There’s something about tossing seasoned ground beef with crunchy Doritos and cold crisp lettuce that just works. This Nacho Cheese Salad takes all the best parts of taco night and throws them into one big bowl. No tortillas needed.
This recipe came from a friend of my mom, she used to bring it to those popular after-church potlucks we’d have on Sundays. Sandy would walk in with this giant glass bowl covered up with Saran wrap, and by the time we got through the prayer line, all the salad was gone! When I was a teenager and started cooking easy stuff, I begged her for the recipe because I knew it had to be super simple and cheap (and believe me, back then I needed easy recipes, and cheap!).
I started making this on weeknights when my kids were little and I needed something fast that they’d actually eat without complaining or being picky. Turns out, the second they saw I was making a salad with their beloved Doritos, they were all in and suddenly fans of salad. So it became our Friday night thing. Easy after a busy day fighting dragons at school and work.
The seasoned beef adds the heat that makes this a hot salad. And the Catalina dressing gives you a burst of tangy sweetness. Crispy Nacho Cheese Doritos for the addictive salty crunch you get in every bite. A Tex-Mex salad that’s fun to eat. But just as important, it takes about 20 minutes to make, start to finish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
To be so delicious and addictive, this taco salad comes together shockingly fast. So many reasons to make this one of your go-to potluck dishes.
- Budget-friendly: Ground beef, lettuce, Doritos, a jar of salad dressing. Feed your whole family for less than a taco salad at a restaurant.
- Ready in just minutes: About 20 minutes from skillet to table.
- Feed a lot of people for cheap: Double or triple the recipe, end up with enough to feed a small crowd.
- Kid approved: The Doritos are all you need to convince the kiddos.
- Totally customizable: Swap out different toppings, add some beans, make it your own special recipe.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This Doritos salad recipe is easy to customize using whatever you’ve already got in your kitchen.
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef is best, it keeps your taco salad from being greasy. I’ve made it with ground turkey, and no one knew the difference.
- Taco seasoning: Feel free to use homemade taco seasoning if you have a recipe you love. But store bought works absolutely fine here.
- Iceberg lettuce: You can use any lettuce you like or grow for this Tex Mex salad. Iceberg is sturdier, so it holds up better over several hours.
- Nacho Cheese Doritos: The OG Nacho Cheese Doritos is what you want for this nacho salad. But you can also use Doritos Cool Ranch if you want to change things up.
- Catalina dressing: This is truly the secret sauce for this taco salad. It has a tangy and slightly sweet flavor. You can also use ranch dressing, or maybe some homemade salsa.
- Toppings: Sour cream and guacamole make this salad amazing. You’re welcome to toss in some shredded cheese or top it with slice jalepenos and sliced black olives.
Tips for Success
Some things I’ve done to make this salad turn out perfect every single time:
- Add the Doritos and dressing right before you serve the taco salad. Otherwise, the chips will get soggy.
- Draining the grease from the ground beef is a must. Otherwise, you’ll have an icky, greasy salad.
- Let the meat cool before adding it to the bowl. If the beef is too hot, it will make the lettuce wilt.
Storage and Reheating
This Doritos salad needs to be eaten fresh right after you make it. Once the dressing’s added, the chips will start to get soft pretty quickly.
If you have leftover taco meat, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in a skillet or microwave when you’re ready to build another salad. One thing I like to do is make a big batch of the taco meat in advance. Freeze it in recipe-sized portions so you can always make this taco salad on the fly.
For the fresh stuff like lettuce and tomato, they need to be stored separate from the meat and chips.
Serving Suggestions
This taco salad has all the four food groups right by itself, especially if you add cheese! But to make it even more filling, maybe serve it with some Arroz Rojo (Mexican Red Rice).
Picadillo and beans is another excellent side dish that can make this a full meal.
At my house, we like to set things up like a taco bar, with all the best Tex Mex fixings. Dice avocado. Pico de gallo. More shredded cheese. Diced green onions. Get creative!
FAQs
Can I make Doritos salad in advance?
Yes and no. You can brown the ground beef and chop the veggies. But don’t mix it all together until just a few minutes until you’re ready to serve it. The chips will get soggy.
What kind of beans go well in this salad?
Black beans and pinto beans are the two most common picks for a taco salad. If they’re canned, drain them and rinse them in a colander to get rid of the “can” taste. Beans add bulk and protein without changing the overall vibe of nacho salad.
Can I use a different type of chip?
Yes, and you’ll love trying new versions of this ground beef salad. Cool Ranch Doritos are great. Or you can use plain tortilla chips or Fritos.
Is this salad good for meal prep?
Yes, as long as you don’t add the chips before you leave the house in the morning. They’ll get soggy fast. You can easily add the chips at lunchtime.
Notes
Taco salad doesn’t try to make a huge impression. It just sorta shows up and surprises people with how tasty such a simple ground beef salad can be. When my teens have made it for their friends, they beam with pride at how much everyone loves it.
Nacho Cheese Salad with Doritos and Taco Beef for Potluck Dishes
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
- 2 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning
- 1 Medium head Iceberg Lettuce chopped into uniform, bite-sized squares
- 1 Large Roma Tomato diced and seeded (removing the wet pulp cuts down on excess water)
- The Textural Armor & Dressing:
- 2 cups Nacho Cheese Doritos kept whole until assembly
- 1 cup Zesty Catalina Dressing The sweet, tangy profile balances the salty chips
- Sour cream and guacamole for individual topping
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and taco seasoning, breaking it into fine, even crumbles. Cook for 6–8 minutes until completely browned.
- Drain off all pooled fat. Transfer the meat to a shallow plate and let it cool completely to room temperature. Crucial: If you add steaming hot beef directly into a salad bowl, it creates trapped steam that immediately wilts the lettuce into a rubbery, wet texture.
- Cut your tomato in half and use a spoon to scoop out the wet, watery seed pockets before dicing the firm flesh. Pro Tip: This simple step removes excess liquid that would otherwise pool at the bottom of the bowl and dissolve your crunchy chips.
- Toss the chopped iceberg lettuce and dry diced tomatoes together in a large serving bowl.
- Do not add the Doritos or Catalina dressing until you are standing at the table ready to serve. Drop the cooled taco meat onto the lettuce, add the chips, and pour the dressing over top.
- Give the entire salad a vigorous toss using two large spoons. As you toss, allow some of the Doritos to naturally snap into bite-sized shards while others stay whole. This variance in size creates a more satisfying, texturally dynamic crunch in every forkful.
- Serve immediately. Pass the sour cream and guacamole around separately so guests can add heavy elements directly to their plates, preserving the structural integrity of the main bowl.
