Taco Tuesdays take a healthy turn with this Turkey Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing. Add fun and flavor to your lunch or dinner menu with the easy, light, and fresh tastes of ground turkey, loads of vegetables, and a delicious cilantro dressing!
Making taco salad doesn’t have to be a repeat of the same old boring recipe. Change it up with a homemade dressing and use delicious ground turkey for a lighter option.
This turkey taco salad recipe is easy to prepare and packs plenty of flavors in a very basic recipe. The turkey is much lighter than the typical ground beef base, but the homemade cilantro lime dressing is what makes it truly unique. You’ll find many more uses for the dressing alone.
Recipe Snapshot: Turkey Taco Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Cuisine: Southwestern
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Primary Ingredients: Ground turkey, taco seasoning, Romaine lettuce, red onion, canned corn, cherry tomatoes
Skill Level: Easy
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What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make
- Fresh light lunch or dinner
- Mild heat level
- Homemade salad dressing recipe included
- Make it ahead and assemble when you’re ready to serve
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Turkey — Typically a mixture of both light and dark meat with a 93/7 (93% lean, 7% fat) ratio.
- Taco Seasoning — Purchase a pack or make your own with my recipe.
- Canned Corn — If it’s summer, fresh corn cut from the cob is always best!
- Tortilla Strips — Available in grocery stores in either the chip aisle or near the packaged tortillas.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Variations and Substitutions
- Try substituting other proteins for the turkey. Ground chicken, or grilled or baked chicken strips are great options. The traditional ground beef is always good as well.
- Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cotija cheese are popular additions.
- Add canned, well drained black beans for additional flavor, color, and protein.
- Make your taco salad into a burrito by rolling in a large tortilla. Or make street tacos by serving the salad filling and dressing wrapped in warm corn tortillas.
- Offer bottled hot sauce at the table.
How to Make Turkey Taco Salad
Make the Dressing
STEP 1. In a bowl or jar, add the mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, salt, black pepper, garlic, and water.
STEP 2. Stir well to combine.
STEP 3. Keep the prepared dressing in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Pro Tip
There are dozens of uses for this delicious homemade Cilantro Lime Dressing! Drizzle it on grilled steaks, in fish tacos, or over chicken strips. It will keep up to a week in your refrigerator.
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Cook the Turkey
STEP 4. Place the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longer pink and is cooked through.
STEP 5. Add the taco seasoning to the cooked turkey in the skillet. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper if needed. Set it aside to cool briefly.
Assemble the Salad
STEP 6. In a large bowl, add the Romaine lettuce, cooked seasoned turkey, red onion, drained corn, and cherry tomatoes.
STEP 7. Pour over about one-fourth of the dressing. Toss well to coat all ingredients.
STEP 8. Top salad with tortilla strips, avocado slices, and additional dressing.
To Make Ahead
To make the recipe in advance, cook the turkey and keep it in one container, mix the vegetables and keep them in a separate container, and mix up the dressing and keep it separately, too. Assemble the salad with its dressing only when ready to serve. This will help the salad to stay crispy and fresh longer.
Storing and Reheating
Ingredients can be stored separately in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. The cooked turkey can be rewarmed in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Questions About Turkey Taco Salad
Taco salad is essentially a meal in itself, but I do have a few suggestions for accompanying dishes. Of course, a margarita is a great beverage to enjoy or horchata if you’re keeping it non-alcoholic. And there’s always salsa and chips for pre-dinner and either dulce de leche or churros for dessert.
Ground turkey is typically about 3% fat, so it can definitely be dry when cooked. If you don’t mind a bit of extra fat, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Also, be sure to avoid overcooking and that will dry the turkey even more.
You can crumble your favorite tortilla chips, or add Fritos or Doritos as a topping.
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Recipe
Turkey Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely minced
- Juice of 2 limes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic finely minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Salad:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 ounces taco seasoning (1 packet, or 2 tablespoons)
- salt and pepper if needed
- 1 head Romaine lettuce chopped (about 7 ounces)
- 1 cup red onion finely diced (about 1/2 medium onion)
- 5 ounces canned corn drained
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 cup tortilla strips
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
Make the Dressing:
- In a bowl or jar, add the mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, salt, black pepper, garlic, and water.½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, Juice of 2 limes, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon water
- Stir well to combine.
- Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cook the Turkey:
- Place the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longer pink and is cooked through.1 pound ground turkey
- Add the taco seasoning to the cooked turkey in the skillet. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper if needed. Set the mixture aside to cool briefly.3 ounces taco seasoning, salt and pepper
Assemble the Salad:
- In a large bowl, add the Romaine lettuce, cooked seasoned turkey, red onion, drained corn, and cherry tomatoes.1 head Romaine lettuce, 1 cup red onion, 5 ounces canned corn, 8 ounces cherry tomatoes
- Pour over about one-fourth of the dressing. Toss well to coat all ingredients.
- Top salad with tortilla strips, avocado slices, and additional dressing.1 cup tortilla strips, 1 avocado
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.