My taco salad with Catalina dressing is a throw back, vintage recipe. Taco meat combined with flavorful chips and vegetables all tossed with sweet dressing. If you didn’t have this growing up, it’s a must try!

I’m an 80’s kid and this taco salad with Catalina dressing brings me back. This was one of my favorite dinners growing up and now my kids love it too.

Anything that involves taco meat is always a hit in my family. When I first introduced this taco salad to my kids they where a little skeptical about the salad dressing. Salad and sweet dressing didn’t sound like their idea of taco night. Once I convinced them to try it, they were hooked and now it’s a must.

The sweet Catalina dressing adds a great balance to the savory and spicy flavor of the beef and chips. It adds that nostalgic flavor that sets it apart for any other taco salad.

Be sure to check out this ground beef taco dip and Santa Fe soup for more taco inspired meals.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Nostalgic recipe. This is one of those recipes that will bring you back to your childhood.
• Fun flavor. It might sound unconventional, but the combination of the tangy dressing and seasoned meat is the perfect flavor match.
• Fast and easy to make. You can prepare this salad in less than 20 minutes.
• A great alternative to taco Tuesday. All the taco flavor packed into a salad.

Ingredients

The ingredients to make taco salad made with Catalina dressing are really simple and easily customizable. This is a great base recipe that you can make your own. Be sure to scroll down to the variation section for ideas.

• Ground beef – I like to use a lean ground beef to cut down on the grease.
• Taco seasoning – You can use store bought taco seasoning or homemade.
• Water – Used to help keep the ground beef moist with the taco seasoning.
• Red onions – These add color and mild flavor.
• Doritos chips – Classic Nacho Cheese Doritos is my favorite. You can substitute with the Cool Ranch Doritos if you prefer.
• Iceberg lettuce – Crisp and refreshing iceberg lettuce is the perfect base for this salad. You can substitute with Romaine lettuce.
• Cucumbers – Add crunch and coolness. Try using an English cucumber or mini cucumbers to cut down on the seeds.
• Tomatoes – Add a pop of color and flavor.
• Black olives – Black olives add a nice salty note to the salad. You can leave these out if you like.
• Cheese – Shredded cheddar or a blend like Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or a Mexican blend.
• Catalina dressing – This is what brings this salad together.

How to make taco salad with Catalina Dressing and Doritos

Scroll to the bottom for the full, printable recipe.

Step one: Chop the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. Break up the Doritos into small, bite size pieces.

Step two: Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Make sure to break it up. Once brown, drain off any excess grease. Stir in the diced red onions, water and taco seasoning.

Step three: Pour the chopped lettuce in a large bowl. Top with the cooked ground beef.

Step four: Add in diced cucumber, tomatoes, shredded cheese, Doritos, and black olives.

Step five: Toss everything together. Add Catalina dressing and toss again.

Variations

Make this Doritos taco salad with Catalina dressing your own with a few adjustments. Here are a few ideas:

• Dressing: Substitute the Catalina dressing with a different salad dressing like thousand island, Italian dressing, copycat Wingstop ranch, or avocado lime ranch.
• Chips: You can substitute the Doritos with tortilla chips, or Fritos corn chips.
• Beans: You can add drained, red kidney beans or black beans to the salad.
• Additional ingredients: Diced avocado, corn,

Heather’s Recipe Tips

• Make sure to drain off any excess grease from the ground beef.
• Let the meat cool off a few minutes before adding to the salad. This helps prevent the cheese from melting.
• Break the Doritos up into bite size pieces. You don’t want to crush them up too much.

Storage

This taco salad with Catalina dressing is best served fresh because the chips and lettuce are crunchy.

If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. This salad does not freeze.

More Salad Recipes

• Pea salad
• Broccoli salad with raisins
• Seven layer salad
• Italian grinder salad