Ranch Taco Salad with Creamy Jalapeño Dressing

Name: Ranch Taco Salad with Creamy Jalapeño Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tsp olive oil; 1 lb ground beef (92% lean); 1 packet ranch seasoning; 1/2 cup diced white onion; ¼ cup diced jalapeños; 1 1/2 cups diced bell peppers (divided); 1 bag romaine lettuce; 1 medium sized avocado; ½ cup cherry tomatoes; ¼ cup diced red onion; zest from 1 lime; homemade creamy jalapeño sauce (or dressing of choice)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Ranch Taco Salad with Creamy Jalapeño Dressing has all the elements for the perfect Tex-Mex inspired lunch. Spicy, creamy, crunchy—you'll love each bite!

big bowl of ranch taco salad dressed with creamy jalapeño sauce before tossing.

Table of Contents

About this Salad
Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make This Recipe
Recipe FAQs
More Recipes You'll Love
Recipe

About this Salad

Sometimes I feel a little silly dedicating a whole blog post to an easy salad recipe like this Ranch Taco Salad, but I am all for convenience and this recipe is no exception.

All you need is a crisp, crunchy green for your base, your favorite vegetables and a dressing you love (homemade is best!) to make a meal that's healthy and complete in just a few minutes.

And let me tell you, this Ranch Taco Salad with Creamy Jalapeño Sauce is just that! It's packed with vegetables, protein, and a zesty, creamy dressing. Read on to grab the recipe and see how you can customize it to your liking.

If you love the flavors in this taco salad, I think you'll also love this Healthy Southwest Salad, or this Mexican Seven Layer Salad Bowl, or this Mexican Caesar Salad, too!

Recipe Ingredients

ingredients for ranch taco salad chopped up in individual bowls.

Ground Beef: I used 92% lean. This protein works takes on so much flavor when cooked with ranch seasoning. Ground turkey or ground chicken is also an option!
Veggies: On top of romaine, we'll use tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, jalapeños, and avocado.
Ranch Seasoning: The coolness of the ranch complements the spicy kick you'll get from other ingredients like the jalapeños and red onions. Our ground beef will get cooked in this.
Creamy Jalapeño Sauce - This homemade creamy, ranch jalapeño sauce is next level delicious and super easy to make. If you don't want to make your own, you can buy jalapeño ranch at the store, or store bought salsa ranch would work well too.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

Salads are great because you can choose from so many ingredients and still make a satisfying, healthy meal.

Don't like jalapeños? Use extra bell pepper instead. Want more heat? Use habaneros and double the jalapeños in the dressing.
Crush up some tortilla chips and sprinkle them on top to add another level of crunch to your salad.
Bulk this salad up with some carbohydrates by adding rice or quinoa.
Cilantro, parsley, or any other herb will also add freshness to this salad!
Want to keep it vegetarian? Use black beans or crumbled tofu in place of the ground beef.

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Prep Ingredients. Prepare a non-stick pan over medium heat with olive oil or cooking spray. Then, add ground beef, diced jalapeños, ½ cup bell peppers, diced white onion, and packet of ranch seasoning. Sauté together until meat is cooked (7-10 minutes).

While the beef cooks, dice the rest of your produce - tomatoes, red onion, peppers. Thinly slice the avocado. For extra heat, slice jalapeño to add raw to the salad also.

bowl of lettuce topped with ground beef surrounded by additional taco salad ingredients. — Step 2

Step 2: Assemble Bowl. Add romaine into a large salad bowl and top with ranch meat mixture.

loaded ranch taco salad bowl before dressing and tossing. — Step 3

Step 3: Add Veggies. Then, add in diced produce. Arrange in sections if going for presentation.

Step 4: Add dressing. Make your homemade creamy jalapeño sauce and zest the lime over the top of the ranch taco salad.

tossed ranch taco salad with wood tongs in bowl. — Step 5

Step 5: Toss. Toss dressing so everything is evenly covered with the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired and enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

How do you store it?

This Ranch Taco Salad is great for meal prep. Store assembled in an airtight container for 3-4 days without the dressing. The ranch-ground beef mixture alone is also a great make ahead component. Cook and store to use later in the week not only on salads, but in tacos, on rice bowls, in a burrito, etc!

Do I have to make my own dressing?

This homemade creamy, ranch jalapeño sauce is next level delicious and super easy to make. If you don't want to make your own, you can buy jalapeño ranch at the store, or store bought salsa ranch would work well too. I can find either typically at Meijer.

What should I serve with this salad?

This taco salad is plenty hearty to be served all on its own! I do like to have some chips or a warm tortilla on the side though to help scoop up all of the goodness that's in this recipe.

More Recipes You'll Love

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you really like the recipe consider leaving a comment further down. Thanks for visiting!

Recipe

Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?

If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find RANCH TACO SALAD calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!