Elevate Your Taco Night: Delicious BBQ Steak Taco Salads with Homemade Tortilla Bowls

Tired of the same old taco routine? It’s time to revolutionize your weeknight meals with these irresistible BBQ Steak Taco Salads, served gloriously in homemade edible tortilla bowls. This recipe isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience, allowing everyone at the table to personalize their dish with an array of vibrant toppings. The best part? When the last bite of savory steak and fresh greens is gone, you get to eat the bowl! It’s a fun, family-friendly concept that promises to make dinner exciting again.

The Ultimate Family-Friendly Dinner Solution

Our household shares a profound love for Mexican cuisine, but like many families, we face the classic dinner dilemma: how to please diverse palates with one meal. Traditional taco nights often highlight these differences. Some family members are staunch advocates for crunchy hard shells, while others prefer the soft, pliable embrace of flour tortillas. The topping preferences can be equally varied; my husband and I enjoy the fresh burst of tomatoes, but the kids prefer a simpler combination of crisp lettuce, flavorful meat, and gooey cheese. And don’t even get me started on avocado – it’s either devoured with gusto or met with utter disdain!

This is precisely where BBQ Steak Taco Salads with Homemade Tortilla Bowls shine as the ultimate family dinner solution. The beauty of this recipe lies in its inherent customizability. Each person can craft their salad exactly to their liking, selecting their favorite ingredients and adjusting spice levels without requiring multiple separate meals. My husband and I can add a generous kick of heat, while the kids can keep things mild and familiar. It’s a true win-win situation, transforming mealtime from a negotiation into a delightful culinary adventure that everyone looks forward to.

Wholesome Ingredients for a Nutritious Twist on Taco Night

Beyond finding meals my kids will genuinely enjoy, my priority is always to serve healthy, wholesome dinners. While it’s undeniably convenient to grab a package of pre-made taco shells, brown some ground meat, and arrange a few basic toppings, I strive to incorporate healthier, more nutrient-dense options into our family’s diet. These BBQ Steak Taco Salads offer an ideal opportunity to do just that, layering flavor with significant nutritional benefits. By making mindful choices with our ingredients, we transform a classic comfort food into a balanced and energizing meal.

For the base of these vibrant bowls, I thoughtfully added a blend of rice, black beans, and corn. The rice, in particular, gets a healthy upgrade with Minute Multi-Grain Medley. This fantastic blend features a wholesome combination of brown rice, red rice, wild rice, and quinoa, all in one convenient package. It’s a 100% whole grain option that tastes superb and cooks in just 10 minutes – simply boil in the bag! This makes it an incredibly simple and quick addition, perfectly suited for busy weeknight meal preparation without compromising on nutrition or flavor. Choosing whole grains provides sustained energy and essential fiber, contributing to overall digestive health and satiety.

When it came to selecting the protein for these BBQ Steak Taco Salads, I opted for top sirloin steak. This cut is a leaner choice compared to standard ground beef, offering fewer calories and less saturated fat, while still packing a powerful protein punch. Protein is crucial for muscle repair, growth, and keeping you feeling full and satisfied. To further boost the protein content and add an extra layer of nutrition, I incorporated black beans. These humble legumes are not only rich in vital nutrients but also provide a generous dose of dietary fiber, which is essential for heart health, blood sugar regulation, and digestive wellness. Finally, the sweet corn, freshly shucked right off the cob, contributes an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It adds a delightful sweetness and a burst of color, offering an extra boost of heart-healthy deliciousness. All these thoughtful ingredient choices culminate in what I proudly consider a truly healthy and satisfying taco salad.

Unleashing the Versatility: Customization Beyond Imagination

One of the most appealing aspects of this BBQ Steak Taco Salad recipe is its incredible versatility. It serves as a fantastic blueprint, allowing you to adapt it to your family’s preferences, dietary needs, or whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand. Don’t feel limited by steak – the possibilities for protein are endless!

Consider swapping the top sirloin for other delicious options:

• Chicken: Shredded rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken strips offer a lighter alternative.
• Ground Turkey: A lean and flavorful choice, especially when seasoned well.
• Ground Beef: For a more traditional taco flavor, lean ground beef works perfectly.
• No Meat at All: Make it a vegetarian delight by focusing on extra beans, more vegetables, and perhaps some grilled halloumi or tofu for a protein boost.

The vegetable components are equally flexible. Think beyond the basic lettuce and tomatoes! You can truly load up your salad with a rainbow of fresh produce. Some popular additions include:

• Crisp bell peppers, thinly sliced, in various colors for visual appeal and a sweet crunch.
• Shredded carrots for an earthy sweetness and added fiber.
• Briny black olives, sliced, for a savory depth.
• Fresh spinach or kale, gently massaged, to boost greens intake.
• Red onion, finely diced, for a pungent kick.
• Sliced radishes for a peppery bite.

