Perfect for quick dinners and parties, this Dorito Taco Salad, is always a crowd-pleaser. It’s loaded with seasoned taco meat, fresh veggies, shredded cheese, and crunchy Doritos all topped with a creamy Catalina dressing. This fun salad is one the whole family will enjoy!
Add some flair to your taco salads by adding some nacho cheese Doritos! This salad is layered with taco meat, fresh veggies, cheese, and crunchy Doritos. The creamy tang of Catalina dressing ties it all together to make an incredibly tasty Dorito taco salad!
One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s versatile. You can swap the beef for chicken or turkey or leave it out altogether. Use romaine or iceberg lettuce, choose your favorite shredded cheese, and even swap out the dressing if Catalina isn’t your thing. The choice is yours, so go ahead and make your dream taco salad!
Also, this is a large salad so it’s great for serving a crowd. Tex Mex Chopped Salad is also a great party salad!
You can easily double the recipe for even larger gatherings. Serve it with some totchos and shredded chicken tacos at your next party. Your guests will love it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick and easy. Brown the taco meat, chop some veggies and you’re ready to assemble this easy Dorito taco salad!
- It’s customizable. You can add your favorite protein and veggies to make this salad all your own.
- It has a lot of textures and flavors. Forget about boring one-note salads! This salad has it all. Seasoned beef, cool crisp lettuce, creamy Catalina dressing, and crunchy Doritos all come together to create layers of amazing flavor.
- It’s a crowd-pleaser. This is a big Dorito taco salad so it’s great for bringing to potlucks or BBQs.
key ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this bright, beautiful, and big salad.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: I used lean ground beef, but feel free to use ground chicken or turkey, or vegan ground meat instead.
- Taco seasoning: I like to make my own taco seasoning because I find it makes a big difference in the flavor. You can also use a store-bought seasoning if that’s what you have on hand.
- Black beans: Make sure you rinse and drain the beans. You can substitute pinto beans or kidney beans if you prefer.
- Veggies: Chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce, sliced black olives, sliced cherry tomatoes or diced regular tomatoes, thinly sliced green onions
- Cheese: I use shredded cheddar cheese, but you could also use Tex-Mex or Monterey Jack.
- Doritos: Nacho flavor Doritos are my go-to. Crush them a little and save some full chips for serving.
- Catalina dressing: This dressing has a sweet tomato flavor which goes really well with the salad. Store-bought or homemade dressing will work. I make my own Catalina dressing which is healthier than store-bought bottles and the tangy sweet flavor tastes better too!
How To Make Doritos Taco Salad
After you cook the meat, this Doritos salad is basically an assembly job, making it a quick and easy meal option. Even better, let your family assemble their own salads! They’ll have fun putting it together and your prep will be effortless.
- Cook meat. Brown the beef over medium-high heat until it is no longer pink. I like to use this non-stick frying pan for ease.
- Season. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat, add a splash of water and cook for one minute. Remove the meat from the heat.
Tip!
Remember if you’re using a non-stick pan to use a rubber spatula when breaking up the meat that way you won’t scratch the non-stick surface.
- Assemble. Grab a large salad bowl, (this is a big salad!), and add the lettuce, taco meat, olives, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, Doritos, and green onions.
- Add dressing and serve. Pour over the dressing and gently toss everything to combine. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro and serve the salad immediately.
Recipe Variations
The ingredients I’ve shared here aren’t set in stone. Go ahead and have fun with this Doritos taco salad and make it your own! You might want to try some of these suggestions to mix it up:
- Switch the Protein: Swap the ground beef for ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground vegan crumble
- Try Cool Ranch Doritos, Spicy Nacho Doritos, or even regular tortilla chips instead for that crunch factor.
- Swap the black beans for pinto beans or kidney beans. You can also add canned corn or canned fiesta corn for more flavor.
- Add diced bell peppers for even more crunch.
- Make it Spicy: Add a dash of hot sauce or some chopped jalapenos to give the salad a kick.
- Swap the Dressing: Substitute the Catalina dressing for a creamy French dressing, Italian dressing, or homemade ranch dressing.
Recipe Tips
- Want a smaller serving? You can easily cut the ingredients in half for smaller crowds.
- Mix the salad just before serving or place the ingredients on the table and let everyone assemble their own salads!
- Serve with piles of whole Doritos on the plate to use to scoop up the Dorito taco salad.
A Note About Storing this Salad
I don’t recommend storing the salad once you’ve added the dressing as everything will turn soggy the longer it sits. What you can do though is prepare the individual components and store them separately from the dressing and then combine everything just before serving.
What To Serve With
This Doritos nacho salad is a meal in one bowl, but if you’re feeding a crowd, you could add some additional dishes to your table to make it a feast! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Homemade guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Mexican rice
- Chicken fajita quesadillas
- Baked chicken tacos
- Chicken enchilada soup
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
All Tex Mex Recipes →
Recipe FAQs
You can serve the meat warm or cold. I like to serve it warm after it has been cooked, but you can also cook the meat ahead and add it to the salad just out of the fridge.
Absolutely! You can substitute vegan ground meat, or leave it out altogether and maybe add some more beans.
It’s up to you. I prefer to toss everything gently in the dressing, so everything gets coated evenly.
If you layer it, be sure to serve it with a long-handled spoon or large tongs so that way everyone can dig deep and get a bit of every layer.
Enjoy this crunchy Dorito taco salad tonight! Pin it for more people to enjoy too!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Dorito Taco Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 packet
- ¼ cup water
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped into bite sized pieces (or iceberg lettuce)
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 1 14-ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced, or regular tomatoes diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 10-ounce bag Nacho flavored Doritos a little crushed, save some for garnish
- ¼ cup green onions sliced thin
- Cilantro for garnish
- 1 cup 8oz Catalina dressing or french dressing, homemade or store-bought (if store-bought, use half of the bottle, or more if desired)
- Sour cream optional garnish
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon as you cook it. It’s ready when it’s no longer pink. Drain fat if needed and return to the stove.
- Season with taco seasoning, and add water and stir and cook for 1 minute.
- To a large salad bowl, add lettuce, taco meat, olives, black beans, cherry tomatoes, cheese, Doritos, and green onions.
- Add dressing and gently toss to combine and coat the lettuce with dressing.
- Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
Notes:
- Want a smaller serving? You can easily cut the ingredients in half for smaller crowds.
- Mix the salad just before serving or place the ingredients on the table and let everyone assemble their own salads!
- Serve with piles of whole Doritos on the plate to use to scoop up the Dorito taco salad.
- Storing: I don’t recommend storing the salad once you’ve added the dressing as everything will turn soggy the longer it sits. What you can do though is prepare the individual components and store them separately from the dressing and then combine everything just before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Cara T says
To say that my teenagers like this is a huge understatement! I am so happy I got them to eat salad!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so happy to hear that, Cara! Thank you for the kind review!
Sharon says
Had this at a potluck a few years ago and loved it, but forgot to ask for the recipe. So glad I found it, it’s just as good as I remember!!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thanks for the great review, Sharon! I’m so glad to hear that you were able to find this recipe again!