Tasty Mexican Salad Recipes You Need to Learn (2024)

So it’s Mexican night at your house and you are wondering what your menu should be. You’ve chosen your mains and even your dessert. You just need to come up with a good appetizer or side dish. Well, how about some salads? We’ve gathered some of the best salad recipes that you can do to complete your Mexican fiesta! These are very simple to make and some can even be made in advance so you won’t have to be pressed for time.

5 Mexican Salad Recipes You Will Love

All of these salad recipes use ingredients that typical in Mexican food. Some of these recipes are are vegetarian and some include meat. Some have lettuce and some don’t. It is fun to have different Mexican salad recipes to go with different dishes or to be served as main courses.

Tasty Mexican Salad Recipes You Need to Learn (1)

Taco Salad

This won’t. be a list of Mexican salads if we don’t include aTaco Saladrecipe! This dish is perfect to pair with some grilled meat, although we can consider this a dish in itself!

You can flavor this with some taco seasoning you bought, or better yet make a big batch of homemade taco seasoning instead. If you really want to impress, you can make your own taco bowl. But if pressed for time, you can just use some premade tortilla chips instead.

Easy Mexican Salad With Lettuce

ThisMexican Saladrecipe has some of the best ingredients you can find in Mexican cuisine. You’ll only need 15 minutes to make this dish. And most of the work is chopping all the ingredients.

Once its done, all you need to do is to toss them together, along with the lime dressing that you have made. The cotija cheese should be sprinkled on top just before serving.

Tasty Mexican Salad Recipes You Need to Learn (2)

Mexican Black Bean Salad

This is very similar to the recipe above except that it has no lettuce and the black beans are the base of the salad. So why would you want to make this? First off, black beans are a good source of protein and even fiber and they taste great. ThisMexican Black Bean saladcan be made in advance, as long as it is stored inside your fridge.

One thing to remember is that if you are using canned black beans, the sodium content may not be ideal. Look for the low-sodium variant if you are aiming for a healthier diet.

If you want to add meat to the salad, you are more than welcome to do so. Any type of meat will go well with these flavors, whether it’s chicken or even shrimp.

Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad

Here’s a Mexican salad with chicken that you can actually consider the main dish. It combines the flavors of fajita but with the added freshness typical of a salad dish.

ThisGrilled Chicken Fajita Saladmay take longer to prepare than other salad recipes, but that is because you want your meat to marinade for enough time so that the flavors will really come through. The chicken breasts will only take about two hours to marinade, but if you want to use another protein, like beef, you may have to marinate overnight for better flavors.

Once you are done marinating, all you have to do is grill your meat and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. After this, you top with some cilantro lime dressing that you should have prepared.

Tasty Mexican Salad Recipes You Need to Learn (3)

Mojito Steak Salad Recipe

This delicious salad is great for meat lovers too! You marinate the steak in a mojito before you grill and slice for the salad. You will love the combination of fresh lettuce and herbs with grilled veggies. This Mojito Grilled Steak Salad Recipe is sure to be a hit.

Tips for Making the Perfect Salad

Aim for a variety of textures

Here is one good tip that you need to incorporate every time you make a salad. You want to make sure that you have a variety of textures.

No one just wants a mushy salad or something that is all crunchy. By varying your textures, you are giving people something more to enjoy.

Some examples of crunchy textures include jicama, apples, and croutons. For soft textures, you can add some avocado, cheese, and some hard-boiled eggs. You may also want to add some chewy food like bacon or other types of protein or some dried berries.

Add fats for flavor

If you want to add more flavor to your salads, you should put some fat into it. But you need to be choosy with what ingredients you will choose, especially if you are trying to lose weight.

Choose the healthy types of fat so that are getting not just flavor but also nutrients! Some of the fats that you can add to your salad include avocados, olive oil and nuts.

Make your own dressing

We can acknowledge that buying ready-made salad dressings are very convenient. But there’s just something about homemade dressings that take your salad to a whole new level. Not only that, but it is also healthier too.

Because you are making your own, you know exactly which ingredients are added. You can also replace some that are not good for you.

Each of the salads that I linked to includes a recipe for the perfect Mexican salad dressing. If you don’t always have the time to make a new dressing for all your salad recipes, you can just make a big batch of your favorite recipe. Keep it in an airtight container.

The shelf life of your dressing depends on the type. If your dressing is vinaigrette-based, it can last up to two weeks. But if you have a dressing that has fresh ingredients like eggs, tomato sauce or dairy, they only have a shelf life of one week.

