This easy Dorito taco salad just uses a few simple ingredients and comes together in minutes. A homemade meal can't get any more simple than this!
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Dorito Taco Salad is a flavorful twist on the classic, perfect for gatherings or weeknight dinners. Quick to prepare and easy to transport, it's always a hit.
This Easy Dorito Taco Salad recipe is our go to base and makes it easy to add fun upgrades. The combination of crunchy Doritos with classic taco ingredients creates a filling meal everyone enjoys.
Doritos bring extra crunch and flavor, while the mix of crispy chips, seasoned meat, and fresh veggies adds great texture in every bite.
With bold colors and zesty flavors, this salad is always a crowd pleaser and perfect for anyone who loves Tex Mex style meals.
For more taco inspired dishes, try Walking Taco Casserole, Instant Pot Taco Zucchini Boats, and Air Fryer Tortilla Chips.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's great for leftover taco meat. We really like to reuse leftover foods in new recipes around here and taco meat makes an awesome Easy Dorito Taco Salad. You don't even need to heat it up first!
- You can customize it. Add in things like beans, corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers, or keep it plain and simple. This recipe is so much fun to experiment with.
- Perfect for a cold dinner on a hot summer day. We've all experienced those days when it's too hot to do much of anything. This recipe (along with our Party Sub Recipe) is our cold dinner go-to recipe.
🛒 Ingredients
Salsa. Chunky red salsa adds flavor and a little heat, but you can use any variety you like.
Green salad. Budget friendly mixed salad bags work well, and chopped iceberg lettuce adds a cool, refreshing crunch. It's also great in our Iceberg Salad.
Doritos. Nacho Doritos add crunch and a cheesy flavor.
Taco seasoning. Use store bought taco seasoning or a DIY Taco Seasoning to season the ground beef.
Optional add ins. Diced onions, chopped tomatoes, or kidney beans add extra flavor if desired.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Chip preferences. Use any Doritos flavor you like. Ranch or spicy varieties work well, but nacho flavored chips are a milder option and kid friendly.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Stretch the meat: Use ½ lb ground beef mixed with black beans or corn to lower cost while keeping it filling.
Homemade taco seasoning: Making your own seasoning is cheaper than store-bought packets and lets you control salt.
Store-brand chips & cheese: Generic tortilla chips and block cheese (shredded at home) cost less than name brands.
Buy salad on sale: Grab bagged salad when it's discounted or substitute chopped iceberg lettuce for an even cheaper option.
Leftover-friendly: This is a great way to use up leftover taco meat from earlier in the week.
🥄 Instructions for Doritos Taco Salad
Step 1: Prepare the taco meat by browning the ground beef, draining the grease, and then mixing in the taco seasoning. Remove from heat and allow to cool before use.
Step 2: Place your salad into a large serving bowl. Top with your seasoned taco meat.
Step 3: Mix well to combine.
Step 4: Top with crushed Doritos.
Step 5: Toss well to combine.
Step 6: Add salsa to the salad.
Step 7: Mix well to evenly coat everything.
Step 8: Add shredded cheese.
Step 9: Mix well to distribute.
Serve with any additional toppings, if desired, and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Preferred salad mix. Garden variety salad mixes, especially those with purple cabbage and iceberg lettuce, add great crunch and texture.
- Mixing options. Feel free to swap in spinach, a 50/50 blend, or other greens to match your taste.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Store leftover Easy Dorito Taco Salad covered in the fridge for up to 2 days (best without chips mixed in).
Make Ahead: Prep taco meat and chop toppings ahead of time. Assemble just before serving for best texture.
Pro Tip: Keep Doritos and salsa separate until serving to prevent wilting.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve Easy Dorito Taco Salad with rice, refried beans, or Mexican-style corn, and add toppings like sour cream, avocado, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, or jalapeños. Leftovers can be wrapped into tortillas or burritos for easy next-day lunches and pair well with lemonade, iced tea, or agua fresca.
- Air Fryer Tortilla ChipsRecipe $0.90 / Serving $0.23
- Tomato Jalapeno SalsaRecipe $3.67 / Serving $0.61
- Quick Horchata Recipe (With Leftover Rice)Recipe $0.28 / Serving $0.04
- Jalapeno Cheddar Beer BreadRecipe $4.57
❓ Dorito Taco Salad FAQs
Absolutely! I love this salad with ground beef but ground turkey or even shredded chicken works great! In fact, my crockpot shredded enchilada chicken would taste incredible in this salad.
Yes, you can- kind of. If you allow your meat to cool completely you can mix everything together except for the salsa up to a day in advance. Don't add the salsa until just before serving because it causes the lettuce to wilt.
Sour cream, sliced avocados, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and the list! There are so many tasty toppings and add-ins that you can toss into this taco salad and all of them make it that much more incredible.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Fajita Taco SaladRecipe $16.91 / Serving $2.82
- Leftover Turkey EnchiladasRecipe $6.86 / Serving $1.72
- Chicken Fajita Freezer MealRecipe $10.02 / Serving $1.67
- Walking Taco CasseroleRecipe $9.86 / Serving $1.64
🐝 If you tried this Easy Doritos Taco Salad, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Doritos Taco Salad
Equipment
- Large serving bowl
- Salad servers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef - ($4.97)
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning - ($0.54)
- 12 ounces chopped salad greens - ($1.98)
- 1 cup salsa - ($0.94)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded - ($1.00)
- 1 cup crushed Doritos - ($1.29)
Instructions
- Cook the Taco Meat: Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain excess grease, then stir in the taco seasoning. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Build the Salad Base: Add the salad greens to a large serving bowl. Top with the seasoned taco meat and gently toss to combine.
- Add Crunch: Sprinkle the crushed Doritos over the salad and toss lightly.
- Dress the Salad: Add the salsa and mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Finish and Serve: Add the shredded cheese, toss once more, and serve immediately with any additional toppings if desired.
Notes
- Greens Choice: A chopped salad blend with iceberg lettuce and purple cabbage provides the best crunch, but any salad mix will work.
- Doritos Options: Use any flavor you like including Nacho, Ranch, or Spicy varieties.
- Protein Swaps: Ground turkey or shredded chicken can be used in place of ground beef.
- Make Ahead Tip: Prepare all components in advance but add the salsa just before serving to prevent wilting.
- Extra Toppings: Sour cream, avocado slices, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, or olives are great additions.
Nutritional Information
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