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Grinder Taco Salad

Grinder Taco Salad is the chopped salad your whole family will love! Filled with taco meat, cheese, tortilla chips, and a perfectly sauced lettuce salad!

grinder taco salad

The Grinder Salad Sandwich is absolutely viral on the internet.

The mix of lettuce with red wine vinegar, mayonnaise, banana peppers, and other fabulous ingredients took a hold of our hearts!

Recently, I had some taco meat in the fridge, and I wanted a really good taco salad. But, one I didn’t have to continually mix up, or play with while eating.

I know that sounds crazy! But, salads should be chopped well, and mixed so every bite has all the stuff in one bite!

You’ll love this recipe since it’s a spin on a tried and true classic! Another reason why you’ll love this recipe is it isn’t too far off from a normal taco salad. Just a few techniques that change the taco salad game completely!

How to Make a Grinder Taco Salad

taco grinder salad recipe

First, gather your ingredients:

Corn — I used frozen corn that I heated on the stovetop. You can use canned, fresh, or whatever you have! If you don’t like corn, leave it out!

Green Onion — Fresh is best, but if you can’t find them, finely dice a mild onion.

Mama Leah Dip — this is an all-in-one dip and topping recipe idea for all your Taco Tuesday meals! It’s a SUPER simple recipe of 16 ounces of sour cream, 1 package of Ranch Dressing mix, and a drained can of Rotel Tomatoes and green peppers. Mix it all together and dip fresh veggies and corn chips in it, plus use as a taco sauce!

Cheddar Cheese — I had pre-shredded cheese in my fridge that I needed to use up. It would be better if you used freshly grated, but whatever works!

Crunchy Lettuce — I used romaine lettuce here that I had meal prepped earlier in the week. Iceberg lettuce would also be fantastic!

Corn Chips — I crunched up Fritos Scoops for my salad. I had these opened, and used them! Whatever you have works GREAT!!

Ground Beef Taco Meat — This Grinder Taco Salad uses leftover taco meat, but feel free to use chicken breast if you like! Yum!

Other Toppings You Can Use:

  • Black Olives
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Jalapenos
  • Avocado

What Makes this a Grinder Salad?

Nothing — maybe the fact that the lettuce cheese and other items are mixed together. The grinder salad originated from a viral TikTok video with a grinder sandwich that has deli meats, red onion, red wine vinegar, mayo, banana peppers, and other ingredients you would put on grinder sandwiches.

Grinder salad is a very loose term, y’all! When the lettuce gets mixed with a hefty, thick dressing and lots of other ingredients, I think that’s what makes it a grinder salad.

Assembling the Salad

While you make the grinder taco salad, heat up your leftover taco meat. If you’re wanting to use chicken strips give them a sprinkle of a taco seasoning mix that will flavor your salad even more!

In a large bowl, add your corn, green onions, Mama Leah dip, lettuce, and cheese. Toss with tongs, then shake some hot sauce overtop. Leave the hot sauce off if you’re not a fan!

Crush up corn chips into a bowl, then top with your warmed-up taco meat. I added cheese to mine that melted on top! Yum!

Plop the salad mixture on top of the chips and taco meat.

Toss everything together really well, and enjoy!!

You could serve this in tortilla bowls if you’re feeling extra fancy!

If you’re eating low carb leave off the corn chips — substituting pork rinds instead.

This is such a great way to enjoy a low-calorie diet without feeling like you’re missing out!

What Goes with Taco Salad?

If you’re wanting to serve this Grinder Taco Salad for a meal to friends, make up a batch of sweet and fluffy cornbread!

Or, you could make chips and salsa board!

Don’t forget a big batch of margaritas, too!

taco grinder salad recipe idea

Other Recipes to Try:

Quick and Easy Pulled Pork Chalupa

Mexican Pizza Copycat Recipe

Mexican Layer Dip

Save this to your Favorite Taco Board on Pinterest!

Grinder Taco Salad
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Grinder Taco Salad

  • Author: Sweetpea
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 5
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: salad
  • Method: no-cook
  • Cuisine: tex-mex

Description

Grinder Taco Salad is the chopped salad your whole family will love! Filled with taco meat, cheese, tortilla chips, and a perfectly sauced lettuce salad!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup Corn Kernels
  • 3 Green Onions, sliced (or 1/4 cup diced Mild Onion)
  • 1/2 cup Mama Leah Dip (recipe in the notes)
  • 4 cups Shredded Lettuce
  • 1/2 cup of Shredded Cheese
  • Hot Sauce
  • 1 cup Taco Meat of Choice
  • Fritos or Tortilla Chips, crushed


Instructions

  1. Heat up leftover taco meat in the microwave, or on the stove-top.
  2. To a bowl add 1/2 cup corn kernels, 3 sliced green onions, 1/2 cup Mama Leah Dip, 4 cups Shredded lettuce, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Mix it all up!
  3. In the bottom of your serving bowl, crush as many corn or tortilla chips as you’d like.
  4. Top with the warmed taco meat, plus the salad.
  5. Toss well, and eat!

Notes

Mama Leah Dip:

  • 16 ounces Sour Cream
  • 1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix
  • 1, 10 ounces can Rotel Tomatoes, drained

Mix all these ingredients together, and chill for an hour before serving. It makes a great dip for Taco Night!

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