Simple Doritos Taco Salad (Printable)
Crunchy Doritos, seasoned beef, romaine, black beans and cheddar tossed with ranch for a 25-minute Tex-Mex main.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound ground beef
→ Seasonings
02 - 1 packet taco seasoning (about 1 ounce)
03 - 1/4 cup water
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1/2 cup red onion, diced
07 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 cup canned corn, drained
→ Cheese
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
→ Chips
10 - 2 cups Nacho Cheese Doritos, slightly crushed
→ Dressing
11 - 1/2 cup ranch dressing or Catalina dressing
# How To Make:
01 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until well browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Drain off any excess fat.
02 - Add taco seasoning and water to the skillet with the browned beef. Stir to combine, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove skillet from heat and allow beef to cool slightly.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine chopped romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, black beans, corn, and shredded cheddar cheese.
04 - Transfer the slightly cooled beef mixture to the salad bowl with the prepared vegetables and cheese.
05 - Just before serving, incorporate the crushed Doritos and drizzle with your choice of ranch or Catalina dressing. Toss gently to evenly distribute all ingredients.
06 - Serve immediately while the chips retain their crunch.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The Doritos provide a mischievous crunch that transforms a simple salad into a crave-worthy meal.
- It comes together so fast, you barely have time to miss takeout tacos before your fork is already digging in.
02 -
- If you add the Doritos too early, they lose their crunch and go soggy (learned that the hard way).
- Cooling the beef just a couple minutes helps the cheese melt a bit without wilting all the lettuce.
03 -
- Draining both the beans and the ground beef makes a much fresher salad.
- Letting folks add their own dressing means everyone gets it just right.