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This Ground Venison Taco Salad is a great way to use up leftover deer taco meat. A bed of crispy romaine gets topped with your favorite veggies and drizzled with a cilantro lime ranch that’s equal parts zesty and zippy. Don’t forget the crushed tortilla chips on top for extra crunch!
No leftover taco meat? No problem! Just combine ground deer meat and your favorite packet of taco seasoning and you’ll have this fast and fresh dinner done in no time! This is a great ground venison recipe to have in your back pocket!
You may also consider my Korean-inspired ground venison, ground venison stroganoff, and one-pan venison hamburger helper for more quick dinner inspiration!
Let’s take a gander at the ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Venison Taco Meat – I like to make this salad the day after we have ground venison tacos, both are major staples in our house! You can make the taco meat fresh the day of if you’d like.
Vegetables – We use a blend of veggies that we serve with tacos or on top of cheesy venison enchiladas. Anything you like you can use! You could even get fancy and sauté some peppers and onions so it’s more like a Chipotle salad.
Jalapeños – I’ve used both fresh and jarred peppers in the jazzed up ranch and they both work great.
Ranch - I’ve also used both homemade and bottled ranch and you can use whichever you prefer or whatever is easier.
Because that’s the idea with this recipe (I even hesitate to call it a “recipe” really), let’s keep it easy and quick and enjoyable.
We just want to spice up our ranch, heat up our taco meat, cut up veggies, add some salsa if we feel like it, and pile it all on top of some lettuce. Easy, peasy!
Assembling the venison taco salad
This is a very brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
And that’s really it! Go forth and eat your tacos with a fork!
Ground Venison Taco Salad (Great for Leftovers)
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
For the cilantro lime ranch:
- 1 cup Ranch dressing
- 1 cup Cilantro leaves, loosely packed
- 1 Lime, zested and juiced
- 1 Jalapeño
For the venison taco salad:
- 1 cup Venison taco meat, warmed from leftover or made fresh
- 4 cups Shredded romaine lettuce
- ½ cup Fresh corn kernels, for serving
- ½ cup Cherry tomato halves, for serving
- ½ cup Diced bell peppers, for serving
- ½ cup Sliced radishes, for serving
- Avocado, for serving
- ¼ cup Cotija cheese, for serving
- ½ cup crushed tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
For the cilantro lime ranch:
- In the bowl of a food processor or blender (I like to use a Nutribullet), combine 1 cup ranch dressing, 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, the zest and juice of 1 lime, and 1 jalapeño (seeds and ribs removed for less spice). Blend until smooth and set aside.
For the venison taco salad:
- Reheat your taco meat or prepare from scratch using your favorite packet of taco seasoning (I love using leftover taco meat from previous meals).
- Add the romaine to a large bowl or deep plate. Top with the prepared taco meat, and your choice of vegetables such as corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, radishes, and avocado. Add cotija cheese (or another kind) and crushed tortilla chips.
- Drizzle with the cilantro lime ranch before serving. Store any remaining dressing for up to five days.
Notes
- Nutrition facts calculated without the addition of salad dressing (as people will use a different amount)
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