This crave-worthy Taco Salad with Ground Beef and Greek Yogurt Chipotle Sauce is glucose-friendly, high in protein and fiber-rich greens and veggies. It's nutritious, meal-prep friendly, and perfect for a weeknight meal.
In fact, you'll find that all of our recipes are nutritionally balanced with plenty of protein and non-starchy veggies, along with a moderate amount of carbohydrates. This balance of macronutrients is key in helping you reduce insulin resistance and prevent or better manage prediabetes and diabetes.
Check out Jen's section on why this recipe is dietitian approved. And, be sure to grab your copy of our nutrition guide for insulin resistance here.
Ingredients for the Taco Salad with Ground Beef
- Ground Beef: Opt for 85-15 ground beef, meaning it's 85% lean and 15% fat, for fewer calories and saturated fat.
- Onion: Red or yellow onion will add flavor and lots of juiciness.
- Dried Spices: Ground cumin, sweet paprika, chipotle powder, and garlic powder make up the essential flavor mix for this richly flavored taco meat. Skip the chipotle if you don't like spice.
- Salt: Not all salt is equal. I'm a strong proponent of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, (affiliate link) and it's what I use in all my recipes. I like the flaky crystals, which dissolve more readily than regular table salt or other Kosher salts, making it easier to use. Be aware, though, that Diamond Crystal Kosher salt is about half as salty as most other salts, so adjust accordingly when substituting!
- Frozen Corn: Frozen corn is convenient and thaws quickly when tossed in with the beef while it's cooking.
- Cooked Quinoa: I always have cooked quinoa in the refrigerator or freezer to sub out for rice or pasta. We still need to limit quinoa, but it's more glucose-friendly than rice or wheat pasta. It's great for meal prep!
- Fresh Baby Spinach: If you want you can sub with another hearty, nutritious green such as kale, swiss chard, or arugula. This should be the bulk of your Taco Salad - you can never have too many greens!
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or avocado oil are good options here, and they will assist with crisping the exterior of the sweet potatoes.
- Avocado: Is it really a taco salad without avocado?
- Cherry Tomatoes: I love them because they're sweet and delicious and you can rely on them to be tasty year-round.
- Sweet Potatoes: We're going to roast these for maximum flavor and sweet caramelization.
Ingredients for the Greek Yogurt Chipotle Sauce
The right dressing or sauce makes everything more delicious. And when that sauce is made with high-protein Greek yogurt, it's also great for combatting insulin resistance. So, here we go:
- Greek Yogurt: Fage Yogurt is my absolute favorite brand. It's so creamy and smooth. But, use your favorite brand. I used the 5%, but low-fat is perfectly fine and has a little more protein.
- Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce: I always keep a can or jar of these in my pantry because I love the smokey flavor. They are spicy, though. If you're not into spice, see the Common Questions section for a great swap.
- Fresh Lime: Always, always, use fresh juice. Lemons and limes are always on my shopping list.
- Garlic: I always opt for fresh garlic in my sauces. It's more pungent and sharp than garlic powder. (I typically turn to garlic powder for certain cooked recipes where fresh garlic can easily burn and turn bitter.)
- Salt: It's not featured in the ingredient photo below, but you'll definitely need it to round out the flavors.
How to Make the Taco Salad with Ground Beef
I mentioned earlier that this salad is great for meal prep. All of the items can be made in advance and then assembled when you're ready to eat. Read our suggestions for meal prep below.
Equally great is the fact that each step can be done while other parts of the meal are cooking. You can break the process into three simple steps and have dinner (or lunch) ready in 30 minutes or less.
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
- While the quinoa is cooking, prep the potatoes and begin roasting them in a preheated oven.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, start cooking the beef with the corn, onions, and spices
- As the beef cooks, make the Greek yogurt chipotle sauce and set aside.
- While all this is happening in the background, prep the spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocados, and scallions.
- Assemble your taco salad with the quinoa, greens, sweet potatoes, beef, avocadoes, tomatoes, Greek Yogurt chipotle sauce, and enjoy!
Detailed measurements and cooking times are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Meal Prepping Taco Salad
- Cook a batch of quinoa and store it in the refrigerator until you need it. Reheat in the microwave or eat at room temp.
- Roast the potatoes and refrigerate them. You can reheat them in the microwave or eat them at room temp.
- Slice the tomatoes and green onions and store them in the refrigerator.
- Batch the multi-use Greek yogurt chipotle sauce and refrigerate it for this taco salad, and save extra portions for other salads and bowls. If left thick, you can use the sauce as a spread in a wrap or as a healthy veggie dip.
- Pre-cook the meat as directed above, and then reheat it in a skillet or in the microwave when you're ready to eat.
- Slice the avocado when you're ready to eat, since cut avocado tends to oxidize.
Common Questions About Taco Salad with Ground Beef Recipe
Yes, of course. This salad would work well with ground turkey or chicken. If you want a vegetarian option, you could use shredded or crumbled high protein tofu that has been drained.
