Taco Salad Jars

These Taco Salad Jars with a creamy salsa salad dressing are a flavorful, easy meal prep lunch or dinner that’s high in protein and fiber!

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Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Meal Prep Hero – these jars are built for prep day! Make a batch on Sunday and lunches are handled all week long.
• High in Protein – each jar packs 39 grams of protein to keep you full and fueled.
• High in Fiber – with 10 grams of fiber per serving, these jars check both the protein and the plants box.
• The Dressing is Everything – a creamy Greek yogurt salsa dressing blended with lime, cilantro, and a few simple seasonings — it takes two minutes and makes the whole jar.
• No Soggy Salad – layering the dressing and tortilla strips strategically means your greens stay crisp, even days later.
• Totally Customizable – swap the protein, change up the toppings, or adjust the heat level in the dressing to make it your own.
• Family-Friendly – set out the toppings and let everyone build their own jar. Taco night, but make it prep-friendly.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions:

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Ground Turkey – I use a lean ground turkey, but you can also use lean ground beef, ground chicken, or even a ready-made protein like rotisserie chicken!
• Taco Seasoning – use your favorite taco seasoning to season the ground turkey, we want all the flavor here!
• Black Beans – a great source of fiber and adds some additional plant-based protein, too.
• Tomatoes – fresh tomatoes add delicious flavor and volume. I use grape or cherry tomatoes but you can also use diced Roma or other tomatoes.
• Bell Pepper – another fresh and crisp flavor and volume booster! Use any bell pepper color you have/ like!
• Red Onion – diced red onion adds a little zing to the salad (but of course you can skip if you’re not a fan)
• Lettuce – romaine lettuce tends to hold up better than iceberg for meal prep jar salads like this! You can use pre-chopped to save time, but just FYI it will oxidize a little faster than chopping yourself.
• Cilantro – adds a little fresh flavor! But of course, skip if you’re on team cilantro-tastes-like-soap. 😉
• Creamy Salsa Dressing – you quickly blend salsa, Greek yogurt, lime juice, cilantro and a couple spices to make a super flavorful, higher protein dressing.
• Cheese – we love using a shredded Pepper Jack but you can use any kind of Mexican blend cheese, too.
• Tortilla Strips – I love to use the salad topper tortilla strips for a fun and colorful little crunch!

How to Make Taco Salad Jars

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Brown the ground turkey, adding seasoning and cooking until done (note to follow the directions of your taco seasoning – some suggest adding 1/3 cup of water, too!). Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly before adding to the jars.
2. Blend the salad dressing ingredients together and set aside.
3. To a large jar, place the dressing on the bottom, then add the meat. Layer each additional ingredient, saving the romaine and cilantro for last.
4. If your jar has a toppings insert, set toppings in there next and place inside the jar before sealing. If your jar does not have an insert, simply place the cheese and tortilla strip toppings in a separate container or bag to stay dry.
5. Seal containers and store in the refrigerator until it’s time to eat. Enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• Protein Swaps – ground turkey is the base here, but ground beef, ground chicken, or rotisserie chicken all work great. Use whatever you have on hand or what’s on sale!
• Make It Spicy – add diced jalapeños, use a hot salsa in the dressing, or finish with a sriracha drizzle on top.
• Already Gluten-Free – no swaps needed here!
• Make It Dairy-Free – use your favorite plant-based Greek yogurt in the dressing and swap the shredded cheese for a plant-based alternative or a scoop of guacamole instead.
• Layer Smart – for best results, keep the dressing at the bottom and the tortilla strips on top (or tucked in the lid insert) so everything stays crisp until you’re ready to eat.
• Dressing Tip – the creamy Greek yogurt salsa dressing actually gets better as it sits, making it perfect to blend up at the start of your prep session.

Meal Prep & Storage

• Perfect for Prep Day – these jars are designed to be made ahead! Assemble a full batch on prep day and you’ve got lunch ready to go for the next four days.
• How to Layer – add the dressing to the bottom of the jar first, then layer the meat and toppings on top. This keeps the dressing from wilting your greens until you’re ready to eat.
• Tortilla Strips – if your jars have a lid insert, store the tortilla strips there to keep them crispy. No insert? Store them in a small separate bag or container and add right before eating.
• Storage – store assembled jars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To Serve – when you’re ready to eat, either shake the jar to distribute the dressing or dump it into a bowl and toss everything together.

Shop This Recipe

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• Glass Salad Jars with Wet/ Dry Insert Cups
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More Meal Prep Lunch Recipes to Love

• High Protein Pasta Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
• Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
• Edamame Quinoa Salad
• Chicken BLT Salad

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