Creamy Texas Sweet Heat Dressing
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1/3 cup Texas Sweet Heat Salsa – Mild or Hot
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced, or hot sauce to taste
- Salt to taste
Whisk everything together until smooth. If you prefer a thinner dressing, stir in a teaspoon or two of water.
Put it in the refrigerator while you make the salad. Giving it a little time to sit lets those flavors come together.
Taco Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 serrano pepper, minced — or jalapeño for less heat
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 8 cups chopped romaine or romaine-iceberg mix
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1–2 jalapeños, sliced
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 2 cups tortilla chips, lightly crushed
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef with the yellow onion and serrano or jalapeño. Drain any excess grease if needed.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and tomato sauce, reduce the heat and let everything simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Take the meat off the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes before assembling the salad.
- Fill a large bowl with the chopped lettuce and add the taco meat, tomatoes, cheese, black beans if using, red onion, jalapeños and avocado.
- Finish with the tortilla chips and cilantro, then drizzle with the Creamy Texas Sweet Heat Dressing.
- Serve with lime wedges and a few extra tortilla chips on the side.
Larry's Tips
- Make the dressing first. It gets even better after spending a little time in the refrigerator.
- Give the meat 5 minutes to cool. Warm is good. Piping hot meat can wilt your lettuce.
- Save the tortilla chips for last. You want them crunchy.