Taco Salad in a Jar | Mason Jar Salad Recipe (2024)

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Have you tried making mason jar salads?! Give this taco salad in a jar a try and you’ll be hooked! This easy-to-make and prep salad is the perfect Weight Watchers ground turkey recipe.

Meal prepping stuff like these salads is a little bit of work early in the week and then it’s super easy to stay on track throughout the rest of the week. For Weight Watchers I highly recommend meal prepping when you can.

Life is must easier when there is something that you can grab and eat when you have to be on the go, when you have to work late or leave early, and especially when a craving strikes.

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Is this a mason jar salad?

Yes! It’s a type of mason jar salad and a great choice for making meal prep salads. You can, however, put this taco salad in any kind of jar that you like!

These plastic mason jars with lids are fabulous if you are taking your taco salad on the go or for kids who you don’t want to give glass jars to!

Is this a healthy taco salad recipe?

Of course it is a healthy taco salad option! With just a few healthy ingredients you can really enjoy these mason jar salads without any guilt.

If you are really trying to be healthy you can alter the ingredients really easily…just don’t add in the things like cheese and tortilla chips if you want a more healthy taco salad recipe.

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Is there a taco salad dressing to go with these salads?

I don’t normally use a taco salad dressing. To me the salsa and maybe a little sour cream do a good job of adding “dressing” to this salad recipe but you can certainly use a taco salad dressing if you like.

Ranch dressing would go really good with these taco salads or you can make a dressing with some salsa!Feel free to add some taco sauce to the recipe as well if you want a more “wet” salad that feels like it has dressing but is still sticking with the taco flavors.

Serve your salad with Weight Watchers Black Bean Soup, Vegetarian Weight Watchers Chili, or Weight Watchers Black Bean Salad.

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Do you have Weight Watchers info for this Taco Salad in a Jar?

This is a great low points salad for the week. If you make a batch of these you’ll have a great lunch choice each day without any extra work!It will also help keep you from eating unhealthy or high point lunch items when you are in a hurry.

Current Plan Points Information (December 2022):

Currently the Points Plus program these salads are 6 points each with +2 points for non-starchy veggies so you are earning those extra points with the veggies that are included in this one! You can also add things like bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, etc. if you want to bulk up the salad and add more veggies without adding much in the way of calories and points!

Remember to add your points if you change anything like brands or the ground turkey percentages, etc. If you add salsa or taco sauce that also changes the points and you can add the based on the brand and amount that you use!

Past Plan Point Information:

I sure do! Each jar has 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle points with chips on Purple and Blue or 6 points on Green.

Without chips, it’s 3 WW points on blue and purple or 5 points on green.

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How much does this salad in a jar recipe make?

This recipe will make about 4 salads. If you double the recipe you’ll have extras but I prefer to make 4 at a time. If you are making more than one type of salad you can always cut the recipe in half as well!

I usually make a whole batch of these salads in a jar for the week ahead of time.

That means that I can just dump them out into a bowl or eat them from the jar on my really busy days on the go.

My husband also likes to take them to work so he can just grab one in the morning or take them to work and keep them in the fridge there for a healthy lunch option.

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Here are some kitchen essentials to have on hand for recipes and meal prep:

Making healthy meals is a breeze with these kitchen essentials. Keeping things like this on hand makes my life so much easier in the kitchen.

Some things that are great to have on hand when prepping meals like this are a cutting board, sharp knives, and storage containers.

You can also benefit from a good skillet, a kitchen scale, measuring cups, and this awesome strainer tool!

How do I assemble these delicious taco salads in a jar? What are the taco salad ingredients?

You can find everything you need to know about building these salads in a jar as well as the taco salad ingredients right here:

Combine ground turkey and one can tomatoes with diced chilies in a skillet.

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Cook until browned, then add one package taco seasoning.

Cook according to package directions. Set aside to allow to cool.

Heat refried beans according to package instructions. Set aside to cool.

Fill each jar with one cup shredded lettuce.

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Top lettuce with tomatoes.

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Top tomatoes with shredded cheese.

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Top cheese with ground meat mixture.

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Spoon one tablespoon of sour cream on top of each jar.

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Garnish with crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Do you have any other delicious salad recipes I can try?

Here are some of our other favorite recipes that we think you’ll love! All of these great Weight Watchers are awesome for the whole family.

Gone are the days of having to make two separate dinners so that everyone will eat and be happy!

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PrintableTaco Salad in a Jar Recipe:

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Taco Salad in a Jar

Yield: 4 Salads

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Have you tried making mason jar salads?! Give this taco salad in a jar a try and you'll be hooked! This easy to make and prep salad is the perfect Weight Watchers lunch recipe.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups Lettuce, shredded
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 8 tablespoons shredded Mexican blend cheese, reduced fat
  • 1/2 pound 93/7 Ground Turkey cooked with
  • package of taco seasoning
  • 10 oz Can of tomatoes with diced chilies (Rotel is great)
  • 1 cup refried beans, fat free
  • 4 tablespoons sour cream, fat free
  • 20 tortilla chips, optional

Instructions

  1. Cook ground turkey with one package taco seasoning. and cook as directed on package.
  2. Add one can tomatoes with diced chilies to the skillet, stir well.
  3. Set aside to allow to cool.
  4. Heat refried beans according to package instructions. Set aside to cool.
  5. Fill each jar with one cup of shredded lettuce.
  6. Top lettuce with tomatoes.
  7. Top tomatoes with 2 tablespoons shredded cheese.
  8. Top cheese with ¼ cup ground beef mixture.
  9. Top ground beef with ¼ cup refried beans.
  10. Spoon one tablespoon sour cream on top of each jar.
  11. Garnish with 5 crushed tortilla chips (optional).

