Simple Doritos Taco Salad (Print Version)
Seasoned beef, romaine, black beans, corn, cheddar and crushed Doritos tossed with ranch for a crunchy Tex-Mex meal.
# 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, canned or thawed from frozen
→ 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 (optional)
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Spices
11 - 1 packet taco seasoning (about 1 ounce)
# How-To:
01 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it apart, until thoroughly browned, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat from the pan.
02 - Sprinkle taco seasoning over the cooked beef, then add 1/4 cup water. Stir and simmer until the sauce thickens, around 2 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and allow the seasoned beef to cool slightly.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine chopped romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, finely diced red onion, black beans, corn kernels, and shredded cheddar cheese.
04 - Add the slightly cooled taco beef and the crushed Doritos chips to the bowl with the vegetables and cheese.
05 - Drizzle the salad with ranch or chosen dressing. Gently toss the mixture until all ingredients are evenly coated and distributed.
06 - Serve the salad immediately to maintain maximum Doritos crunch.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The glorious combination of zesty beef and Doritos is the kitchen secret no one told you about.
- It’s ready in under a half-hour and always leaves people going back for seconds—no boring salad vibes here.
02 -
- If you add the Doritos too early, they’ll lose their crunch and become a little sad—learned that the hard way.
- Tossing the beef in while still warm lets the cheese melt just enough for bite after satisfying bite.
03 -
- Layer the beef and cheese while everything’s just warm for maximum melt factor.
- If you’re feeding a crowd, serve the Doritos and dressing on the side so everyone gets the crunch they crave.