Doritos Taco Salad
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Apr. 20, 2025
This Doritos Taco Salad brings big flavor with zero fuss. It’s bold, crunchy, and made to feed a crowd – perfect for weeknights, parties, or potlucks.
In This Article
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
This isn’t your average taco salad. Here’s why we love it:
- Perfect for Parties: This Dorito Taco Salad is my go-to for big gatherings like Cinco de Mayo foods or backyard cookout recipes. It feeds a crowd, disappears fast, and everyone asks for the recipe.
- Packed with Flavor: Every bite is loaded with seasoned beef, tangy dressing, fresh veggies, crispy chips, and cheese. It’s bold, robust, and never boring, like our Easy Taco Pockets.
- Quick and Easy: Like our Mexican Street Corn Salad, this salad comes together fast with zero fuss.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef – We recommend using lean ground beef for this recipe. It’s the base of our salad and provides a hearty, savory flavor.
- Taco Seasoning – We use homemade taco seasoning to add a punch of flavor to the ground beef, but you can also go with store-bought seasoning.
- Nacho Tortilla Chips – These add a satisfying crunch to the salad. Make sure to coarsely crush them for the best texture.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – We love the sharpness of cheddar cheese in this salad.
Substitutions And Variations
Here are some of our favorite variations and substitutions:
- Meat: This recipe calls for ground beef, but feel free to substitute with ground turkey, ground chicken, or a plant-based crumble for a vegetarian option.
- Greens: You can substitute with mixed greens or even kale if you prefer.
- Chips: Crush up your favorite flavor of tortilla chips; ranch or BBQ flavored tortilla chips are fun ideas.
- Dressing: Thousand Island dressing is our favorite here, as it provides an flavorful and creamy base, but you can opt for Catalina or French dressing as well.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Season beef with homemade taco seasoning in a large pot. Stir beef with taco seasoning in a large pot and cook until done. Drain and set aside.
- Cook until done, and then drain and set it aside for now.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the salad dressing, salsa, sugar, and taco seasoning.
- Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Pour dressing on top, garnish with chips, and serve.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Take a look at our favorite prep-ahead strategies for this recipe:
- Pre-Cook the Meat: You can cook the ground beef and mix it with one envelope of taco seasoning ahead of time. Store this in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Make the Dressing: The dressing for this salad can be prepared in advance. Simply whisk the ingredients together and store in the fridge for up to a week.
- Pre-Assemble Salad: You can also assemble the entire salad a few hours before serving. Just keep the dressing, beef, and crushed chips separate and toss everything together just before serving.
What To Serve With Dorito Taco Salad
Tex-Mex Sides
- We love scooping up some homemade guacamole alongside our Dorito Taco Salad. The creamy texture and limey flavor pair so well with the crunchy chips and seasoned beef.
- It also goes great with fresh Pico de Gallo or easy Blender Salsa!
Appetizers
- If we’re feeding a crowd, we like starting with Air Fryer Chicken Wings or Homemade Mozzarella Sticks. They’re crispy, easy to eat, and totally delicious.
- It also goes great with Ham and Cheese Sliders – just the right size and a fun little extra that keeps everyone coming back for more.
Drinks
- Big Batch Pineapple Margaritas are our top pick for this dish. They’re sweet, citrusy, and perfect with the bold Tex-Mex flavors.
- We also love serving this with a 4-Ingredient Mango Sour. It’s tropical, tart, and super refreshing next to all that cheesy, crunchy goodness.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Dorito Taco Salad
This Dorito Taco Salad is easy, flexible, and perfect for large crowds. Hearty, robust, and big on flavor, it is a winner at every party.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 envelopes taco seasoning, divided
- 1 small head iceberg lettuce, or romaine lettuce, shredded or torn
- 2 cups nacho tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 can black beans, 16 oz, rinsed and drained
- 2 cans sliced black olives, 2.25 oz each, drained
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 can sweet corn kernels, 16 oz, drained
- 1 cup Thousand Island salad dressing
- 6 oz salsa, jarred or homemade
- 1 TB granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, over medium heat, stir beef together with 1 envelope taco seasoning until cooked through. Drain and set aside beef.
- In a bowl, whisk together salad dressing, salsa, sugar, and 1 envelope taco seasoning. Transfer to desired dressing container and set aside.
- When ready to serve: Combine lettuce, tomatoes, beans, olives, cheese, onion, corn, and beef in a large serving bowl. Toss to combine.
- Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle top with chips. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Taste the dressing; if you prefer it sweeter, add an additional 1 TB sugar to it.
- Be sure to coarsely crush the nacho tortilla chips. This will make them easier to eat and ensure that they are evenly distributed throughout the salad.
- This Dorito Taco Salad is best served immediately after adding the dressing and chips. This keeps the lettuce crisp and the chips crunchy.
- This recipe is part of our Mexican & Tex-Mex Recipes Collection.
- We love scooping up some Homemade Guacamole alongside our Dorito Taco Salad. It also goes great with fresh Pico de Gallo or easy Blender Salsa!
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 2102mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1196IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 252mg | Iron: 3mg
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of meat instead of ground beef?
Yes, you can! This recipe is very versatile. You can use ground turkey, shredded chicken, or even a meat substitute for a vegetarian option.
Why do I need to add sugar to the dressing?
While it might seem strange to add sugar to a savory dressing, it actually helps to balance the flavors. The sugar cuts through the acidity of the salsa and adds a touch of sweetness to the dressing.
How long does Dorito taco salad keep?
Once assembled, consume immediately. If you want to store it, store the components separately in airtight containers in the fridge. They’ll last for up to 3 days.
More to Cook And Eat
- Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad – We’re spicing things up with this Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad, full of festive Mexican flavors. It’s Mexican gourmet made easy.
- Easy Ranch Potato Salad – This Easy Ranch Potato Salad is one of the most delicious side dishes of the summer. It’s a fail-proof hit for potlucks, picnics, and lazy summer days.
- Chicken Caprese Salad – This Chicken Caprese Salad is extra scrumptious with the best honey balsamic dressing you’ve ever tasted.
- Peach Caprese Salad – This Peach Caprese Salad is layered with flavors for a refreshing recipe all summer long. It’s an amazingly delicious spin on a classic caprese salad.