Ingredients:
For the Seasoning:
1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
3/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon of Smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1 pound of Grass-Fed Ground Beef (you could always do ground turkey or chicken also)
1/2 Cup of Water
For the Salad Fixings I use:
Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
Lettuce (Iceberg or Romaine are the best for a Taco Salad, but I just use whatever we have in the fridge)
Peppers and Onions (I use frozen ones from Trader Joes)
Salsa (no added sugar)
Feel free to add any other taco salad essentials that you love - but to keep it whole30 and paleo, stay away from the chips, cheese, and salsa with added sugar.
This is going to be one of the easiest paleo meals you will ever make. Basically you need to collect the necessary seasonings and brown the meat. Once the meat is browned, you are going to pour the seasoning blend onto the meat. Add the 1/2 cup of water. Mix everything up really well so that the seasoning is blended throughout. Put the seasoned taco meat on low and let the water simmer out. Continue to check in on it though, stirring and mixing it every couple of minutes.
At the same time, in a different skillet, it’s time to start cooking the peppers and onions! Like I said - this is a go-to easy meal for me. To help keep it simple, I use the frozen Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted Peppers and Onions. Toss them in the pan and let them cook right up. Again, flip them around every now and then until they are not frozen and appear soft. (You could definitely use fresh peppers and onions as well! This bag of tricks is much quicker and less expensive than fresh peppers are right now though.)
I like to put my lettuce on the bottom of the plate. For Taco Salad, I prefer iceberg or romaine lettuce. But we had neither. So I used whatever was in the fridge. On top of the lettuce went my peppers and onions. On top of that the beef and any other “taco toppings of choice.”
I always wonder if pro-foodie bloggers’ kitchens end up as messy as mine does… Don’t let the pretty food pictures fool you. My kitchen is a hot mess!
To me, the salsa and guacamole are the cherry on top of this taco sundae. Pop a few spoonfuls of each on top of your taco salad creation and then dig in!
Give it a shot and let me know what you think! What taco toppings do you love?
Happy clean-eating!
Not a “pro” food blogger, but yes. My kitchen always looks like a war zone after I’m finished cooking.
And the taco salad looks great!
Susan @ 2catsandchloe says
Glad I’m not the only one Heather! Part of cooking is making a mess right? 🙂
Samantha Green says
This is something I desperately need!! I eat whole wheat tacos a lot when I’m eating clean, but I generally just buy the packaged seasoning because…I’m lazy. Oh and also, spices are EXPENSIVE. But I think I might actually have all of these in my cabinet!
Susan @ 2catsandchloe says
YES! They are expensive, but all of these were in my cabinet already. I just experiemented with them until I found a blend that seemed to work really well for this. I have even told non-paleo folks about it, they’ve tried it and love it. There’s no going back to those $3 packets of crap!
Jessica Jenkins says
YUM! it all looks so good. I’m not big on spicy foods though, but i bet i would still like this one. Damn, i wish i liked to cook. I would probably eat a hella lot better if i actually liked to cook, like you do. OH well maybe one day i’ll like it. i mean i used to hate broccoli when i was a kid, and now i love it. so i still have hope. LOL
Susan @ 2catsandchloe says
I was never a big fan of cooking… I just decided one day that I HAD to do it. Actually, I got a husband and realized exactly how much money he was spending out for food… if I don’t cook the guy eats out every single day. Not sure why he can or won’t cook. Moral of the story - don’t worry about until you get married. Or learn now so you don’t mind it as much when you get married. 🙂
Jessica Jenkins says
Good to know! I do like cooking occasionally in the winter, cause I’m stuck inside, and bored. lol, but mostly I just fix all kinds of sandwiches, or my favorite: cereal. ha!
Susan @ 2catsandchloe says
I texted you today… did it go through? We need to start planning our meetup!
Okay, I know it’s dinner time and I’m hungry and all, but that looks really good. Like too good right now. Gonna hafta try this one ASAP. I’m eating a different Whole 30 meal tonight, but this recipe is my next one! #nomnom
Susan @ 2catsandchloe says
Glad it looks good to you! 🙂 It will be on our whole30 meal plan next week!! Let me know what you think of it! xxoo
So maybe after I have this baby and my stomach doesn’t want macaroni and cheese all the time, maybe I’ll have to do this whole30 thing 🙂 This looks tasty!
Susan @ 2catsandchloe says
Yes! But in the mean time, enjoy that mac and cheese! 😉
this just gave me life because GIMME ALL THE TACOS.
Susan @ 2catsandchloe says
Oh em gee this was delicious and exactly what I needed for my taco kick! And it’s cleannnn food! 🙂
Krista says
I loved the taco seasoning recipe. I think it was the smoked paprika that really did it! My family loved it but I have to reduce to cayenne pepper even more (I did 1/2). It was too spicy for my little girls. Thank you!