Doritos Taco Salad is the best kind of salad because: taco! Top shredded lettuce with seasoned ground beef, Doritos or tortilla chips, cheese, and your fave taco toppings, then drizzle it all with spicy ranch dressing. Even salad haters are going to love this one!
A Meal-Worthy Salad That Kids Will Actually Eat
There aren’t very many salads you can make a meal out of. A few handfuls of greens and some veggies might be healthy, but it’s not exactly satisfying. A Taco Salad is different, though. You’ve got your greens and your veggies, but you’ve also got all the other food groups covered: protein, dairy, carbs, and ranch. (Just kidding. But seriously, ranch dressing is so good.)
My Doritos Taco Salad recipe is also kid-friendly. Naturally, kids love tacos, but they’ll also like this recipe because they can customize their own meal by adding their favorite taco toppers. Kids love when they feel like they can decide what they eat! Put the taco meat in a thermos and you can even send your kids to school with this salad for lunch.
Easy Doritos Taco Salad Recipe
This recipe is simple to make, and it’s also great for meal prep. You can make the taco meat in advance, then prep the lettuce and other veggies and store them separately. When you’re ready to eat, just heat the meat and assemble your salads.
If you’re on a low-carb or keto diet, you can make this a keto Taco Salad recipe by using homemade taco seasoning (the store-bought kind sometimes has sugar in it!) and either omitting the Doritos or swapping them with a low-carb chip like Quest protein chips.
Ingredients + Variations
Here’s what you’ll need to make the recipe:
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning – Either an envelope of store-bought seasoning or use homemade taco seasoning.
- Water
- Iceberg lettuce – Romaine will work too, but you want a crisp lettuce that won’t immediately wilt under the taco meat.
- Cheddar cheese – Or substitute a Mexican cheese blend.
- Tortilla chips or Doritos – The best part of a Taco Salad!
- Spicy ranch dressing – Or any kind of ranch you like.
- Taco toppings – We’re talking tomatoes, cilantro, sliced black olives, guac, salsa, diced onions, whatever!
How to Make Taco Salad
1. Cook the Taco Meat
Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, then drain off any fat. Stir in the taco seasoning and water, then bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Assemble the Salad
Place the lettuce in either a large bowl or several individual-sized bowls. Top it with the taco meat, chips, cheese, and other toppings, then drizzle with the ranch taco salad dressing. Toss to combine and serve.
FAQ
Should Taco Salad be warm or cold?
This is entirely up to you and your preferences, but in my opinion, the perfect taco salad starts with cold, crisp lettuce and warm taco meat.
How should I store Doritos Taco Salad?
To keep your lettuce from getting wilted and sad, I recommend that you store the taco meat separate from the lettuce and then assemble your salads right before serving. The components will last in the fridge separately for 2 to 3 days.
More Reader Favorite Salad Recipes
If you love this recipe, here are some more salads to try:
- Summer Cobb Salad
- Pea Salad
- Corn, Avocado, and Cilantro Salad
- Cucumber Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Easy Pasta Salad
Doritos Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 envelope taco seasoning or my homemade taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 medium head iceberg lettuce torn (about 8 cups)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups broken tortilla chips or Doritos
- 1/4 cup spicy ranch dressing
- Your favorite toppings: tomatoes, cilantro, olives, etc.
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain.
- Stir in taco seasoning and water; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-6 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, add lettuce. Top with beef mixture and chips; cheese, toppings – drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
