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    Popular » Recipes » Salads

    Easy Dorito Taco Salad Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Apr 26, 2022 · Modified: Apr 26, 2022 by Dee

    Easy Dorito Taco Salad with Doritos, Catalina Dressing and seasoned taco meat is a delicious salad and an easy meal your whole family will love. Perfect for a potluck dinner, family gatherings or a quick weeknight meal! via @meamel

    Easy Dorito Taco Salad recipe with Catalina Dressing and seasoned taco meat is a delicious salad and an easy meal your whole family will love. Perfect for a potluck dinner, family gatherings or a quick weeknight meal!

    Jump to Recipe -
    taco salad with catalina dressing and doritos and ground beef on the table
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Doritos Taco Salad
    • Variations
    • How to Store
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    Kick up your usual taco salad recipe and serve this taco salad with Doritos and Catalina dressing instead! This delicious taco salad has been around for awhile, and it's definitely a keeper!

    We love tacos, and I like to change up taco night now and then, especially in the summer. Even my picky eaters love this salad recipe because it has crunchy Doritos and tangy Catalina dressing in it!

    Plus, this easy meal comes together quickly, and has plenty of garden fresh veggies for the veggie lovers! By the way, if you love Doritos, you'll want to try my Dorito Casserole!

    doritos, ground meat, catalina dressing, lettuce, cheese and salad ingredients

    Ingredients

    You only need a few ingredients to make this taco salad recipe with Doritos and Catalina dressing. You can find them in your grocery store or online:

    • Lean ground beef
    • Taco seasoning -- homemade taco seasoning or packet of taco seasoning
    • Water
    • Iceberg lettuce -- stays nice and crisp
    • Romaine lettuce -- optional but pairs well with iceberg
    • Doritos chips -- broken up into smaller pieces, not crushed
    • Grape tomatoes 
    • English cucumber 
    • Red onion
    • Black olives
    • Shredded Mexican cheese
    • Catalina dressing 

    How to Make Doritos Taco Salad

    This easy recipe comes together quickly, but you do have to prep the fresh produce. I recommend having your salad ingredients prepared before you start cooking the ground beef.

    Just brown the hamburger meat on medium heat in a large skillet. Then, drain the grease, and stir in your taco seasoning.

    Add water, cover and reduce heat to simmer.

    cook taco meat in skillet on stove

    When the meat mixture is done, turn off the heat, and allow it to cool down slightly while you start building the salad.

    If you add the hot ground beef to the salad right away, it will cause the lettuce to wilt. Nobody likes a wilted, soggy salad!

    I usually add lettuce and some of the veggies to a large bowl. Then, I add some crushed Doritos and some of the taco meat.

    add taco meat to salad ingredients

    I find it easier to make a layered taco salad this way. Then, I go back and add another layer of ingredients before mixing.

    But, you can add all of the ingredients and then mix everything together if that's easier for you.

    mix taco meat with doritos and salad

    You'll want to add some meat to the top of the salad so it looks like a taco salad. Then, sprinkle more shredded cheese, and pour a little Catalina dressing on top.

    Follow that with more crushed Dorito chips. And, you're ready to eat!

    pour catalina dressing on taco salad

    I like to serve this yummy taco salad with extra taco meat and Catalina dressing on the side.

    That way, people can add more meat and dressing if they like. Not everyone is a fan of Catalina, so I usually don't mix a bunch in the salad before serving.

    Again, this is just a personal preference.

    doritos taco salad on the table

    Variations

    There are a few ways to customize this delicious taco salad to your tastes.

    Instead of ground beef, use ground turkey or chicken. Or, go meatless if you want a side salad.

    For additional protein, add pinto beans or black beans.

    Mexican blend cheese is my favorite for this Doritos taco salad, but you can use whatever kind of cheese you want. Cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese are great options.

    If Catalina dressing isn't your favorite, try ranch dressing, Russian dressing, French dressing, or just a dollop of sour cream.

