell you how this came about… when I was about 14 I had a friend who’s mom would make this Taco Salad whenever I came over. This taco salad was good enough for me to remember at 35 years old. The thing about it was that it had fritos in it and it had an Italian dressing. Crazy sounding but it totally worked and worked WELL!. WELL… I’ve been craving that taco salad from 21 years but seeing as I’m a Trim Healthy Mama how was I going to pull off the Fritos and the sugary Italian dressing… I pulled it off and PLEASE GO TRY THIS!!!!!
It’s REALLY easy!!! I used lean ground turkey meat, black beans, pinto beans and corn. You can add more beans to make it less of a meat meal or you could even go completely meatless and this would work! If you don’t want the corn leave it out! This is adaptable! I literally threw this together since the meat was already cooked and the salad was already chopped.. WOW delicious and EASY.. WINNER!
This is a HOMEMADE Italian dressing…. I made it with very simple ingredients! I am LOVING simple lately!
Add in crunchy baked blue corn tortilla chips… Simply mix everything together…. BAM! BEAUTFUL AND TOTALLY TASTY!!!
For Realz good! No cheese, low fat, perfect E meal for my Trim Healthy Mama buddies! Trim Healthy Mama has been my health lifestyle for the last 2 years now! I LOVE it!! If you want to get your trim on and get healthy doing it you need to check out the book Trim Healthy Mama! If you are interested in ordering the Trim Healthy Mama book or any of the amazing products that I use daily you can order —> HERE <— through my affiliate link (what money I make through my link helps support my blog so thank you in advance) Make this for church and you will have a following!
ENJOY This Perfect Summer Meal!!!
Print
Taco Salad Crunch
Description
Taco Salad Crunch is NOT boring…. it’s the full deal, flavor, crunch, beautiful! Low fat and gluten free too!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs very lean ground white turkey meat cooked
- taco seasoning
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 can of drained black beans
- 1 can of drained pinto beans
- 1 can of drained corn
- 1/2 a head of lettuce
- 1/3 cup of diced red onion
- 24 baked blue corn tortilla chips crunched slightly (if you do not have any of the baked blue tortillas you can toast up low carb or sprouted tortillas or Joseph Lavash Breads or Pitas or even add a few crunched Wasa crackers for that crunch)
- Italian Dressing
- 1 tbsp. olive oil (extra virgin)
- 3 tbsp. white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp of lemon pepper (or just plain pepper)
- 1/4 tsp of THM Sweet Blend or 1/2 tsp truvia or Pyure Stevia (if using xylitol add 1 tsp or if using liquid stevia add 1/2 a dropper full which is what I used)
Instructions
- Cook the turkey meat and add taco seasoning.
- All meat to sit and cool slightly.
- Drain the cans of beans and corn.
- Put ground turkey and beans and corn in a big bowl.
- Cut up lettuce, tomatoes, & red onion.
- Mix up the dressing.
- Add the salad to the meat, beans, corn.
- Mix.
- Pour Dressing over and mix.
- Add in the crunched chips and serve!
- *** You could double the dressing and be ok too!
- This should serve 6.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
This is a keeper! Everyone liked it, and surprisingly, no one complained of a lack of cheese, sour cream or guac, which my family considers necessities for taco salad.
YAY, I’m so happy to hear this!! 🙂
Which baked blue chips do you use and where do you buy them?
I buy my chip at either Trader Joe’s or HEB (Central Market Brand). 🙂
I found “Central Market Organics Blue Corn Tortilla Chips With Sea Salt” they don’t state if they are baked…are these the ones you use?
Yep! That’s what I use!!
Trader Joe’s no longer carry the baked blue corn chips:( I would love to find some locally though.
I need to update this list… boo hoo.
What blue tortilla chips did you use? 🙂
I use Trader Joe’s Baked Blue Corn or Central Market Blue Corn!
Do you serve anything else with this salad or is it your complete meal?
Thank you!
I just served this but you can do another E side of veggies… a cucumber salad or brown rice even. 🙂
This was delicious! I will definitely make it again. Thank you!
Yay!! So happy to hear this!!
I’m excited to try this! Do you think that this would be ok as leftovers the next day if you added the chips to each serving instead of the entire salad?
And also saved the dressing to use for each serving? Maybe it wouldn’t get soggy?
