Doritos Taco Salad
Every time I bring Doritos Taco Salad to a gathering, someone asks me for the recipe before the bowl is even empty. It's packed with warm seasoned beef, crisp romaine, two kinds of beans, a mountain of crushed Nacho Doritos, and a homemade Catalina dressing that's sweet, tangy, and so much better than anything from a bottle. Every forkful gives you crunch, freshness, and bold savory flavor all at once. I make it for game day, Cinco de Mayo, and busy weeknights when I want something colorful and crowd-pleasing that comes together fast.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup radishes sliced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup kidney beans rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup sliced jalapeños
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- 2 cups Nacho Doritos crushed
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
For the Taco Meat:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
Catalina Dressing:
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup honey or agave
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the ground beef until browned.1 pound ground beef
- Drain excess grease if needed. Add the taco seasoning and water, then stir well. Simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened.1 packet taco seasoning, ½ cup water
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the red wine vinegar, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, onion powder, and vegetable oil until smooth.½ cup red wine vinegar, ⅓ cup ketchup, ¼ cup honey or agave, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ cup vegetable oil
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, radishes, cheddar cheese, black beans, kidney beans, jalapeños, and black olives.1 head romaine lettuce, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup radishes, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup black beans, 1 cup kidney beans, ¼ cup sliced jalapeños, ¼ cup sliced black olives
- Add the warm taco meat and crushed Doritos.2 cups Nacho Doritos
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Top with fresh cilantro and extra crushed Doritos before serving.Fresh cilantro
Notes
Here are the little tricks I've picked up that make this taco salad turn out great every time.
Brown the beef thoroughly: Cook the ground beef until it's fully browned with no pink remaining, so it carries all that savory flavor into the salad.
Drain the grease well: Pour off excess grease after browning so the taco meat clings to the seasoning instead of turning the salad oily.
Simmer the meat until thick: Let the beef simmer in the seasoning and water for the full 5 minutes so the sauce reduces and coats every bite.
Balance the dressing to taste: Whisk the Catalina dressing until smooth and give it a taste, adding a touch more honey if you like it sweeter or more vinegar for extra tang.
Add the Doritos last: Fold in the crushed Doritos and dressing right before serving so the chips stay crunchy instead of going soggy.
Store separately: For the best result, refrigerate the salad base components and taco meat mixture in separate airtight containers for 2 to 3 days. You can freeze the taco meat alone for up to 3 months, thaw it overnight in the fridge, and warm it in a skillet before tossing with the base.
Nutrition
Calories: 995kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 29gFat: 63gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 21gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1064mgPotassium: 809mgFiber: 10gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 1087IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 291mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!