TACO SALAD DIPPERS — This fun twist on traditional tacos is a hearty, filling meal that is loved by both kids and adults. Serve with your favorite taco toppings for an easy weeknight dinner.

We love tacos around here–especially my husband–but sometimes the usual ground beef tacos can get a little boring.  Tacos Salad Dippers are a fun way to add a twist to taco night!

The addition of rice and beans to the taco meat stretches your ground beef even further, and makes this meal more filling. Which is super important when you’re feeding a bunch of ravenous teenage boys like I am.

Even better, the taco filling cooks in one pot (even the rice) which means less mess to clean up when dinner is done!

And the possibilities for toppings are almost endless. We tend to go for the classics, like shredded cheese, lettuce and diced tomatoes. My husband insists on sour cream, and I like to throw in some guacamole or diced avocado.

You don’t have to stop there though–sliced green onion, chopped fresh cilantro, pico de gallo or your favorite salsa–they all make great toppings for taco salad dippers!

Fritos Scoops are perfect for this dish, so I highly recommend them. Tostito’s Scoops tortilla chips are another favorite around here, but regular tortilla chips will work too.

The important thing is to use a larger, sturdy chip to scoop up all that taco filling. Or, you can go taco salad style and just pile the filling and toppings over a big pile of chips.

The recipe does make a lot of taco filling, so you might want to cut it in half if you’re not feeding a crowd. I usually make the full batch, because it freezes well, and there are endless possibilities for the leftovers.

Our favorite way to use extra filling is in burritos, but enchiladas and quesadillas are also great ways to use up leftovers. If you’re looking for a new and different way to enjoy taco night at your house, you’ve got to try these Taco Salad Dippers.

Be sure to save this recipe for Taco Salad Dippers to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

Here’s what you’ll need to make Smothered Chicken Burritos

• Ground beef
• Produce: onion, garlic
• Rice
• Spices: oregano, chili powder, salt, cumin
• Tomato sauce
• Tomato paste
• Pinto beans
• Tortilla chips
• Taco toppings

Taco Salad Dippers

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This fun twist on traditional tacos is a hearty, filling meal that is loved by both kids and adults. Serve with your favorite taco toppings for an easy weeknight dinner.

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• Tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings (shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc.)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Drain any accumulated grease.
2. Add the water, rice, seasonings, tomato sauce, tomato paste and beans.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, watching to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
4. The mixture will seem very watery at first, but after simmering, but will thicken as it simmers.
5. Serve warm with tortilla chips for dipping and other taco garnishes.

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If you love this recipe, you might also like:

Quesadilla Enchiladas

Taco Pasta Skillet

Easy Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.