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Doritos Taco Salad

A hearty salad full of that signature nacho cheese crunch.

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A lot of times when you eat a salad, your aim is to do something nice for your body by taking in a wide variety of fresh and healthy ingredients. But taco salad… well, taco salad is often more about the crunch and the zesty, savory flavor, and maybe even some cheesy-creaminess. And this taco salad is definitely less about the lettuce and more about the crunch and flavor because instead of basic ol’ tortilla chips, it’s based on… Doritos!! And let me tell you, the flavor that that signature nacho cheese crunch brings to the party has me feeling like all taco salads should be Doritos Taco Salads.

In other words, this isn’t really health food. But it is an incredibly delicious quick lunch or dinner. It starts with ground beef that’s browned up and seasoned with taco seasoning…

… and then piled on top of a bed of romaine lettuce. Of course, there’s the aforementioned Doritos, but that’s not all that’s going on here.

There’s also red onion, bell pepper, sliced black olives, tomatoes, black beans, green onions, cheddar cheese, and tangy-but-sweet Catalina dressing. How’s that for a jam-packed salad?

There’s still plenty of vegetables involved, you just get to eat Doritos with them. They say life is all about balance, after all.

And the balance here is one of a cheesy chip crunch against the fresh crunch of romaine, backed by plenty of zesty taco beef, sharp red onion, and tender black beans and black olives (and more). Ranch works well here too, but the sweet tanginess of Catalina really helps in the balancing act. I didn’t think taco salad could get any better, but Doritos proved me wrong!

Yield(s): Serves 4

10m prep time

10m cook time

4.5
Rated 4.5 out of 5
Rated by 2 reviewers
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Ingredients
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 (1.25 oz) packet taco seasoning
  • 2 romaine hearts, chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 1 cup tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 1/2 cups nacho cheese Doritos, broken into pieces
  • 1 cup Catalina dressing
Preparation
  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain grease, if needed, then add taco seasoning and water called for on packet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. To a large bowl, add lettuce, black beans, red onion, bell pepper, tomato, olives, green onion, and cheese.
  3. Add beef and toss to combine.
  4. When ready to serve, add chips and dressing and toss again. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Life In The Lofthouse.


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