Copycat Wendy's Taco Salad Recipe

Fast-crafted salads are taking over the industry. And thanks to chef and recipe developer Liz Capozzoli of Owl Baking, a copycat Wendy's Taco Salad recipe can take over your kitchen. Picture this: in 15 minutes, you can have this crunchy and satisfying dish for lunch or dinner — without actually having to drive to Wendy's.

"The difficulty level is easy," Capozzoli says. "Other than making the chili, there's no other cooking involved. Just some measuring, cutting, and assembling!"

And if you're wondering if this copycat Wendy's Taco Salad is sufficient by itself, you can rest easy knowing it's definitely a full meal. "I think this salad is good to go on its own," Capozzoli explains. "The chili is very filling and the salad hits all the senses — creamy, crunchy, crispy. It has freshness from the vegetables and a little spice from the ancho chili in the salsa. I can't think of anything else to pair it with. It kind of made me crave a Frosty after, though."

Frosty or no Frosty, don't be surprised when this copycat Wendy's Taco Salad recipe becomes your go-to dish.

First, you'll need to gather the ingredients for this mouthwatering copycat recipe. You'll need one (14.5-ounce) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, half of a small white onion (finely diced), chopped cilantro, half of a jalapeño (finely diced),  garlic powder, onion powder, ancho chili powder, salt, granulated sugar, and lime juice. You'll also need two medium-sized heads of romaine lettuce, two to three fresh tomatoes, shredded yellow cheddar cheese, two cups of prepared Copycat Wendy's Chili (warmed), low-fat sour cream, and 20 round corn tortilla chips.

While already prepared Copycat Wendy's Chili is used to make this taco salad a true copycat recipe, you can use whatever prepared chili you have on hand, or perhaps you have your own chili recipe you'd like to incorporate. 

Start by making the salsa. You'll begin by partially pureeing the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, using either an immersion blender or a food processor. This process should only take a few pulses. You don't want to completely blend the tomatoes, and there should be some chunks of tomatoes visible.

If you don't have an immersion blender or a food processor, you're still in luck. "A [regular] blender would suffice," Capozzoli says. "The salsa ingredients shouldn't be completely blended. Just one or two quick pulses is all that's needed. The goal is to keep the salsa chunky. It can be easy to overdo it!"

You'll then add the prepared fire-roasted tomatoes to a medium bowl. Next, you'll stir in the white onion, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, onion powder, ancho chili powder, salt, sugar, and lime juice. Your salsa is now finished. Set it aside for when you assemble the salad.

Capozzoli used Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, but as long as you can find fire-roasted tomatoes, your recipe is going to be *chef's kiss* perfect.

Next, on a large cutting board, you'll chop the romaine lettuce.

After chopping the lettuce, you'll dice the fresh tomatoes. The lettuce will, of course, be used for the salad part of the taco salad, and the diced fresh tomatoes will be used to sprinkle on the salad. Keep in mind that these are different from the tomatoes used to make the salsa, as the salsa tomatoes are canned and fire-roasted. The fresh tomatoes for this step are the ones you chop yourself.

It's almost time to eat. But first, you'll need to assemble the taco salad. You'll distribute the lettuce and tomatoes equally in two large bowls. Then, sprinkle the cheese on each salad. You will then add one cup of the prepared chili on top of the lettuce in each bowl. Next, you'll add about two tablespoons of the salsa mix to each salad.

Finally, you'll top the salads with two tablespoons of sour cream each, and then scatter tortilla chips around the salads. Serve to your closest confidant and enjoy!