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Mexican Street Corn Taco Salad with Cilantro Avocado Dressing

A loaded summer taco salad with smoky seasoned beef, charred corn and red onion, crunchy romaine, kidney beans, crispy tortilla strips, tomato, shredded cheese, and a bright cilantro avocado dressing.
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Salad
  • 1 head romaine lettuce finely chopped
  • 2 cans kidney beans drained
  • 1 Roma tomato diced
  • ½ cup Mexican shredded cheese
For the Charred Corn Mixture
  • 3 corn cobs kernels removed
  • ½ red onion diced
For the Seasoned Beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
For the Cilantro Avocado Dressing
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 Fresno pepper deseeded
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • ½ cup scallions
  • ¼ avocado
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
For the Crispy Tortilla Strips
  • 2 tortillas sliced into strips
  • Garlic powder to taste
  • Smoked paprika to taste

Method
 

  1. Add the corn kernels and diced red onion to a skillet and sauté until lightly charred and caramelized. Set aside.
  2. Add the ground beef to a skillet with the ground coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
  3. Cook until the beef is browned and fully cooked through. Set aside.
  4. Add the lemon juice, garlic, Fresno pepper, cilantro, scallions, avocado, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a blender.
  5. Blend until smooth, creamy, and vibrant.
  6. Slice the tortillas into strips and toast with garlic powder and smoked paprika until crisp.
  7. Add the chopped romaine to a large serving bowl or platter.
  8. Layer the charred corn mixture, seasoned beef, drained kidney beans, crispy tortilla strips, diced Roma tomato, and shredded Mexican cheese over the lettuce.
  9. Drizzle generously with the cilantro avocado dressing.
  10. Toss until everything is evenly coated and serve.

Notes

  • Drain the beans thoroughly. Excess liquid can make the salad watery.
  • Keep the tortilla strips crisp. Add them close to serving so they don’t soften under the dressing.
  • Great for meal prep. Store the lettuce, beef, corn mixture, dressing, and tortilla strips separately, then assemble right before eating.