You can do that as well but I eat it the next day completely together and it was still yummy! 🙂
Yes, I had the leftovers the next day and it was great. The chips don’t stay crunchy but you can add a few fresh if you want too. 🙂
Made this last night. It was yummy and surprisingly filling! Thanks!
So glad!! 🙂
Yummy! My family loved it too! Thank you!
Awesomeness! 🙂
I am making this right now, but how much Italian dressing should I use?? So excited it looks awesome. If I make it now will the chips be soggy for serving in a few hours or should I wait to add them right before?
I use all the dressing. The chips do get a bit less crunchy but retain some of it. It really just works with the dish. 🙂
I have saved 1/2 of the meat/corn/bean mixture to use later on. Wonder if I could freeze?
I believe it would freeze well! 🙂
So it would be an E if the amount you ate was a serving? Any more and it would not be on plan?
You can have about 4 cups, I would say… maybe more! 🙂
I want to make this!!!
Are you eating this hot, warm or cold?
Thanks
I eat it warm or cold. Really just depends on how you want it! 🙂
This was amazing! Even 2 of my picky kids loved it and cleaned their bowls’
YAY!!! We had it again last night!
Really enjoyed this – thank you! What changes did you say you could make to make it an S meal? I get confused with beans etc – because they are an E but can have some carbs in S?
To make it an S, I leave out the chips, beans, and corn. I add in lots of lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa and avocado or guacamole. Then toast up a few low carb tortillas and crunch up in it. Perfectly Yummy S!
Do you have a recipe for the taco seasoning? …and how much?
I do… I will add the link. It’s under my “sauces, spices, dresssings” category. But I’ll try to remember to link to it. I never buy taco seasoning, I always make my own!
I made this again for the third time…but this time with a slight tweak. Instead of pintos, I used a can of fat free refried beans and added two wedges of cheddar Laughing cow. I mixed that with my ground turkey, to which I also added a little fat free broth and some hot sauce. Then added the corn and black beans. It’s gooey and gloppy and very tasty 🙂
Haha Awesome!!!
This was awesome! Thank you!
I just made this for my kids and myself this week, it was amazing, a huge hit with all of us! I am new to THM, about 1 1/2 months in. I am loving all of the resources to make following this new lifestyle so easy!
I love this recipe!!! I’m planning on making it this week but have 94% lean turkey. Is that lean enough? Thanks!
That’s what I use… if you want to rinse it you can… I always forget!
Using olive oil in the dressing still makes this an E meal?
Yes, because it serves about 4 to 6 eaters. That spaces the olive oil out enough! Use lean turkey meat as well! 🙂
Incredibly yummy!!! Thank you for such a yummy recipe!
Awesomeness! It’s our family favorite for sure!
How many calories would you say a serving has? This is scrumptious!
I honestly don’t know… that’s the awesome thing about THM… no calorie counting! 🙂
Sarah, your recipes never disappoint. We made this tonight. I was out of white vinegar, so we used 1 tablespoon ACV, 2 tablespoons lime juice. It was still amazing! Yummy stuff!
Awesome!!! 🙂
This is AMAZING!!! Just had leftovers for breakfast!! Yum!! 🙂
AWESOME!!!
Made this tonight! It was so good! Thank you!! I can’t wait to eat the rest for lunch tomorrow!
Yay! We really have this almost weekly!
Wow! Who knew I would like ground turkey? This was so good! I used 3 Tbsp. of your homemade Taco seasoning. Now I’m going to go share this with the THM group! So yummy!
Haha that’s awesome! Yes, that’s about what I use!
Would 2c be ok for a serving?
Yes for sure, maybe three cups!
<3 LOVE this…
But I have a technical question about your recipes… when I hit print, the fuel never prints… so I have to hand write E in this case, to remind myself when I make it.
Can this be changed???
Gosh, I need to work on that. I will try to go back to every recipe and add the fuel in the print area. Sorry about that.
Not a fan of turkey, is chicken breast lean enough to stay in E?
Can Spinach be substituted for the lettuce?
Yes, but it won’t have the crunch… and it might wilt when the meat is added. 🙂
Thanks! One more thing, could I add the corn, meat, black bean mix to eggs for a Southwestern Breakfast? If so, how much could I add.
