This Instant Pot Taco Meat is the perfect filling for taco salad jars. Make it with your choice of ground beef, chicken or turkey!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – any neutral oil like canola oil or avocado oil can be used instead.
- Ground beef – make your taco meat with ground turkey or ground chicken for a healthier option.
- Taco seasoning – use store-bought taco seasoning or make your own using a blend of chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika and oregano.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic or even garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Yellow onion – white onion, red onion or shallots would all be good substitutes.
- Water – chicken broth is a flavourful alternative to water.
- Salt – to taste.
- Salsa – store-bought salsa or jarred is recommended for easy meal prep, but you can also use homemade salsa.
- Corn – use another vegetable of your choice or leave this out altogether.
- Black beans – use kidney beans or pinto beans or leave the beans out altogether.
- Cherry tomatoes – any chopped tomatoes will work.
- Romaine lettuce – use another kind of lettuce like iceberg.
- Tortilla chips – feel free to leave these out for a low-carb option.
How to make taco meat in the Instant Pot
- Add the first 7 ingredients to the Instant Pot in order.
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure.
- Drain any excess liquid.
- Layer your taco salad jars as desired.
Taco salad jars
If you’re looking for a low-carb and meal prep-friendly alternative to classic tacos, these taco salad jars are where it’s at! They’re a healthy and delicious meal option that you can prep ahead of time and they’re so easy to make. Add on whatever toppings you’re craving like corn, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips and more.
Layering is key when it comes to ensuring that your taco salad stays as fresh as possible. Layer your salad jars in the following order so they don’t get soggy:
- Start with a layer of salsa on the bottom.
- Spoon in the taco meat.
- Add on the corn, black beans and cherry tomatoes.
- Finish off with the lettuce and voila!
Frequently Asked Questions
Ground beef is one of the most popular taco meats, but you can also use this recipe to make ground turkey or ground chicken taco meat for a healthier alternative.
For those of you that are new to the Instant Pot, I know that a 3-minute cook time on ground turkey seems too good to be true, and technically it is! đŸ˜‰ The pot actually takes about 10 to 15 minutes to preheat before it pressure cooks for 3 minutes, so the total cooking time is around 15 minutes.
Taco salads are typically made with taco meat and your favourite taco fixings, served over a bed of lettuce instead of wrapped into tortillas or taco shells. I like to make my taco salad with taco meat, salsa, corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce and tortilla chips, but you can include whatever toppings you want.
Storing and reheating
These mason jar taco salads are meal prep friendly! After you’ve layered your salad jars, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. There’s no need to reheat them – once you’re ready to enjoy your salad, just pour the contents into a bowl before eating.
If you’re storing the taco meat by itself, it should last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or sauté it in a pan on the stovetop then use it to make fresh tacos or taco salad.
Freezing the taco meat
While you can’t freeze taco salad, you can make the taco meat in advance and freeze it for up to 4 months. You’ll want to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before adding it to your salad jars or using it to make fresh tacos.
More Instant Pot taco recipes
- Instant Pot Ground Turkey Tacos
- Instant Pot Flank Steak Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Birria Tacos
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
is the version I use in this recipe. - These are the mason jars I use!
- And of course I get all my free-range ground poultry from Butcher Box!
is the version I use in this recipe.
Instant Pot Taco Meat {+Taco Salad Jars}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 jar salsa
- 1 cup corn
- 1 can black beans
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 cup tortilla chips
Instructions
- Add olive oil, onions, garlic, salt, ground meat, taco seasoning and water to Instant Pot and mix around breaking up meat. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10-15 min to preheat then the 3 min to pressure cook.
- Do a quick release of the pressure and open the lid when safe to do so. Drain any excess liquid that remains the meat.
- In 4 1L sized mason jars, layer in salsa, taco meat, corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes and lettuce in that order, topping with chips if desired or packing chips in a separate plastic bag so they remain fresh. Jars will keep in fridge for up to 5 days.
