Simple Doritos Taco Salad (Printable)

Crunchy Doritos taco salad with seasoned beef, romaine, tomatoes, beans, corn, cheddar and ranch.

# What You'll 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 dressing, optional
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Spices

11 - 1 ounce taco seasoning

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it apart, until fully browned, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat, add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water, stir, and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine chopped romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, black beans, corn, and shredded cheddar cheese.
03 - Add slightly cooled taco beef and crushed Doritos to the salad mixture.
04 - Drizzle salad with ranch, Catalina, or French dressing as desired. Toss thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Serve the salad straight away to preserve the crispness of the Doritos.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • The Doritos pull double duty as both flavor booster and crunchy topper—no one ever guesses just how easy it is.
  • It’s the ultimate salad for picky eaters: hearty, colorful, and customizable to whatever vegetables you have on hand.
02 -
  • If you wait too long to serve, the Doritos will wilt and lose their superstar crunch.
  • Adding the beef just warm (not piping hot) prevents the lettuce from losing its crispness—learned that by sad, soggy trial.
03 -
  • Use a big, shallow bowl to spread out ingredients for even distribution of chips, beef, and veggies.
  • Adding minced jalapeño or hot sauce to the dressing brings a little grown-up heat to the mix.

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