Description
This Doritos Taco Salad is a quick and flavorful Tex-Mex inspired dish, combining seasoned ground beef, fresh vegetables, black beans, cheddar cheese, and crispy nacho cheese Doritos, all tossed together with your choice of salad dressing. Perfect for a 20-minute meal that serves 4, it’s a satisfying combination of crunchy, savory, and fresh ingredients that make for an easy and delicious taco salad everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning
Salad Base
- 3 to 4 Romaine lettuce hearts, rinsed then chopped
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed
- 1 large tomato, chopped or sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings and Dressing
- 1 ½ cups nacho cheese Doritos, broken into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup Catalina dressing or your favorite salad dressing (ranch dressing also recommended)
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the Ground Beef: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown and crumble the lean ground beef until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease to reduce fat content.
- Season and Simmer: Add the taco seasoning packet and the amount of water called for on the seasoning packet to the beef. Stir well, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let the meat cool slightly.
- Assemble the Salad Base: In a large salad bowl, combine the chopped Romaine lettuce, rinsed black beans, chopped tomato, and shredded cheddar cheese. Add the slightly cooled taco-seasoned ground beef and gently toss everything together to combine.
- Prepare to Serve: You can serve the salad immediately or chill it in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Do not add the Doritos chips at this stage to avoid them becoming soggy.
- Add Chips and Dressing: Just before serving, add the broken Doritos and your choice of dressing (Catalina or ranch recommended). Toss the salad to coat everything evenly. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- Do not add the Doritos until the moment you are ready to serve to keep them crunchy.
- You can substitute ranch dressing for Catalina for a different flavor profile.
- Use lean ground beef to control fat content.
- Chilling the salad before adding chips and dressing can help flavors meld while keeping the chips crisp.
- Fresh cilantro is optional but adds a bright, fresh note to the salad.
