The ultimate summer potluck side, taco salad with Catalina dressing and Dorito chips always a crowd favorite!! Crisp fresh lettuce, crunchy nacho cheese chips and seasoned ground beef are all topped off with a drizzle of tangy Catalina dressing.
This easy dinner recipe takes only 20 minutes to make and is a family favorite!
A classic taco salad is wonderful but this takes the salad to another level!
This salad is a mainstay at our family reunions and summer picnics. It has ground beef to bulk it up and a little lettuce so we can call it a salad. Winner, winner!
It's the perfect addition to a taco bar party or taco Tuesday and can definitely be eaten as a hearty supper on it's own.
At a party or backyard bbq, pair this with brats, burgers or some bacon wrapped hot dogs and you can call it a day.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to shop for at the farmers market or grocery store.
- ground beef - this recipe is perfect when you're scratching you're trying to decide what to make with a pound of ground beef.
- taco seasoning - you'll use a packet of this, or you can use my low sodium taco seasoning in this recipe.
- Catalina dressing - I'd describe the flavor of this salad dressing as tangy, sweet, and slightly zesty but not spicy. It's usually a reddish orange color.
- iceberg lettuce - romaine lettuce will also work.
- tomatoes - use whatever variety is ripe, red and delicious!
- shredded Mexican blend cheese - this is a variety of cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese and colby. You can also use regular cheddar cheese if you like.
- nacho cheese chips - does anyone really call them that? They're Doritos and the come in the bright red bag!
See recipe card for quantities. You can also make a walking taco casserole with almost the same ingredients for a fun variation.
Substitutions
Here's how you can work with what you have, know and like!
- Protein - instead of ground beef you can substitute ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Chips - use cool ranch Doritos or Fritos corn chips for a fun variation
- Dressing - to sub the catalina dressing you can use French dressing, Russian dressing or western dressing for a similar vibe. Alternatively, you can make your own healthier catalina dressing.
How to make taco salad with Catalina dressing
Here's how to make this tasty taco salad! Grab a large bowl so you have room for tossing!
Step 1: Cook the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking into pieces. Drain any excess grease and return to the pan.
Add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions.
Step 2: Chop the iceberg lettuce and make sure it's thoroughly washed. I like to use a salad spinner to make it easy.
Add to a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: After the taco meat is no longer piping hot, add it to the lettuce along with the shredded cheese blend and chopped tomatoes.
Step 4: Toss all the ingredients and add a portion (not all) of the Catalina dressing.
Toss again to lightly coat the salad to your liking.
Step 5: Add the crushed dorito chips to the salad.
Step 6: Toss to combine. If additional salad dressing is desired, add it and toss once more.
Make ahead tip: My Aunt Deb chops and preps everything and then puts all the ingredients in different baggies. When it's time to serve, she assembles everything and adds the chips last.
Variations
Here are some fun recipe variations to use what you have or amp up the recipe a bit!
- Vegetarian - make as directed but omit the ground beef. I'd add some cooked black beans, pinto beans or kidney beans to the mix.
- Deluxe - let your diners top with a additional taco toppings. Diced avocado, sour cream, chopped red onion, diced bell peppers or pickled jalapeno peppers are all delicious!
- Bulk it up - add diced bell peppers, corn off the cob or sliced black olives.
- Change chips - use Fritos corn chips or cool ranch Doritos in place of the nacho cheese Doritos
See this cold taco pasta salad for another fun variation!
Storage
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If the chips have been added they will get slightly soggy but still delicious.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing, so eat it up!
Top tip
Don't dump all the salad dressing in at once. You may need less, or you may want more. Give the taco salad a toss to coat and then do a taste test.
FAQ
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Add the crushed chips immediately before serving. Your leftovers will be slightly soggy but I assure you, they still taste delish!
Related
Looking for other taco inspired recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with taco salad with Catalina dressing:
Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1.5 cups shredded Mexican style cheese blend
- 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
- 8 ounces Catalina dressing
- 5 ounces nacho flavored Dorito chips crushed into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef, breaking into pieces. Drain any fat and return to the pan. Add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions.
- Chop the iceberg lettuce and make sure it's thoroughly washed. I like to use a salad spinner to make it easy. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- After the taco meat is no longer piping hot, add it to the lettuce along with the shredded cheese blend and chopped tomatoes.
- Toss all the ingredients and add a portion (not all) of the Catalina dressing. Toss again to lightly coat the salad to your liking.
- Add the crushed dorito chips to the salad.
- Toss to combine. If additional salad dressing is desired, add it and toss once more.
Notes
Variations
- Vegetarian - make as directed but omit the ground beef. I'd add some cooked black beans or kidney beans to the mix.
- Deluxe - let your diners top with a additional taco toppings. Diced avocado, chopped red onion, diced bell peppers or pickled jalapeno peppers.
- Bulk it up - add diced bell peppers, corn off the cob or sliced black olives.
Substitutions
- Protein - instead of ground beef you can substitute ground pork or ground turkey.
- Chips - use cool ranch Doritos or Fritos corn chips for a fun variation
- Dressing - to sub the catalina dressing you can use French dressing, Russian dressing or western dressing for a similar vibe.
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
