If you’re anything like us, the easier a meal is to prepare, the more delicious it tastes. After all, who wants to come home after a long day at work (or play) and spend hours in the kitchen? Not us. That’s why easy, recipes like this Healthy Elk Taco Salad from Miss Allie’s Kitchen are so great. It’s tasty, fast, and like the name suggests, also healthy. Win, win and win!

Prep in in advance, serve it as a main or a side, and modify it according to your preferences and diet. Doing Keto? Fabulous. This will work with a few tweaks. Hate tomatoes? Leave ’em out! Don’t have any elk? Use Venison! Make this salad your own.

A note on swapping meats: You can directly replace venison for elk (as mentioned above) but if you’re using beef, turkey or bison, reduce the apple cider vinegar to 1 teaspoon.

Recipe & Photography by Allie Doran of Miss Allie’s Kitchen.

Recipe: Healthy Elk Taco Salad

Ingredients: For Taco Meat

• 1 lb. Ground Elk (or Ground Venison – See Notes)
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
• 3 Tsp. Cumin
• 2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp. Onion Powder
• 3/4 Tsp. Salt
• 1/2 Tsp. Pepper
• 1 Pinch Cayenne (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Water

Ingredients: For Taco Salad

• Cooked, Seasoned Elk Taco Meat
• 8 Cups Chopped Romaine Lettuce
• 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
• 1 Cup Corn (Canned, frozen, fresh – whatever works!)
• 1 Avocado, Sliced
• 2 Jalapenos, Sliced (optional)
• About 1 Cup Crushed Tortilla Chips
• About 1/3 Cup Healthy Taco Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing (or dressing of choice)
• Any other taco ingredients you love!!!

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Brown the elk and then add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook for 2 additional minutes.
3. Add the water and cook down for 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Divide the lettuce evenly between 4 bowls, or make one large salad.
5. Top each bowl or the large bowl with the elk meat, tomatoes, corn, avocado, jalapenos, tortilla chips, and dressing. Serve!

Note 1: You can directly replace venison for elk but if you’re using beef, turkey or bison, reduce the apple cider vinegar to 1 teaspoon.

Note 2: If prepping in advance, assemble individual salads and top with dressing and tortilla chips when ready to serve!

Looking for more Ground Elk, Ground Venison or Ground Bison Recipes? Here are a few of our favorites:

• Asian-Inspired Elk Spring Rolls
• Cozy Venison Shepherd’s Pie
• Open-Fire Venison Cowboy Chili
• Bison Sliders with Sweet Potato Fry Buns