This Wendy's Taco Salad recipe is an almost exact copycat of the fast food chain's famous salad. You'll learn how to make the Wendy's chili recipe too!
Ingredients and substitutions
Wendy’s chili
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Yellow onions – white onions or shallots would also work.
- Celery – fennel or carrots can be used instead.
- Extra-lean ground beef – make this chili even healthier using ground turkey or chicken.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Chili powder – make your own using a blend of cumin, paprika and cayenne.
- Cumin – use some extra chili powder or coriander instead.
- Coriander – add in more cumin if you don’t have any coriander on hand.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Pinto beans – black beans, cannellini beans or chickpeas would all be good too.
- Kidney beans – add in some extra pinto beans or black beans.
- Can crushed tomatoes – canned diced tomatoes would also work here.
- Beef broth – chicken or vegetable broth can be used, but it won’t have the same flavour.
Salad
- Romaine lettuce – butterhead or iceberg lettuce are both similar or you can use a healthier option like kale or spinach.
- Beefsteak tomato – or any kind of tomato you have on hand.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – substitute for another shredded cheese like Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
- Tortilla chips – tortilla strips would also work or you can add wonton strips for a bit of crunch.
- Sour cream – plain Greek yogurt is a healthier option but has a different flavour.
- Salsa – use your favourite jarred salsa, fresh salsa or homemade pico de gallo.
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How to make Wendy's taco salad
- Make the chili.
- Assemble the salad.
- Add the chili over top.
- Serve and enjoy!
Making homemade tortilla chips
If you want to make this Wendy’s taco salad even healthier, make your own homemade baked tortilla chips! It’s super easy. Here’s how to make them:
- Cut corn tortillas into triangles and lightly brush them with oil.
- Place the chips in one even layer on a large baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake the chips in an oven at 350° Fahrenheit for about 10-12 minutes. Watch the chips closely to make sure they don’t burn or get too brown.
If you're watching your calories, you can also leave the tortilla chips out altogether – personally I didn't find that I needed them to enjoy this salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
Wendy’s taco salad is a delicious salad made iceberg and romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese and Wendy’s signature chili, served with tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa on the side.
If you focus on fresh, healthy ingredients, a homemade version of Wendy’s taco salad can provide a good balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates and provide ample amounts of fibre, vitamin C, calcium and iron. To make this salad even healthier, use non-fried corn tortilla chips, low-sodium and low-fat ingredients where possible, drain and rinse the canned beans, and substitute the ground beef for a leaner protein like ground turkey.
According to the Wendy’s website, the total calorie count will vary according to size and toppings. A full-size Taco Salad has 620 calories, of which 260 of those calories are from fat. A half-size Taco Salad has 470 calories, of which 200 of those calories are from fat. In comparison, my taco salad Wendy’s recipe has 372 calories for a full serving, so you’re saving calories and money by making it at home.
Storing and reheating
My biggest meal prep hack for this taco salad Wendy’s recipe is to use mason jars!
Layer the chili into the bottom of the jars, then add the cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and pack the tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa on the side. This way the chili doesn't make the veggies soggy and you can enjoy this salad at work for up to 3 or 4 days. Just make sure you use a large bowl to serve your mason jar salads in when the time comes to eat them.
There are also these super cool bento box meal prep containers so you can keep the chili and veggies separate so that is also an option when it comes to meal prepping this taco salad.
Can you freeze Wendy's chili?
While you can’t freeze the entire salad, you can freeze the chili! It’s a great option for meal prep. You'll have a quick and convenient batch of chili ready for a busy weeknight, whether you want to eat the chili on its own or use it to make a fresh taco salad.
It freezes best in single serving portions or family-sized servings. If stored properly, frozen chili can last from 3 to 6 months. After it’s cooled, transfer it to airtight glass containers or Ziploc bags and freeze. When you’re ready to enjoy, you can reheat right from frozen for 6 to 7 minutes in the microwave or let it defrost in the fridge then reheat for 2 to 3 minutes.
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More delicious salad recipes
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some bento box meal prep bowls to separate the ingredients and enjoy this salad for work week lunches.
- You can also grab some mason jars to layer the lettuce at the top so it doesn't get soggy.
- I get all my free-range ground chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get some small glass bowls with lids to freeze the chili.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Wendy's Taco Salad {Perfect Copycat!}
Ingredients
Wendy's Chili recipe
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (398mL) can crushed tomatoes (or 1/2 of a 796mL can)
- 1 cup beef broth
Salad
- 1 bunch romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 beefsteak tomato, sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Tortilla chips, to serve
- Sour cream, for topping
- Salsa, for topping
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Add onions and celery, sauteeing for 2-3 minutes until veggies soften. Add ground beef and brown for another 2-3 minutes before adding garlic, chili powder, coriander, salt & pepper. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes until flavours develop.
- Add kidney beans, pinto beans, tomatoes and beef broth, then bring to a boil. Lower heat to med-low then cover with a lid and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- While chili is cooking, assemble salad. Top salad with chili and tortilla chips, then serve and enjoy!
- If meal prepping as lunches: Add chili to the bottom of mason jars, then layer in cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and pack tortilla chips in a separate bag. This way veggies will stay fresh for the week (lasts in fridge 3-5 days).
- If freezing chili: freeze in round glass containers with lids once cooled up to 3 months. Reheat in microwave for 6-7 minutes when ready to serve, stirring halfway through.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Zo says
Best taco salad and chili recipe
Jessica says
This was such a good meal!! It tastes just like the Wendy’s version I am so happy I found this recipe!!
Kaitlyn says
If you’re making these in mason jars for meal prep, does that mean that you eat the chili cold?
Taylor Stinson says
Yes that would probably be the easiest way to eat it! Otherwise you can pack the chili separately and heat from there 🙂
Maurine Allen says
This was delicious. The perfect way to have chili in the hot weather!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed it Maurine! 🙂