This Taco Layer Salad is the ultimate crowd pleasing dish to bring to your next cookout, potluck, or summer gathering. Layers of shredded iceberg lettuce, seasoned taco meat, black beans, sweet onion, Roma tomatoes, and sharp cheddar cheese are piled high in a trifle dish and topped with a thick and creamy homemade ranch dressing that ties every layer together.
Served with gluten free tortilla chips for scooping, this gluten free taco salad is a hearty and satisfying dish that feeds a crowd and disappears fast every single time.
What makes this layered taco salad stand out from the rest is the homemade ranch dressing made from scratch with sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder, and fresh herbs.
It is thick, creamy, and so much better than anything from a bottle, and it holds up beautifully as the top layer of the salad without making everything soggy.
This is the gluten free layer salad your seven layer salad fans are going to love just as much, with all the bold flavors of taco night built right in. Make it ahead, keep it chilled, and let everyone dig in.
If you're looking for more salad recipes try my Seven Layer Salad, my Chopped Wedge Layer Salad, my High Protein Ranch Broccoli Cauliflower Salad or my Gluten Free BLT Pasta Salad.
You can find all my salad recipe here: Gluten Free Salad Recipes
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Ingredients
- Ground Beef
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Coriander
- Ground Cumin
- Smoked Paprika
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Black Beans
- Sweet Onion
- Roma Tomatoes
- Cheddar Cheese
- Gluten Free Tortilla Chips
- Ranch Dressing (Use my recipe below for a thick version)
Instructions
In a skillet over medium heat add the ground beef. Brown and crumble the ground beef until it's cooked through without any pink left.
In a small bowl while the beef is cooking whisk together the chili powder, garlic powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the taco spice blend over the cooked ground beef over medium low heat and stir together until the spices are combined with the beef and heated through.
Remove the taco meat mixture from heat and let cool while you prepare the salad.
Chop the iceberg lettuce into bite size pieces and add as the first layer in your trifle dish.
Next add the drained and rinsed black beans, then the chopped sweet onion, next the chopped Roma tomatoes. Then layer on the shredded cheddar cheese.
In a small bowl make the ranch dressing by whisking together the buttermilk powder, dried parsley flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, dried chives, dried dill weed, sour cream, mayonnaise and milk. Pour the dressing over the top of the layer salad.
If you don't want to make this thick ranch dressing you could also purchase ranch dressing, but it will be runnier so I would wait to add the dressing until right before you serve the salad.
I topped the salad with slices from an avocado, but that's not necessary if you don't want to do that. I serve the salad with gluten free tortilla chips. I like to break mine into pieces and mix with my salad serving.
Supplies
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
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Taco Layer Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Layers of shredded iceberg lettuce, seasoned taco meat, black beans, sweet onion, Roma tomatoes, and sharp cheddar cheese topped with a thick and creamy homemade ranch dressing and served with gluten free tortilla chips. This gluten free taco layer salad is the perfect make ahead dish for potlucks, cookouts, and summer gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 head Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
- 16 ounce can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large Sweet Onion, chopped
- 4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- Gluten Free Tortilla Chips
Ranch Dressing:
- ⅓ cup Buttermilk Powder
- 1 Tbsp Dried Parsley Flakes
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Dried Chives
- 1 tsp Dried Dill Weed
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Milk
Instructions
In a skillet over medium heat add the ground beef. Brown and crumble the ground beef until it's cooked through without any pink left.
In a small bowl while the beef is cooking whisk together the chili powder, garlic powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the taco spice blend over the cooked ground beef over medium low heat and stir together until the spices are combined with the beef and heated through.
Remove the taco meat mixture from heat and let cool while you prepare the salad.
Chop the iceberg lettuce into bite size pieces and add as the first layer in your trifle dish.
Next add the drained and rinsed black beans, then the chopped sweet onion, next the chopped Roma tomatoes. Then layer on the shredded cheddar cheese.
In a small bowl make the ranch dressing by whisking together the buttermilk powder, dried parsley flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, dried chives, dried dill weed, sour cream, mayonnaise and milk. Pour the dressing over the top of the layer salad.
If you don't want to make this thick ranch dressing you could also purchase ranch dressing, but it will be runnier so I would wait to add the dressing until right before you serve the salad.
I topped the salad with slices from an avocado, but that's not necessary if you don't want to do that. I serve the salad with gluten free tortilla chips. I like to break mine into pieces and mix with my salad serving.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating and comment below. It helps other readers find this recipe and means so much to me.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish, Salads
- Method: Chopped
- Cuisine: American
If you make this Taco Layer Salad, I would love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out, or tag me on Instagram so I can see your beautiful layers.
This is one of those recipes that always gets compliments at a gathering, so save it to your favorite Pinterest board so you have it ready for every cookout and potluck on your summer calendar!
Storage
Store leftover taco layer salad covered tightly in the trifle dish or transferred to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Keep in mind that the lettuce will soften and the layers will begin to mix together as it sits, so this salad is best served the day it is made or the day after. The ranch dressing can be made separately and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Top Tip
Let the taco meat cool completely before adding it to the salad layers. Warm meat will wilt the iceberg lettuce and cause the cheese to melt, which affects both the texture and the presentation of the salad. Once the meat is fully cooled, the layers stay clean and distinct all the way down to the bottom of the trifle dish, which is what makes this salad so impressive when you serve it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this salad is actually a great make ahead dish. Assemble all the layers up to 24 hours in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. If you are concerned about the dressing making the salad soggy, you can also store the ranch dressing separately and add it right before you serve.
A trifle dish is ideal because the clear sides let you see all the beautiful layers, which makes for a stunning presentation at a potluck or gathering. If you do not have one, a large clear glass bowl works just as well. The key is using a deep dish so you have enough room for all the layers.
You can use store bought ranch dressing if you are short on time, but the homemade ranch in this recipe is thick and creamy in a way that store bought dressings are not. A thinner store bought dressing will run down through the layers more quickly, so if you go that route wait to add it until right before you serve the salad.
Absolutely. Ground turkey or ground chicken seasoned with the same taco spice blend works beautifully in this recipe. You could also use shredded rotisserie chicken heated up with the taco seasoning for an even quicker version.
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