Doritos Taco Salad is a delectable combination of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, black beans, corn, black olives, seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar jack cheese, and crunchy Doritos in a homemade tangy sweet Catalina dressing. This is one of my favorite salads for potlucks and family reunions.
It is a hearty meal in itself, but I love to serve it with my Classic Bloody Mary Cocktails or Raspberry Margaritas. Spring has finally arrived and with it come lots of amazing salads. Doritos Taco salad is no exception to that rule. This amazing salad is one the whole family enjoys. It comes together quickly and can be changed up so easily! Maybe you would rather sub-fresh sliced avocados for the green peppers. Perhaps you don’t like black olives, and you would rather have red onions. As I always say, customize it to suit your taste.
The homemade Catalina salad dressing comes together in mere minutes with ingredients you may already have on hand. It tastes so much better than store-bought, with plenty of good fresh zing and no artificial colors or preservatives.
Tips for making Doritos Taco Salad
- Let the taco-seasoned beef cool a bit before adding it. You don’t want it to wilt your lettuce!
- You can prepare the taco salad ahead of time but don’t add the dressing or the chips until you are ready to toss and serve!
- For an added twist, blacken your corn!
- If you don’t like a particular ingredient, swap it out for another. As I always say, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
- The salad dressing can be mixed up to 2 days in advance. This salad is equally delicious with ranch dressing.
- You can substitute cool ranch Doritos for the nacho cheese Doritos.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, the chips and lettuce will begin to break down fairly quickly. For best results, serve the salad promptly.
Favorites Taco Toppings to add
- Fresh avocado
- Pico de gallo
- Salsa
- Pinto Beans
- Guacamole
- Green onions
- Jalapeno
- Sour cream
- Hot sauce
- Fresh veggies
- Blackened chicken
- Red kidney beans
So if you have a hankering for a downright awesome salad, then this Doritos Taco Salad is right up your alley. It comes together quickly, looks beautiful, and tastes oh-so-good. Your loved ones will sing your praises, and you can feel good about the nutritious food you are feeding them.
More tasty salad recipes you will love!
Easy Doritos Taco Salad
A fun and easy taco salad with seasoned ground beef, black olives, tomatoes, corn, black beans, a healthy helping of cheese, and Doritos Tortilla Chips tossed in a homemade Catalina Salad Dressing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: salad
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Southwestern
Ingredients
Catalina Salad Dressing
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2–3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Doritos Taco Salad
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or a packet of taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce chopped
- 1/2 green pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped black olives
- 1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 can (15.25 ounce) corn drained
- 1 can (15 ounce) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups crushed nacho cheese Doritos
Instructions
- In a mason jar, combine red wine vinegar, olive oil, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire Sauce, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Shake well to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the taco seasoning and water. Simmer the mixture for 5-7 minutes. Let beef cool for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the salad.
- In a large bowl, add iceberg lettuce. Top with green pepper, black olives, tomatoes, corn, black beans, cheddar jack cheese, and seasoned cooked beef.
- Right before serving, add crushed Doritos and desired amount of dressing. Toss to coat.
Notes
- Let the taco-seasoned beef cool a bit before adding it. You don’t want it to wilt your lettuce!
- You can prepare the taco salad ahead of time but don’t add the dressing or the chips until you are ready to toss and serve!
- For an added twist, blacken your corn!
- If you don’t like a particular ingredient, swap it out for another. As I always say, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
- The salad dressing can be mixed up to 2 days in advance. This salad is equally delicious with ranch dressing.
- You can substitute cool ranch Doritos for the nacho cheese Doritos.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, the chips and lettuce will begin to break down fairly quickly. For best results, serve the salad promptly.
Keywords: dorito salad, dorito taco salad recipe, catalina dressing, taco salad
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This post was originally published on April 15, 2018, and was republished on April 19, 2020, with new pictures, a revised recipe, and new content.
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