Notes

Yield: 4 Jars Each jar has 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle points with chips on Purple and Blue or 6 points on Green. Without chips it's 3 WW points on blue and purple or 5 points son green.

Points Plus Program: 6 per salad +2 points from non starchy veggies.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 938Total Fat 57gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 34gCholesterol 314mgSodium 797mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 7gSugar 5gProtein 80g

As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts, WW points and nutritional information varies greatly. As a result, your nutritional content depends on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish. The auto-calculation is just an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.

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This recipe is in no way authorized or associated with the Weight Watchers Program.

Taco Salad in a Jar | Mason Jar Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How are you supposed to eat mason jar salads? ›

You eat the salad right from the jar if you want! Just shake up the salad to mix it up, grab a fork and enjoy. This works well for an on-the-go lunch! Or, if you are at home, go ahead and pour the salad into a bowl.

Are Mason jar salads worth it? ›

They're perfect for meal prep! Prep a big batch of salad over the weekend, store them in five separate mason jars and you'll have a salad for each day of the week! They're perfect for a convenient, grab-and-go meal option. The flavor combos are endless so you'll never get bored!

How do you preserve salad in a jar? ›

Also, if you have a vacuum-sealer attachment for your canning jars, vacuum-sealing the salads right after assembling them will keep your greens and veggies even crisper and fresher.

What fast food makes a taco salad? ›

The Taco John's Taco Salad gives you the best of both worlds with crisp lettuce, cheddar cheese, salsa, tomatoes, and sour cream. You get 100% American beef (or can upgrade to grilled chicken or crunchy chicken) and your choice of dressing. We throw them all together in a crunchy tortilla bowl.

What size jar for jar salad? ›

A pint sized wide mouth Mason jar is perfect for this. But you could use a different container if you like. A pint, or two cups, is a good lunch sized portion for most folks. If you want, you can double the ingredients and use a quart sized jar for a more “family sized” salad.

Why do you have to eat bagged salad in 24 hours? ›

Specifically, the cells in the tissues release their contents, which serve as food for spoilage microorganisms, says Worobo. And since the leaves in bags and boxes are often pre-cut, they generally have a shorter shelf life (three to five days) than whole heads (one to two weeks) after the date of purchase.

Why do restaurant salads taste better than homemade? ›

Restaurants salt their salads.

"Salt is a big difference between salads at home and salads in a restaurant." This doesn't mean you have to make your salads salty! Just hold back some salt when seasoning your dressing.

What is the difference between a Mason jar and a jar? ›

All Mason jars are not created equal. They are remarkably similar to commercially used jars, but the biggest difference is that real Mason jars have a wider rim that gives them a better sealing surface.

Why are restaurant salads so much better than homemade? ›

A restaurant salad has salt on it.

Most good restaurants season salad carefully — probably adding salt and pepper directly to the greens, not just the dressing. If you don't usually add salt to your salads, try sprinkling in a little flaky sea salt next time and see if it doesn't taste 100% better.

How long does salad in a jar last? ›

If layered properly, salads in a jar will stay fresh for up to 4-5 days. Just keep in mind that different ingredients will stay fresh for different periods of time. So, if you're preparing for the week, plan on eating your salad jars before other items.

Why does aluminum foil keep lettuce fresh? ›

"Aluminum does not, on its own, have any specific synergies with lettuce. If it's protective it's either protecting it from drying out or it has just the right permeability to allow the lettuce to breathe without drying it out (aluminum foil IS permeable)," says Nestrud.

Does lettuce keep better in a glass jar? ›

Ample circulation of air is key to keeping lettuce crisp and fresh for longer. For this reason, an air-tight plastic or glass storage container may be preferable over a bag. A container allows the leaves more room so they don't get squished or bruised during storage, allows air circulation within the container.

What is on Wendy's taco salad? ›

Try our freshly made salads with our hearty lettuce blend to find your favorite: Taco Salad: Looking for extra crunch and spice? It's Taco Salad time! This fan-favorite is made fresh daily with crunchy romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips, and our famous chili.

What is Wendy's taco salad made of? ›

What's on a taco salad at Wendy's? 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.

What is the taco shell of a taco salad made of? ›

Flour tortillas or tortilla chips: I like to make my own baked taco salad shells with flour tortillas (see instructions below), but store bought bowls or tortilla chips also work. If you make taco salad often, these baking molds are fun to make perfect shaped shells from any size tortilla.

What is the proper way to eat a salad? ›

A salad (in any form) is not considered a finger food, just like say, pasta, for instance. Salads are prepared specifically to be eaten with utensils, notably a fork but sometimes a spoon as well depending on the salad at hand (example, bean salad).

How should salad be served? ›

Serving salad after the main course of a meal is an older tradition in Italy, and nowadays it is usually observed at large and formal dinners rather than during everyday meals. Eating a salad after a meal can help digestion, while eating one before a meal may help discourage overeating.

Do you eat salad on a plate or bowl? ›

I understand many people grew up eating salad this way, as a side dish rather than as an appetizer, but here's the thing: salad is cold food. It tastes better served on a cold plate.

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