Simple Doritos Taco Salad (Print Page)

Crunchy Doritos, seasoned beef, romaine, black beans and cheddar tossed with ranch for a 25-minute Tex-Mex main.

# What You 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

# Directions:

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 Tips:

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.

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