Gluten Free Crock Pot BBQ Taco Salad. A tasty Taco Salad with a little BBQ Bean and Beef kick! Easy to make in the crock pot, healthy, and perfect to use for multiple meals!
Well guys, it’s time to enjoy a Monday off! But you know what that means…
Labor day is here and Summer is officially coming to an end soon! I know many of you are out there soaking up the last bit of sunshine and Barbecue, which is why I have a BBQ recipe for you today combined with a Taco recipe you can enjoy Tuesday (Taco Tuesday). Consider this my farewell to Summer recipe. Pretty soon pumpkin will take it’s place!
That being said, I did not BBQ grill this meat. Gasp! I know, it’s way to hot here to do that. In fact, it all (minus the salad) went in the crock pot, yet again. I know what you’re thinking.
Why in the world is she on a crock pot kick?
And I kindly reply —> because it’s 100F here. I don’t feel like sweating much more outside by the grill. Haha!
Honestly, there are some major health perks to slow cooking foods in the crock pot. I think I mentioned them in this post. But’s talk about slow cooking beans a little more, shall we?
- Slow cooking meats and beans perserves more of it’s nutrients (versus cooking on extreme high heat)
- Soaking then Slow cooking beans allows for more (but not all) phytic acid to be broken down. Learn more about phytic acid here.
- Rinsing and Slow Cooking beans can help reduce raffinose. Raffinose is a sugar found in beans. Many have a hard time digesting raffinose since humans don’t have the enzyme to break it down. Raffinose is similar to lactose, some can tolerate, others can’t. It’s best to ferment or slow cook beans for ease of digestion..
To conclude —> You’re tummy with thank you! And maybe then those beans won’t be called the “musical fruit.” If you get what I’m saying. Not to “toot” my own horn or anything, but I am getting pretty darn good at slow cooking foods for better digestion, haha. Pun intended. 😉
Okay, moving on to this recipe. There are two ways to make it. The faster way and the super easy but longer and more friendly to your gut way. I’m going got give you both. Because, let’s face it, sometimes (a lot of times) we need the faster recipe version just in case.
Crock Pot BBQ Taco Salad
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Crock Pot BBQ Taco Salad {Gluten Free}
Ingredients
CROCK POT FIXINGS:
- 1 lb ground beef (lean)
- 1 cup pinto beans (or 2 cups canned and rinsed pinto beans)
- ½ cup salsa or pico de gallo
- 2 tsp BBQ seasoning (rub)
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- ½ tsp garlic
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)
- dash of black pepper and sea salt
SALAD FOR ONE FIXINGS:
- 3–5 cup lettuce/greens mix
- ½ cup diced grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup diced zucchini
- Bacon crumbles
- Parmesan
- Chili flakes
- Optional sour cream topping. (I mixed 2 tablespoon greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon sour cream)
Instructions
- First brown your meat in a skillet, drain the fat, and set aside.
- If you are going to use beans (not canned), first soak them and rinse. It’s best to soak overnight but if you don’t have time, then that’s fine. Place them in crock, add your seasoning and sauces, keep on low for 2 hrs, then add browned meat and cook high for another 3 hrs or so.
- Stir halfway drain any extra grease from meat.
- If you are going to use canned beans, rinse them thoroughly, and place in the crock pot with meat and sauces. cook on low for 5 -6 hrs or high for 3 to 4 hrs. Check half and stir with spoon. Then spoon out extra grease from meat.
- Once meat is done, arrange your salad and place meat on top. Add the extra fixins if desired. Such as parmesan cheese, sour cream, chili flakes, black pepper, etc.
- Meat serves 6. Salad serves one.
Notes
The meat/bean combo serves about 6. You can make multiple salads for one ore store the leftover meat for later. Also Freezes well!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 5 hr
- Category: main/salad
- Method: crockpot
- Cuisine: mexican american
Keywords: crock pot, salad, tacos, healthy, slow cooker, beans, gluten free
For more information on how to slow cook beans, see the Kitchn.com.
Oh and you will definitely have leftover meat/beans if you are are just serving 1-2 people. I like to save meat and beans for a sloppy joe the next day. Just add cooked green beans a little more tomato sauce! Served on Mikey’s toasted Onion bread (Paleo).
You can also use this meat to make Greek Style Tacos! See, I’m just prepping you for Taco Tuesday. You’re welcome!
What are you BBQ’ing today?
If you still need a quick NO BAKE dessert to make, I highly recommend these PB trail mix bites! Just sayin..
[Tweet ” YUM! Easy and Healthy #GlutenFree Crock Pot BBQ Taco Salad! #recipe #fitfluential”]
Have a JOYOUS Labor day friends!
Cheers,
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I am a firm believer you can never go wrong with Mexican.
YUM!! almost time for crockput season!! I had no idea slow cooking beans imparted more nutrients! you are so wise my friend. Can’t wait to try this!