You can make a cilantro lime sauce simply by replacing the chipotle peppers with a generous handful of cilantro. Add a sliced scallions for extra zing.
Yes, you can freeze the beef and thaw it in the refrigerator. Then, heat in the microwave or in a skillet.
The cooked beef can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Cooled completely, cooked quinoa can be refrigerated for about four days, or frozen for about 2-3 months.
Recipe
Taco Salad With Ground Beef and Greek Yogurt Chipotle Sauce
Equipment
- Personal Blender A personal blender, stand blender, or immersion blender will work.
- Cast Iron Skillet Or another heavy bottomed skillet.
- Parchment Paper if baking sheet is not non-stick
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 1 ½ cups sweet potato peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 T olive oil extra virgin
Ground Beef
- 1 lb ground beef 85% lean 15% fat
- ½ cup red onion diced; or yellow onion
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)
- 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup frozen corn
Greek Yogurt Chipotle Sauce
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 T Chipotle in Adobo
- 1 T lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt adjust down if using another salt; see notes
- 1 clove garlic
Taco Salad Base and Veggies
- 1 cup quinoa cooked
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes sliced
- 2 avocados diced
- 3 scallions sliced thinly; whites and greens included
Instructions
Cook the Quinoa
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions.*
Roast the Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Peel and cube the potatoes into approximately half inch cubes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet and arrange the sweet potatoes on it.
- Toss the potatoes with the olive oil to coat.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Cook the Beef
- While the sweet potatoes roast, heat a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place the beef in the skillet and break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- After a few minutes, when the meat starts releasing its juices, add the onion and salt and toss to combine and cook about 3 minutes until the onions begin to soften, stirring frequently.
- Add the spices, and the garlic powder and cook 2 minutes, continuing to stir.
- Add the frozen corn and continue cooking until the beef and onions are fully cooked. This whole process will take about 10-12 minutes. Stir every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
Make the Greek Yogurt Chipotle Sauce
- While the quinoa, sweet potatoes and beef are cooking, place all the ingredients for the yogurt sauce in a blender.
- Blend for about 20-30 seconds.
- Add water one tablespoon at a time and blend briefly after each addition until you reach the desired consistency. Set aside.
Prepare the Veggies and Assemble the Taco Bowls
- Slice the tomatoes, green onions and avocadoes and set aside.
- Starting with the spinach and the quinoa, place ¼ of each of the ingredients into each of four bowls. Top with the sauce and the scallions, and enjoy!
Notes
- Cook the quinoa and store it in the refrigerator until you need it. Reheat in the microwave or use it cold.
- Roast the sweet potatoes and refrigerate them. You can reheat them in the microwave or eat them cold.
- Slice the tomatoes and green onions and refrigerate them until ready to use.
- Batch the multi-use Greek yogurt chipotle sauce and refrigerate it for this taco salad, and save extra portions for other salads and bowls. If left thick, you can use it as a spread in a wrap or as a healthy veggie dip.
- Pre-cook the meat as directed above, and then reheat it in a skillet or in a microwave when you're ready to eat.
- Slice the avocado when you're ready to eat, since cut avocado tends to oxidize.
Nutrition
Dietitian Approved by Jen Birge, MS, RDN, CDCES
If you want a delicious and fast meal that is glucose-friendly and helps reduce insulin resistance, this dish by Jackelin is one to try. I think you'll love it and it'll end up in your regular rotation of meals!
Now, let's talk about why this meal is glucose-friendly and helpful in reducing insulin resistance.
Taco Salad with Ground Beef Has a Good Protein to Carb Ratio
At Buena Wellness, we make sure our recipes have a good protein-to-carb ratio with at least 1 gram of protein to no more than 2 grams of carbs. This promotes a healthy glucose response, which helps reduce insulin resistance and is great for weight management.
This taco salad has 32 grams of protein with 44 grams of carbohydrates. Thirteen of the 44 grams of carbs are from fiber, which is really helpful in slowing down digestion and keeping glucose levels more stable. Having a least 30 grams of protein at meals is also helpful in stabilizing glucose levels and reducing insulin resistance.
If you want to adapt the recipe and have less carbs, you can easily reduce or omit the corn or quinoa. If you do so, I suggest increasing the beef a little and also adding in more non-starchy veggies like mixed greens, cabbage or even roasted cauliflower.
As usual, if you enjoy this taco salad, please give us your feedback below and let us know of any swaps that worked for you. And, of course, sharing is caring, so tell your friends about our blog so we can continue to bring you great recipes!
Suzy Talken says
I just made this for the 3rd time - talk about crave-able. This number makes everyone in my family feel happy and full on a budget. Thanks!
Jackelin Slack says
Oh, yeah! We get it! It's a favorite around these parts too. Thanks for keeping it in the rotation, Suzy!