You could add it but it would make it a crossover unless you used all egg whites! 🙂
Can we have more chips, since this is an E meal? I put the chips separate cause I want my fair share of crunch. I usually have about 8 chips with a meal. Is that too many carbs for a serving of this?
No, I think you would still be good! 🙂
Yes, boneless skinless chicken breast is fine for E – leaner than any ground turkey I’ve ever found. Canned chicken breast is a good texture for salads and so quick, that’s what I use.
Good idea!!
I made this to bring to a cook-out today and everyone loved it! I even had several people ask me for the recipe.
AWESOME!!!
Please don’t laugh too hard, Mrs Criddle! I made my first batch of Taco Crunch Salad and have fallen in love with this excellent THM salad! I did not mix in the shredded lettuce initially but place the taco mix over the lettuce each time I have it. Had my hair cut today and raved so much about this that my ‘dairy free’ hairdresser asked for a copy.
I’m ashamed to admit that after 2+ years on THM, I just now tried this tonight. Es are not my favorite, but this one is definitely on my Favorite E Meals list!
Since I was making half a recipe (just me eating it), and I didn’t have pinto beans, I just used one can of black beans. I didn’t miss all those fatty taco toppings that I dearly love (and enjoy on S taco night 😉 )
I just might have this for breakfast tomorrow. Thanks for such a yummy recipe!
YAY!!! I am so happy you liked it!! It’s my favorite E for sure!!
Do you have a recipe for your homemade Italian dressing?
It’s in this recipe but I need to make it’s one post for it!!
How do you feel about cabbage? My friends Mimi has a similar recipe except her secret is cabbage instead of lettuce. Cabbage doesn’t wilt and become mush especially if you are making in big batches, making in advance or keeping overnight. Gives a great crunch!
How would cabbage impact this recipe ?
Cabbage would be an awesome add!!!
IF I use lean ground beef would it make it a S meal? Or is that only if you add cheese and sour cream?
I think it would need to be the least amount of fat as possible and then run it thought hot water to get all the fat out for sure…
Oh, this looks so delicious! It makes my mouth water and it is only 7:30 AM. Will put this on next weeks menu for sure!
Let me know how you like it!
How much taco seasoning do you use?
To give it a bit of pizazz I squeezed some lime juice on top. A great E meal!
I wonder if it would be good with some brown rice thrown in? 🙂
That would work too!!
Amazing and so simple to throw together! Can’t believe I waited so long to make it!
Did you eat this cold or warm? I made it and loved the taste but my family kinda grumbled about it being room temp so they were heating their bowls in the microwave! Wasn’t sure if it’s supposed to be eaten cold, like a salad or warm like a taco dinner type meal.
We eat it both ways… when I first make it it’s warm. Then we put it in the fridge and eat it cold the next day!! But if you don’t want the salad to wilt keep it separate from the meat.
This sounds amazing! Totally going on my menu for the week!! E meals are my jam, but I struggle to keep Mexican dishes to just an “E” without sour cream and cheese! Such a great option! Thank you!
Could you please post a link to the salad dressing recipe that you used…. I miss this salad immensely as well and would eat it with Catalina salad dressing… Tia!
The directions and ingredients to the dressing is in the recipe. 🙂
I eat mine warm the day I make it (in regards to the turkey) and cold after that. I use a mixture (just a tbsp each) of oil and vinegar for a shortcut. Then I squeeze a little lime on top.
A family favorite!
My whole family loves this recipe. 3 kids!
I’m making this in the next few days but I’m not sure how much liquid stevia I should use. The one I bought didn’t have a dropper. Do you know about how many teaspoons it might be? Thanks!
I’d would do like 1/8 of a tsp or even half of that at first. Then add a tiny more as needed.
I rarely leave reviews on recipes. I made this tonight thinking I’d need to bribe my picky eaters with fruit if they ate their food (I have some pretty picky eaters. Like no sauce, and Leary of mixed foods). Everyone ate their plate and wanted more! I left the chips separate so everyone could add what they wanted or eat them separately. And I mixed in some ground beef for more of an XO for my little growing kids. And I added cilantro, because taco anything needs cilantro (ok I’ll eat it plain, I love cilantro). So yummy! My 6 yo even said she wants to change her birthday dinner from noodles to this! Thank you for a crowd pleaser! That’s hard to come by for my family.