Taco Salad Recipe –, served with optional from-scratch dressing

At a glance

What stands out: This is a standby classic taco salad recipe that everyone LOVES. You’ll also find lots of ways to adapt it and make it just the way you like it!

How long it takes: 25 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: skillet, sharp knife, large bowl, measuring utensils
Servings: 8

Classic Taco Salad

A popular salad! There is just something about the classic taco salad recipe that is so appealing. Whoever originally decided to crush up Doritos and put them into a salad with all the taco fixings deserves a medal. It’s a universal crowd pleaser, a picnic and BBQ staple.

A from-scratch dressing. We put our own spin on this classic recipe to make it a touch healthier by using from-scratch Catalina dressing. Of course, you’re more than welcome to use the bottled dressing, too. We may or may not have a bottle in our fridge right now as a back-up plan. No judgment here!

Straightforward to mix it your own. We also suggest ways to make variations or tweak your taco salad to fit a certain diet or to make it a tad healthier. We wanted to start with a classic version of taco salad though, because it’s just so great in that form. (We also love a Big Mac salad, another good ground beef main course salad somewhat similar to this taco salad.)

What’s in a taco salad?

Clearly, this is up to you. You’re the boss! Here are the basics, and then we’ll talk about how you can switch it up.

• Lettuce
• Cheese
• Beans
• Seasoned Ground Beef
• Doritos
• Dressing

Those are the ingredients, boiled down to the basics. But it’s a salad, and salads are made for fixing up and making them just the way you want them.

How it comes together

We'll tell you how we like it but we've included lots of ways to change it up.

• Lettuce: Obviously lettuce is the base of the recipe, and usually iceberg lettuce is the standard option. We choose romaine because we like our lettuce to be a little more green than iceberg typically is. Either one will work! Leaf lettuce is also a good choice.
• Cheese: We like the bold taste of sharp cheddar. Like things a little hotter? Try a pepper jack. Wanna get a little fancy? Try cotija or queso fresco.
• Ground Beef: We go with an extra lean ground beef, but ground turkey or ground chicken are great if you’re not into red meat (thinking of you, mom!). The beef is flavored with taco seasoning. We, of course, always use our recipe for from-scratch taco seasoning. You can also make a vegetarian taco salad by leaving out the meat and doubling up on the beans.
• Beans: We always choose pinto. Black beans also work well.
• Green Onion: Not a classic add-in, but we love the flavor onions add. Chopped red onion or vidalia onion is good, too.
• Dressing: We use our from-scratch Catalina but you could also do store-bought. French dressing is a good choice (store-bought or from-scratch). Or try from-scratch Thousand Island for a creamier salad.
• Doritos: We just love Doritos but any tortilla chip is good. We think they’re what makes this salad so irresistible, but if you want to leave them out, go for it! Fritos are rich too, if you want to mix it up a little.
• Add-ins: We go with the classic sour cream and tomatoes, but try adding cilantro, jalapeño, chopped bell peppers, or whatever your heart desires!

The “dont’s” of taco salad

Of course, there are lots of things you can do but there are a few things you shouldn’t do.

Don’t use fancy lettuce! This is not the place for micro greens or spring mix. They’ll get trampled by all the other salad mix-ins here. You need a sturdier lettuce to hold up to all of that. Stick with romaine, romaine hearts, leaf lettuce, or good ol’ iceberg lettuce.

Don’t add the chips ahead of time. Toss the chips in right before serving otherwise they’ll get soggy and gross. The point of the chips is to add that great crunch.

Don’t heat up taco salad. People actually ask us that. This taco salad is definitely best when it’s either room temperature or cold. Heating it up would totally destroy the texture of the lettuce. If you’re looking for an entrée that is served warm, try our walking taco casserole.

Taco salad is not the same as nachos. Another common confusion is the difference between taco salad and nachos. Nachos are served hot, with melted cheese (or cheese sauce) over tortilla chips. Nachos generally don’t include lettuce like a taco salad, or have a dressing. If you like nachos, try vegetarian nachos with creamy cilantro lime drizzle, beef nachos, BBQ chicken nachos, or cauliflower nachos (roasted cauliflower stands in for the tortilla chips). Be sure to try taco cups, a variation of nachos.

Make Ahead Tips

Make the salad as directed up to the point of mixing in the dressing. Make sure the meat is well cooled before adding it to the lettuce. Stir up the dressing and refrigerate the salad and dressing in separate containers for up to a day. Just before serving, add the dressing, toss the salad, and then add the chips and toppings.

Free Meal Plans

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #13 or Meal Plan #56. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.

Browse Meal Plans

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 10 minutes
• Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey, if you prefer)
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (or a 1.25 oz. package)
• 1 head iceberg or romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
• 1 can (15.5 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained (or black beans, if you prefer)
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 10 ounces Catalina dressing ( 1 ¼ cups)
• 2 cups lightly crushed nacho cheese tortilla chips, more if desired (Doritos)
• salsa and sour cream for topping, if desired

Method

1. In a frying pan or skillet, brown ground beef over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Add taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water and cook until the water has evaporated and seasoning is distributed. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, pinto beans, cheese, tomatoes, and green onions. Add cooked and cooled ground beef.
3. If serving immediately, add dressing and chips. Otherwise, wait to add those two ingredients until immediately prior to serving. Top with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Notes

Dressing: You have a few choices. Our from-scratch Catalina dressing is great-tasting and straightforward to mix. For a shortcut, use store-bought Catalina dressing. French dressing may be substituted, if you prefer.

Tortilla chips: If you prefer, plain tortilla chips can be used instead of nacho cheese Doritos.