Salads are a quick and easy dinner idea on a busy weeknight. But it can be hard to prepare a filling salad that pleases everyone at the table – especially when you have kids. With the help of this taco salad meat recipe, you can whip up a delicious and healthy dinner for your family with just a few minutes of prep work. And since this recipe includes instructions for freezing your meat, you’ll be able to make this dinner ahead of time for even faster dinner time prep!
We love taco flavours in pretty much any form. Some of our other favourites include Salsa Fish Tacos, Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos, and Taco Sloppy Joes.
Taco Salad Meat Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef, browned
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 14 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup salsa
For day of serving:
- lettuce
- optional toppings: avocados, tomatoes, green onions, salsa
Freezing instructions:
- Allow the cooked ground beef to cool, then transfer it to a large freezer bag.
- Add the chili powder, garlic, kidney beans, and salsa to the bag. Seal the freezer bag and squish the ingredients in the bag to mix them all together.
- Open the corner of the bag to remove excess air, then reseal the bag and place it in the freezer.
Serving instructions:
- Allow the taco salad meat to thaw completely.
- Transfer the meat mixture to a skillet and cook over medium heat until warmed through.
- Serve the meat over lettuce.
Does Taco Meat Freeze Well?
Preparing taco meat ahead of time is a great way to reduce the amount of prep work you need to do at dinner time. And since all the ingredients in taco meat are freezer-friendly, it’s a great option for meal planning and freezer cooking. All you have to do to get your taco meat ready for the freezer is cook the ground beef, add some seasoning, and mix in additional add-ins, like beans or tomatoes.
What’s the Best Way to Freeze Taco Meat?
Freezing taco meat is quick and easy. That’s because there are several different methods you can use to store your meat in the freezer, depending on the supplies you have on hand. To ensure your taco meat stays fresh and tastes amazing when it’s reheated, try these simple tips and tricks for freezing:
- Cook the meat first. One of the best ways to cut down on your prep work at dinner time is to precook as much of the meal as you can. And since cooked ground beef is perfect for the freezer, you can reduce the amount of cooking time you need to do in the evening by cooking the taco meat before you freeze it.
- Allow the meat to cool before freezing. If you transfer your cooked meat directly from the skillet to your freezer storage container, you might run into issues when you try to freeze the meal. That’s because the hot meat can create steam inside the container. When placed in a plastic container, the steam could result in freezer burn. And if you put a hot glass container in the freezer, it could crack or even shatter. That’s why it’s essential that you give your cooked meat plenty of time to cool. Once the meat reaches room temperature, you can transfer it to the freezer container.
- Pick the right container. My favorite way to store taco meat in the freezer is in a freezer bag. After you transfer the meat to the bag, remove excess air and seal the top of the bag. Then, you can lay the bag flat in the freezer to conserve space. Cooked taco meat can also be stored in freezer-friendly plastic or glass containers.
- Label the container. After you pick the container you plan to store your cooked meat in, always label the container with the name of the recipe and the date you put it in the freezer. It’s also a good idea to jot down the date the meal will expire so you’ll be sure to use up the taco meat before it goes bad. I also add cooking instructions to my labels.
How Long is Taco Meat Good for in the Freezer?
If you cook your taco meat before freezing it, the meat will stay good for up to four months. When you’re ready to eat your taco salad meat, make sure to allow the meat to thaw completely before you cook it. Transfer the meat from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before you plan to cook to give it plenty of time to safely thaw in time for dinner.
What to Serve with Taco Salad
Once you have your meat mixture ready to go, you can easily spoon it over the top of some lettuce to create a quick and easy dinner for your family. But if you have a little bit of extra time to prepare some mix-ins for your salad, you can create an even more delicious meal!
As you’re preparing your taco salad, try including these add-ins to spice up your taco dinner:
- sliced green onions or chopped purple onion
- shredded Tex-Mex or cheddar cheese
- taco sauce or salsa
- sour cream
- diced tomatoes
- sliced black olives
- corn
- cubed avocado
- tortilla chips or crushed taco shells
- corn chips
- 1 pound ground beef browned
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 14 ounce can kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup salsa
- lettuce
- optional toppings: avocados, tomatoes, green onions, salsa
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Brown ground beef. When cool, transfer to a large resealable freezer bag.
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Add the chili powder, garlic, kidney beans, and salsa. Seal and squish the ingredients to combine.
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Remove excess air, freeze.
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Thaw.
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Transfer the meat mixture to a skillet and cook over medium heat until warmed through.
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Serve the meat over lettuce and desired toppings.
I wasn’t sure if it would be as good once frozen and heated, but it’s amazing! It’s one of those recipes where the kids squeal when they find out we’re having it.
The fact that I have to hide in the bathroom to eat it so that I don’t have to share only slightly detracts from the experience!
Add the chicken broth, juice, evaporated milk, chutney, and red chili flakes. Squish together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
If desired, top your chicken in mango cream sauce pasta with more chili flakes and grated Parmesan or asiago cheese.