Salads are so versatile whether as a meal in itself or as a side dish to your main protein. Any of these salads will indeed be a joy to serve!

Related Recipe:

Fruity Margarita Recipe

Tasty Mexican Salad Recipes You Need to Learn (2024)

FAQs

How to make salads that are actually good? ›

How to Make a Salad You'll Actually Want to Eat
  1. 1: Think Beyond Lettuce and Greens.
  2. 2: Add Heft with Grains and Nuts.
  3. 3: Add Beans or Other Proteins.
  4. 4: Make Your Own Homemade Salad Dressing.
  5. 5: Make it a Flavor Party.
Jan 18, 2024

What are 5 components of a satisfying salad? ›

There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

What salad originated in Mexico? ›

Caesar salad was invented in the early 1920s by Caesar Cardini, an Italian chef who owned a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico.

What are the 4 ingredients that feature in many Mexican dishes? ›

The most popular Mexican ingredients are beans, rice, avocado and limes. They're utilized in nearly every dish, from hearty enchilada casseroles to creamy drinks like horchata.

Why do restaurant salads taste better than homemade? ›

Restaurants salt their salads.

This resulted in every bite tasting vibrant and flavorful. "Season your salad just like you would anything else," Simpson said. "Salt is a big difference between salads at home and salads in a restaurant." This doesn't mean you have to make your salads salty!

How do restaurants make salads so crisp? ›

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

How can I jazz up my salad? ›

Simple ways to spice up your salad
  1. Use a lettuce that you actually like! ...
  2. Add roasted veggies: I love adding roasted sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts or broccoli to a salad! ...
  3. Mix it up & Chop it up! ...
  4. Add a little crunch: A little texture difference is a big thing in a salad!
Aug 5, 2019

What binds a salad all together? ›

Bound Salad

Bound salads are held together with a binding agent like mayonnaise or a thick dressing. They look a bit different than traditional composed or tossed salads, as vegetables aren't a requirement.

What is the most important ingredient in a salad? ›

Obviously, every salad needs a base, some type of leafy greens. Choose a salad green that's loaded with health benefits… and STAY AWAY from that iceberg lettuce. You can also use a mix of these to give your salad a little more variety.

What does a perfect salad contain? ›

You can opt for classics like romaine lettuce and spinach or get adventurous with arugula or mixed greens. These greens provide vitamins, minerals, and a refreshing crunch. For me, it's the perfect blend of olive oil and red wine vinegar with salt and pepper.

What can I add to salad to make it feel full? ›

Something sweet, such as apples, pears, grapes, pomegranate seeds, oranges, bananas, unsweetened dried cranberries, fresh berries, pineapple or mango.

Why do chopped salads taste better? ›

In a tossed salad, you may taste two or even several ingredients at a time, but rarely are all present in each mouthful, and the proportion of flavors varies widely from bite to bite. But a well-made chopped salad presents you with a harmonious, balanced combination of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors every time.

How do you make a salad not to be boring? ›

  1. Tip #1: don't be afraid to mix textures, temperatures, vegetables and fruits! When it comes to salads, mixing is key. ...
  2. Tip #2: the final garnish is the difference between a good and a great salad! Examples? ...
  3. Tip 3: seasoning, seasoning, seasoning! Use anything your heart desires. ...
  4. Tip 4: make your salads unique!

What kind of lettuce is used in Mexican food? ›

Americans use Iceberg lettuce; Mexicans use Roman lettuce. They taste different. Iceberg Lettuce almost has no taste. Roman lettuce is a little bit bitter.

What is the green leafy stuff in Mexican food? ›

Quiletes is the overarching name for a bunch of edible wild greens used in Mexican cooking. They include things like watercress, papalo, purslane, huauzontle, and epazote. Quelites can be sautéed with onions and garlic to be served as a side dish, added to salads, or used as a garnish for tacos.

What are the three most used ingredients in traditional Mexican food? ›

The Most Important Ingredients for Mexican Cuisine
  • Corn (maize) Popol Vuh, which is the sacred book of the Mayas, says that men were made of corn. ...
  • Chili. In Mexican cuisine, the use of chili is a must. ...
  • Cocoa.
Mar 16, 2024

Does authentic Mexican food have lettuce? ›

Many tacos made with guisados also don't have coriander & onion toppings. This doesn't mean that shredded lettuce isn't used at all in Mexican dishes. It's just very rare to see it on tacos. Flautas, sopes, pozole, tostadas, & many other delicious dishes are commonly served up with fresh shredded lettuce.

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