Who doesn’t love a BAS (big ass salad)? I’m not talking about those boring salads that contain barely more than some iceberg lettuce. I’m talking about salads that are piled high with all kinds of flavorful goodness. The ones that manage to pack in 43g of protein without missing a beat. 

That’s what you’ll get with this high-protein taco salad. It’s full of protein, flavor, and volume that will keep you full for hours. While it might not be the most eloquently put-together meal, its gritty appeal is what makes it so lucrative. Real food for real people, that’s my approach!

If you're working to hit your protein, carbs and fats for macros, or if you are trying to lose weight using a protein diet, you’re going to love this macro-friendly taco salad.

And, if you end up liking this Mexican recipe, you may want to try out our easy baked turkey tacos – also high in protein and super yummy!

3 Reasons Why You Will Love This Recipe

1. There are 43g satisfying grams of protein per serving. Whether you’re tracking macros or not, the benefits of consuming protein are undeniable. Making this salad will allow you to make a major dent in your daily protein intake in one sitting.
2. It’s bursting with flavor. From the spicy crunch of the protein chips to the sweetness of the corn and bell peppers, your taste buds are in for a roller coaster ride of enjoyment with this high-protein taco salad.
3. It’s so customizable. There are so many different ways you can make this salad using whatever ingredients you prefer or have at the ready. I invite you to get creative with this salad and come up with your own flavor additions!

Ingredients

• Chopped romaine lettuce
• Lean ground turkey
• Taco seasoning
• Salsa
• Canned corn
• Chopped red & green bell peppers
• Chopped onion
• Quest Protein Chips (I used the taco-flavored ones)
• Mexican shredded cheese
• Bolthouse Cilantro Avocado dressing

Kitchen Tools Required

• Cutting board
• Paring knife
• Large skillet – Madein Cookware is my favorite
• Meat mincer or spatula

How to Make High-Protein Taco Salad

1. In a large skillet, cook lean ground turkey until no longer pink. Drain excess juice from the pan.
2. Add romaine lettuce to a large salad bowl.
3. Chop bell peppers and onions and prepare corn (if using canned corn, just open the can, no need to cook or warm it up). Add all veggies to romaine lettuce.
4. Add salsa and shredded cheese.
5. Crumble a bag of Quest Protein Chips and scatter over the top of your salad.
6. Drizzle with Cilantro Avocado dressing (or dressing of your choice). 
7. Mix it up all and dig in!

Swaps or Alternatives

Meat: Ground turkey can easily be replaced with lean ground beef or ground chicken.

Veggies: Any veggies will do! Whatever veggies you like in your salads, feel free to add them here. This can be an “everything but the kitchen sink” type of recipe.

Quest Protein Chips: If you don’t have any Quest chips, you can use regular tortilla chips, Doritos, or a lavash wrap cut up and crisped in the oven. Keep in mind that without the protein chips, the protein content of this recipe will be decreased.

Dressing: I used Bolthouse Greek yogurt dressing in the Cilantro Avocado variety, but any dressing that you enjoy will suffice.

Quick Tip

Don’t be afraid to make this salad messy! This is one of those recipes that almost tastes better the more ingredients you add to it.

Macros & Nutrition Information

• 428 calories
• 43g protein
• 17g carbs
• 20g fat

High-Protein Taco Salad (43g of Protein!)

Tami Smith, CPT, Nutritionist

With a whopping 43g of protein and a myriad of flavors in every bite, this taco salad is going to become one of your favorites, I just know it! The best part is that this recipe has so much volume that there’s no chance you’ll still be hungry after you polish this thing off.

4.80 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 1

Calories 438 kcal

Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Paring knife
• Large Skillet Madein Cookware is my favorite
• Meat mincer or spatula

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 4 oz lean ground turkey
• 1 tbsp Taco seasoning
• 2 tbsp salsa
• 2 tbsp canned corn
• 1 cup red & green bell peppers
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 bag Quest Protein Chips (I used the taco-flavored ones)
• ¼ cup Mexican shredded cheese
• 2 tbsp Bolthouse Cilantro Avocado dressing

Instructions

 

• In a large skillet, cook lean ground turkey until no longer pink. Drain excess juice from the pan. Add in taco seasoning and water, cook until sauce begins to thicken.
• Add romaine lettuce to a large salad bowl.
• Chop bell peppers and onions and prepare corn (if using canned corn, just open the can, no need to cook or warm it up). Add all veggies to romaine lettuce.
• Add salsa and shredded cheese.
• Crumble a bag of Quest Protein Chips and scatter over the top of your salad.
• Drizzle with Cilantro Avocado dressing (or dressing of your choice).
• Mix it up all and dig in!

Notes

Feel free to add in whatever veggies you like! This is the perfect salad for those days when you want to use up what’s left in the fridge!

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 43gFat: 20g

Keyword high protein, salad, tacos

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