Free taco salad batch calculator. Enter servings to find the salad and tortilla chips you need for a taco salad crowd, with taco meat planning help.
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Enter the number of taco salad servings. This taco salad batch calculator multiplies servings by 200 grams of salad and 40 grams of tortilla chips, because one taco salad serving holds about 200 grams of mixed salad and about 40 grams of crunchy chips. The formula is shown on the page: salad = servings × 200, chips = servings × 40. For 20 servings you need 4000 grams of salad and 800 grams of chips. Taco meat is planned separately: allow about 4 to 6 ounces of cooked taco meat per serving, which means about 1/3 pound of raw ground beef per person, since meat loses about 25 percent of its weight when cooked. Use the meat, serving size and chip sections below to finish the plan.
Serving size depends on who is eating. As a guide, women eat about 1 to 1.5 cups, men and teens about 1.5 to 2 cups, kids about 1 cup and toddlers about half a cup. This calculator plans 200 grams of salad per serving, which is a generous taco salad plate. For 20 servings you need 4000 grams of salad; for 50 servings, 10000 grams. If taco salad is a side dish rather than the main course, enter fewer servings than your guest count.
A meaty taco salad holds about 4 to 6 ounces of cooked ground beef per serving: 4 ounces is light, 5 ounces is moderate and 6 ounces is meaty. Meat loses about 25 percent of its weight when cooked, so 4 ounces cooked needs about 5.33 ounces raw, or about 1/3 pound of raw ground beef per person. For 20 people at 1/3 pound each, buy about 6.7 pounds raw; for 50 people, about 16.7 pounds. Round up to whole pounds, since packages come in set sizes and a little extra beats running out.
Always plan by raw weight. One pound of 80/20 ground chuck cooks to about 12 ounces, a loss of about 25 percent, while leaner 90/10 beef cooks to about 13 to 14 ounces. Chicken loses about 18 percent, carnitas pork about 35 percent, and beans lose nothing, which makes beans the cheapest way to stretch a batch. For a taco salad, buy raw meat by the cooked portion you want, not by the raw weight you wish you needed.
A classic taco salad recipe build is seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, olives, beans and crushed tortilla chips with a creamy dressing. Crowd recipes use about 1 pound of beef with a head of lettuce, tomatoes and cheese for roughly 10 to 14 servings, scaled up for larger groups. Season with about 1 standard packet, or 2 tablespoons, of taco seasoning per pound of raw meat, and simmer the seasoned meat for 5 to 10 minutes so flavors meld. For toppings, allow about 1.5 ounces of cheese and about 2 ounces of salsa per guest as a starting point.
This calculator plans 40 grams of tortilla chips per serving. Add chips and dressing just before serving, never hours ahead, or the chips go soggy. Keep the beef mixture warm in a slow cooker and the lettuce, tomatoes and cheese chilled in separate bowls, then toss together at serving time. If salad does go soggy in the fridge, crunch fresh chips over the top before serving again. For a taco salad bar, let guests build their own bowls so chips stay crisp.
Use this taco salad bar checklist: ground beef or turkey, taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, olives, beans, corn, onion, avocado, sour cream, salsa, dressing and tortilla chips. For variations, swap beef for shredded chicken, seasoned turkey or black beans for a vegetarian batch, and offer corn tortillas for gluten free guests. A vegan batch uses seasoned beans with peppers and onions instead of meat or cheese. Label spicy items so guests are not surprised.
The beef mixture can be made a day ahead, stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated gently before serving. Chop lettuce, tomatoes and onions ahead, but keep dressing and chips separate until serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Leftover taco meat also works in tacos, nachos, burritos or a breakfast scramble the next day.
About 4 to 6 ounces of cooked taco meat per serving, which is about 1/3 pound of raw ground beef per person. Use 4 ounces for a light salad and 6 ounces for a meaty one.
About 6.7 pounds of raw ground beef at 1/3 pound per person. For 50 people, about 16.7 pounds. Round up to whole pounds for pack sizes.
Meat loses about 25 percent of its weight when cooked. One pound of 80/20 ground beef cooks to about 12 ounces, so 4 ounces cooked needs about 5.33 ounces raw.
About 1 standard packet, or 2 tablespoons, of taco seasoning per pound of raw ground meat. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes after seasoning so flavors meld.
Add chips and dressing just before serving, and keep the beef warm and the salad chilled in separate bowls until then. Crunch fresh chips over leftovers before serving again.
Yes. Cook the beef a day ahead and reheat gently, chop vegetables ahead, but keep dressing and chips separate until serving time.
Seasoned black beans with sauteed peppers and onions, plus lettuce, tomatoes, cheese or a dairy free alternative, avocado and chips. Beans lose no weight in cooking, so they stretch a batch cheaply.
Children eat about 1 cup compared with 1.5 to 2 cups for adults, and children under 10 count as about half a portion. Count kids at half servings when you enter servings.