Yummy! I’ve been looking for more crockpot recipes and can’t wait to add this one to my list. Pinned for later! My husband and I love anything Mexican-inspired and I can totally see us using this recipe in so many different ways!
invite me when you do! haha
I am constantly on a crock pot kick! 365 – 24/7! Especially when it is so gawsh darn hot out! Taco salads are hard to make look pretty and this is one sexy salad, girl! LOVE all the ingredients! This beefy, beany beaut is PERFECT for taco Tuesday! Pinned! Cheers and thanks for sharing the YUM!
great picture! Very intriguing recipe!!
BEEF. I need BEEF. Ground BEEF is what I am all about. Sometimes I cheat on salmon with ground beef, whoops… This was a confession comment today 😉
★★★★★
Personally, I’m ready to make some chili! Screw the hot weather. We can pretend! Haha
GIRL THIS IS SOOOO UP OUR ALLEY and the child and I finnally dragged out the crock pot too.
now if only Texas would get the hint it’s close to Fall and get cooler. But hey, at least we can sweat less over the stove with a crock pot. p.s welcome home!
As we haven’t seen much of a summer here in Scotland (except for these last few days) something like this is absolutely ideal for those of us craving a summer bbq salad, but unable to actually do any bbqing!
Love the concept of making this in a crock pot!
★★★★★
next summer i will come visit you. I’ll bring the crock pot, you make the beet brownies
Time for me to get out the crock pot! I haven’t really used it all summer, but this salad looks so refreshing!! We love all things taco, so this will be a huge hit! xoxo
now is the time! haha brush it off and get it ready!
I have been trying to embrace my crock pot with mixed results will have to give this one a go!
oh no, what hasn’t been working? I am happy to help!
Another slow cook winner that I love! Cannot wait to slow cook again, still need to buy one in Australia.
And I need all the summer recipes I can gather before everyone goes into fall mode and I have no inspiration for my upcoming summer!
You so do! and then you can make salmon and zucchini! ANother favorite in the crock pot. Summer dish!
Yes for more crock pot love!! It is seriously my favorite appliance. I just used mine to cook a whole bunch of sweet potatoes. And I bet this bbq taco salad would be delicious stuffed IN sweet potatoes.
oh yum! i bet those were good!
you sure do make meal times a whole lot easier! xoxo
I hardly use the crock pot…I’ve made only soup, pulled pork, and Vietnamese pho noodle soup! Gotta try these tacos…
this would actually make a good soup too! but gotta love a taco tuesday salad, right?
Yum, this looks so delicious! I think it’s time I break out the slow cooker again, especially now that fall is here!
yes! FALL forever! haha. love Fall.
I’m making chili right now! We have deer meat in it. Mmmm…
well now i want that!
Taco Salads are my favorite thing ever! That’s the only thing I eat from my school’s grab n’ go Hub! This looks like perfection 🙂
Nice! good choice!
I frikken LOVE anything taco. This looks amazing and a perfect way to round off the end of summer :).
Yes! and maybe some reeses cookies …just sayin
I will most definitely be making this soon…You know how much I love your slow cooker recipes and this will be perfect all year round on Nantucket! 🙂
You are gonna LOVE !
You know how I feel about crockpots and 100 degrees. Genius! I make chicken chipotle bowls all the time. I love that you added zucchini to this one. You know that’s my favorite veggie? 😉
I’m glad to see I’m in good company which is to say I’ve still got a handful of summer recipes coming to a blog near you soon.
Hey, the way I see it, we have at least two more weeks of summer remaining, and I’m still getting crazy amounts of veggies in my food share. I’ve gotta work with what I’ve got. Shake what my momma gave me. 😉
I am a huge fan of my slow cooker all year round. In the summer when it’s hot, and in the school months when we’re busy, that thing gets put to good use– we are always on the hunt for more recipes. My only grip about the Crock Pot is that it doesn’t brown so you sometimes don’t get that deep, rich flavor from all of the brown bits. In my house it’s all about getting food in our bellies though, so convenience wins out over brown bits.
the browning is yum! If you make these without beans, you can add oil last, drain juice, and it will brown! 😉 Love you
Love your creative slow cooker recipes, Lindsay! Keep ’em coming! 🙂
youre my crock pot inspiration
i think i get it from YOU!
I LOOOOVE this salad–tons o’ flavor and filling too. Enjoy your Labor Day!
you too friend! Mwah!
HOLLA to my lunch! That means I want to eat this for lunch today. And maybe tomorrow…and probably the next day too!
I am all about the crock pot, tacos, salads and THESE PHOTOS. Pinned!
my salad for lunch and yours for dinner = WINNING
I think I’m going to have to get out the crockpot tonight!! It may have cooled down enough to grill out East, but these would make PERFECT leftovers. Your rock, my dear! <3 Pinning!
Yes, do it! <3
I have been making my TVP more and more into a sort of Taco flavor. It used to be more sloppy joe inspired, but apparently I need myself some sort of taco/bbq mix 😀 Great minds!
You know how I love a good taco salad! And the crockpot makes me happy now that school and activities will be in full swing and there just isn’t time to cook when we get home. This looks too good 🙂