Simple Doritos Taco Salad (Printable)
Crunchy Doritos taco salad with seasoned beef, romaine, black beans, cheddar and ranch—ready in 25 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound ground beef
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
05 - 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
06 - 1 cup corn kernels, drained if canned
→ Dairy
07 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
→ Chips
08 - 4 cups Nacho Cheese Doritos, lightly crushed
→ Dressings & Oils
09 - 1/2 cup ranch dressing or Catalina or French style dressing
→ Spices
10 - 1 ounce taco seasoning (1 packet)
→ Other
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
# How-To:
01 - In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and ground beef. Cook, breaking up the meat, until evenly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain off excess fat, add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, black beans, corn, and shredded cheddar cheese.
03 - Top the salad mixture with warm taco beef and sprinkle crushed Doritos over the surface.
04 - Drizzle ranch or preferred dressing over the salad, then toss gently to thoroughly coat the ingredients.
05 - Serve the salad at once to preserve maximum Doritos crunch.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- You get to crush the Doritos yourself, which oddly never gets old.
- This salad pulls off the trick of being hearty, speedy comfort food and a crunchy, color-packed meal at once.
02 -
- If you add the Doritos too early, you’ll end up with a soggy crunch that lets down the whole bowl.
- Letting the beef cool just for a minute before tossing it in means your cheese will melt slightly but the lettuce stays crisp.
03 -
- Gently heat the beef and beans in advance—room temperature is perfect, piping hot will wilt your lettuce.
- A quick toss with just half the dressing first, then add more to taste, so nothing gets soggy by surprise.