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An overhead shot of ground chicken taco salad on a blue and white patterned plate atop a white marbled surface. The plate is surrounded by a yellow cloth napkin and dishes of sour cream, tortilla chips, chipotle ranch dressing and avocado slices.

30-Minute Ground Chicken Taco Salad with Black Beans

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: Main Dishes, Tacos, Burritos & Enchiladas Recipes, Entree Salads and Bowls
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex and Mexican-Inspired
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This Ground Chicken Taco Salad is taco night turned on its head: fast, fresh, and veggie-loaded!

The boldly spiced ground chicken and black bean taco meat cooks up in one skillet in just 15 minutes – no grilling or shredding required! Pile it on a bed of crunchy romaine lettuce with your favorite toppings and a homemade dressing: creamy Greek yogurt chipotle ranch or zippy cilantro lime vinaigrette, your choice.

Just don’t forget to serve with tortilla chips for the full taco-night experience!

Ingredients

Scale

for the ground chicken taco meat:

  • 1 pound 93% lean ground chicken (see Recipe Notes)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ yellow onion, finely diced
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¼ cup homemade taco seasoning or one packet store-bought taco seasoning
  • ½ cup water
  • one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

for the chicken taco salad:

  • dressing of choice: try my Zippy Lime Vinaigrette or Greek Yogurt Chipotle Ranch Dressing
  • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce or greens of choice
  • 2 ears sweet corn, husked and kernels sliced off of cob
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • handful cilantro leaves (1 cup lightly packed)
  • other toppings of choice (see below)

Instructions

  1. Start the taco meat: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, until deepened in color. An overhead shot of diced onion softened in a cast iron skillet atop a white marbled surface. Small dishes of tomato paste and salt sit alongside the skillet.
  2. Brown the ground chicken: Push the onion mixture to one side of the skillet. Add the ground chicken, pressing it into a flat layer. Cook for 2 minutes, until lightly browned, then flip and cook 1-2 minutes longer. Once nearly cooked through, use a wooden spoon or meat chopper to break it into crumbles and mix with the onions. An overhead shot of raw ground chicken and softened onions in a cast iron skillet atop a white marbled surface.
  3. Simmer the chicken taco meat: Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken and stir to evenly coat. Pour in the water and simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the black beans and remove from heat.
  4. Toss the salad: Prepare the dressing according to Recipe Directions and set aside. Place the greens in a large bowl and top with sweet corn, green onions, and cilantro. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Drizzle with dressing, reserving some for serving, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.An overhead shot of a spoon drizzling chipotle ranch dressing over a bowl of lettuce, chopped green onions and sweet corn. The bowl sits on a white surface alongside dishes of cilantro, corn, and chipotle ranch.
  5. Chicken taco salad assembly: Divide the salad into shallow bowls and top with chicken taco meat. Finish with your favorite toppings: pico de gallo or salsa, diced avocado or guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, additional chopped cilantro, etc. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Enjoy!An overhead shot of ground chicken taco salad on a blue and white patterned plate atop a white marbled surface. The plate is surrounded by a yellow cloth napkin and dishes of sour cream, tortilla chips, chipotle ranch dressing and avocado slices.

Equipment

Notes

Jess’ Tips and Tricks:

  • Ground chicken: For the juiciest taco meat, use ground chicken that is 90-93% lean. If only extra-lean ground chicken is available, swap in ground turkey for better texture.
  • 10-15 Minute Meal Prep: Most of the prep time in this recipe comes from chopping veggies and preparing the dressing. Get ahead with these simple make-ahead steps:
    • Prep the veggies: Dice ½ yellow onion, chop 1 head romaine lettuce, slice 4 green onions, and remove kernels from 2 ears of corn. Store in separate airtight containers for up to 5 days (10 minutes active time).
    • Mix your dressing of choice according to Recipe Directions. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use (5 minutes active time).

Storage and Reheating:

  • Store taco meat, undressed salad veggies, and toppings separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat taco meat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, then assemble your salad as desired.

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/ground-chicken-taco-salad/