Taco Salad in Deep Fried Tortilla Bowls are easy and delicious. These homemade taco salad shell bowls are deep fried to a crispy golden flaky brown, then filled with taco meat and fresh taco salad ingredients. Ready in just 20 minutes!
This recipe is the perfect summer time, or any time, dinner for two or romantic impressive date night meal.
Need a dessert to go with it? Try these Soft Batch Cookies or this small Fruity Brownie Pizza.
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Why I love this recipe
It's easy and quick to prepare and the flavor combination is amazing.
Ingredients
(amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)
Oil for deep frying
burrito sized tortillas
ground beef
onion
black beans
taco seasoning
lettuce
tomato
cheese
sour cream
Catalina salad dressing
Substitutions
You can use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of ground beef.
You can also use any of your favorite taco toppings that aren't already listed.
Equipment used for this recipe
How to make Taco Salad in Deep Fried Tortilla Bowls
How to make taco salad shells
Step 1 - Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 - When the oil is fully heated, place one tortilla very gently into the oil. Press it down using a steel soup ladle very slowly until the tortilla is touching the bottom. If needed, use tongs to help place the tortilla correctly. The sides of the tortilla will float up around the ladle forming the bowl shape. Be very careful not to get burned as the oil is boiling hot.
Step 3 - Fry the tortilla until brown and crisp about 2 or 3 minutes.
Step 4 - Using tongs, very carefully remove the tortilla from the oil and place upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet to drain.
Step 5 - Repeat with the second tortilla.
For the taco salad
Step 1 - While the tortillas drain, brown the ground beef and onion in a frying pan over medium heat. Drain the grease, then add the taco seasoning and cook according to the package directions.
Step 2 - Add the black beans to the taco meat and cook until heated through.
Step 3 - To assemble the salad, turn the tortilla bowls up-side right. Fill each with lettuce, taco meat mixture, tomato, cheese, sour cream, and Catalina dressing.
Recipe FAQs
These tacos salads have around 1456 calories including the deep fried tortilla bowl and all of the ingredients listed in the recipe.
You may also enjoy
- Beer Battered Fish Tacos
- BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos
- Korean BBQ Tacos
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Taco Burgers
- Chicken Taco Bowls
Taco Salad in Deep Fried Tortilla Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Bowls:
- Oil for deep frying
- 2 burrito sized tortillas
For the Salad:
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ small onion diced
- 1 cup can black beans (drained)
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 3 cups lettuce (shredded or diced)
- 1 tomato (diced)
- 1 cup cheese (shredded)
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 4 Tablespoons Catalina salad dressing
Instructions
For the bowls
- Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 C). Click for a deep fryer.
- When oil is fully heated, place one tortilla very gently into oil. Press it down using a steel soup ladle very slowly until tortilla is touching the bottom. If needed, use tongs to help place tortilla correctly. The sides of the tortilla will float up around the ladle forming the bowl shape. Click for a steel soup ladle.
- Fry tortilla until brown and crisp about 2 or 3 minutes.
- Using tongs, very carefully remove tortilla from oil and place upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet to drain.
- Repeat with second tortilla.
For the salad
- While tortillas drain, brown ground beef and onion in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Drain grease, then add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions.
- Add black beans to taco meat and cook until heated through.
- To assemble salad, turn tortilla bowls up-side right. Fill each with lettuce, taco meat mixture, tomato, cheese, sour cream, and Catalina dressing.
Notes
- These are NOT diet food but they are so delicious!
Nutrition
Hi and welcome. I’m Zona and I have a passion for recipes. I share recipes, tips, tricks, and resources to help you cook for two. Eat, drink, and enjoy!
TAMMY SCHLICHTING
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
curious how long a deep fried tortilla is good for? Can i do some up in advance?
Zona
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
Hi Tammy, it's best to use them right away or they become chewy (humidity causes the chewiness). You can try storing them in a paper bag folded over and kept out at room temperature for a few days at most. Then try re-heating them in the oven to crisp them up again.