    Instead of nacho cheese Doritos, use cool ranch Doritos, or your favorite flamin' hot variety.

    And of course, add whatever salad topping you like! Guacamole, pico, green peppers, green onions, bell pepper, crushed tortilla chips -- it's really up to you!

    How to Store

    Store any leftover Doritos salad in an airtight container or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Already assembled salad will last about 1 day in the refrigerator before it gets soggy.

    If possible, store salad ingredients separately in the refrigerator.

    You can also make this taco salad ahead of time. Just store cooked taco meat and dressing separately from fresh ingredients. When you're ready to eat, reheat meat, and mix salad together before serving.

    Recipe

    dorito taco salad with ground beef taco meat and catalina dressing and doritos on the table

    Dorito Taco Salad Recipe

    Published by Dee
    Easy Dorito Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing and seasoned taco meat is a delicious salad and an easy meal your whole family will love. Perfect for a potluck dinner, family gatherings or a quick weeknight meal!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 8 mins
    Total Time 23 mins
    Course Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 389 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • 1 packet taco seasoning
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 small iceberg lettuce washed and chopped
    • 1 bunch Romaine lettuce (Optional washed and chopped)
    • 2 cups Doritos broken up into smaller pieces, not crushed
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes rinsed and halved
    • 1 English cucumber rinsed and sliced into half moons
    • 1 small red onion sliced
    • ¼ cup black olive slices
    • 1 cup Shredded Mexican cheese
    • Catalina dressing to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Cook ground beef in large skillet on medium heat until no longer pink, breaking up with spatula as it cooks
    • Drain grease, stir in water and taco seasoning, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn heat off and allow to cool slightly while you assemble salad
    • Add half of lettuce and fresh veggies to a large salad bowl. Add half of taco meat and Doritos and cheese. Add remaining lettuce and veggies, mix together
    • Add remaining taco meat, cheese and Doritos. Pour a little Catalina dressing on top. Serve immediately

    Notes

    Serve with extra taco meat, cheese and dressing on the side, if desired.
    If making ahead of time, it's best to store cooked taco meat and dressing separately from fresh ingredients. Reheat meat, and mix salad together before serving.
    I love the combo or romaine and iceberg lettuce, but you can use only 1 kind if preferred.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 25gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 769mgPotassium: 583mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1217IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 196mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword Dorito taco salad, taco salad with Doritos and Catalina dressing
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

    Doritos taco salad is a fun twist on a traditional taco salad and one of my absolute favorite salads.

    The delicious combination of taco flavor, tangy dressing, and spicy Doritos make this easy taco salad recipe a big hit! If you enjoy this retro salad recipe as much as we do, please leave a star rating and comment!

    For more salad recipes, great recipe ideas, and family favorite easy dinners, subscribe to the newsletter and follow me on social media!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bea says

      May 09, 2022 at 9:23 am

      This salad is incredible! So many amazing flavors!5 stars

      Reply
    2. Erika says

      May 08, 2022 at 9:22 am

      Oh my goodness, this was incredible!! I love the flavors!5 stars

      Reply
    3. Sandra says

      May 04, 2022 at 9:37 pm

      My kids love Doritos and this was really a fun recipe for them! Thanks!5 stars

      Reply
    4. Amanda says

      May 04, 2022 at 4:34 am

      My 10 year old is obsessed with this salad! Thank you for the recipe!5 stars

      Reply
    5. Juliane says

      May 03, 2022 at 11:45 pm

      We all loved this a lot! Enjoyed this so much with family5 stars

      Reply
    6. Beth says

      May 03, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      This is the best version of taco salad I've ever seen. I love that you used Doritos for an even bigger kick of flavor.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        May 03, 2022 at 9:19 pm

        Thanks, Beth! We just love this salad!

    7. Patrick says

      April 29, 2022 at 5:33 pm

      Made this one for dinner last night and what a hit. Easy enough for me to make! And I am not the best cook!5 stars

      Reply

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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

    More about me →

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