And let’s not forget the dressings! While a simple squeeze of lime juice is often enough, a drizzle of your favorite dressing can elevate the flavors. My husband is particularly fond of adding Catalina dressing to his taco salad, which provides a sweet and tangy contrast to the savory steak. Other great options include a classic ranch, a creamy chipotle dressing, a zesty cilantro-lime vinaigrette, or even a simple sour cream or Greek yogurt dollop for creaminess. Feel free to experiment and find your perfect combination!

Flavor Fusion and the Magic of Homemade Tortilla Bowls

The distinctive flavor profile of these BBQ Steak Taco Salads comes from a delightful combination of tangy BBQ sauce and a robust BBQ Spice Rub. This pairing infuses the steak with a smoky, slightly sweet, and savory character that stands out from typical taco seasonings. However, the choice of seasoning is entirely up to you and your palate. If you prefer a more classic Mexican flavor, feel free to use your favorite taco seasoning or fajita seasoning. Alternatively, if your chosen BBQ sauce is already rich in spices, it might be all you need to achieve a wonderfully flavorful steak.

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show: the fun, homemade tortilla bowls. These edible vessels elevate the entire dining experience! I discovered these fantastic tortilla bowl makers on Amazon, and I honestly can’t recommend them enough. They’ve proven to be incredibly durable and reliable, never failing to create perfectly crispy, golden-brown bowls. Mine typically take just 10 minutes in a preheated oven, emerging perfectly shaped and ready to be filled. Before owning these, I used to buy the refrigerated, paper-lined taco bowls from the grocery store. While convenient, the cost quickly adds up. After just two purchases, you’ve already spent enough to invest in a reusable set from Amazon, making them a truly justified and economical purchase for any taco enthusiast. They are a game-changer for reducing waste and ensuring consistently delicious results.

If you don’t have specialized tortilla bowl molds, don’t worry! You can still create edible bowls using a standard muffin tin. Simply turn the muffin tin upside down, spray the back of the cups lightly with cooking spray, and gently drape tortillas between four cups, pressing them lightly to form a bowl shape. Bake them until they’re golden and crisp, and you’ll have perfectly serviceable, homemade edible bowls!

Dive into Deliciousness: Your Next Weeknight Masterpiece

Just one look at these magnificent BBQ Steak Taco Salads nestled in their Homemade Tortilla Bowls, and you can practically taste the vibrant flavors! It’s the kind of meal that makes you want to reach right through the screen and savor every bite. Our family’s love for Mexican food runs deep, which means I’m often whipping up enchiladas, burritos, or tacos at a moment’s notice. The inherent speed and ease of preparing such dishes make them staples in our kitchen, especially with busy schedules and school starting right around the corner. We all need those go-to, quick, and satisfying meals that don’t compromise on flavor or nutrition, and this recipe fits the bill perfectly. So, go ahead, gather your ingredients, ignite your culinary spirit, and dive into this incredible meal. Olé!

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BBQ Steak Taco Salads with Homemade Tortilla Bowls

Prep 15 mins

Cook 25 mins

Total 40 mins

Author Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Yield 4

Switch up your boring ol’ taco night and serve up these delicious BBQ Steak Taco Salads with Homemade Tortilla Bowls. Kids will love to personalize their own salad with a variety of toppings and they’ll love to eat the bowl when they’re finished.

Ingredients

• 1 pound top sirloin steak, cubed
• 1 Tablespoon, BBQ Spice Rub (or rub of choice)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s)
• 2 cups rice, cooked (I used Minute® – Multi-Grain Medley)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Toppings: lettuce, cheese, corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, use whatever you’d like.

Instructions

1. Place cubed steak into a resealable bag and add spice rub. Close bag and rub spices into meat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Take steak out of refrigerator and let rest for 10 minutes before adding to skillet.
2. Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and add oil. Sauté the steak for 3 to 4 minutes until browned. Reduce heat to low and add in your BBQ sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until the meat is tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook your rice according to package directions.
4. To make shells:
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook shells for 10 minutes. If you do not have a tortilla bowl maker, you can use a muffin tin upside down, sprayed with cooking spray, and lay the tortillas in the space between 4 cups.
6. To prepare bowls:
7. Start by placing 1/4 cup of rice in the bottom of each bowl. Next, add in a little bit of your produce. I like to add in the hardier ingredients like corn, black beans, and a few tomatoes. Then, add in your steak and top with cheese, avocado, more tomatoes, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Notes

Recipe adapted from: Hyvee Burrito Bowls

Courses Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Enjoy this fantastic meal, and if you whip up these BBQ Steak Taco Salads, be sure to share a photo on social media and tag it with #strawberryblondiekitchen. I absolutely love seeing your delicious creations!