The perfect salad for a potluck or party! This Dorito Taco Salad is always a hit anywhere I bring it and we’ve been serving it my entire life. It’s loaded with ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and Nacho Cheese Doritos for the perfect crunch!
It’s not summer until you make a Dorito Taco Salad! It’s the ultimate summer salad recipe perfect for parties, backyard cookouts or you can easily eat this as your dinner or lunch. A salad with chips? Sign me up!
This salad is originally my Mom’s so we know it’s delicious. Plus, whenever I bring it somewhere it’s always one of the first salads gone! It’s loaded with ground hamburger, cheddar cheese, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, Catalina dressing and of course the Nacho Cheese Doritos!
Ingredients Needed
- Iceberg Lettuce – You could also use Romaine or mixed greens if you prefer.
- Catalina dressing – This could be subbed for Ranch or French Dressings.
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Cheddar
- Hamburger – Easily substituted for ground chicken or turkey.
- Nacho Cheese Doritos – Mix it up by using Cool Ranch or Taco flavored Doritos!
Optional Add-Ins
You can really make this however you’d like with the ingredients in your pantry. If you’d rather use chicken or turkey instead of beef it’s a great substitution.
Trying making the protein with a packet of taco seasoning for an extra kick.
Other great additions are beans, corn, pico de gallo, gaucamole, green onions, black olives, peppers and more!
They are always coming out with new Dorito flavors so switch out Nacho Cheese for Taco or Spicy Doritos or whatever you’d like.
How do you make Dorito Taco Salad?
Anyone can make this Taco Salad recipe because it’s so easy! If you can brown hamburger you can make it since that’s the hardest part of the entire recipe.
- Brown Hamburger – Grab your skillet and brown the hamburger then drain off the grease.
- Mix Ingredients – Mix it together with lettuce, dressing, tomatoes, onion and cheddar cheese in large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve – When you are ready to serve it mix in the Doritos and top with dressing!
Expert Tips!
- If you’d like to make this ahead of time simply layer the salad. First layer is the ground beef, then the tomatoes and onions form layer two. Sprinkle the lettuce on top of that and then the cheese. Leave off the Doritos until serving time. When it’s time to serve mix in chips and dressing and then toss to combine.
- Not a fan of Catalina dressing? Use Ranch, French or any other dressing you’d love.
- If you are not going to enjoy this all at one time simply take out the amount you’d like, top with chips and dressing then store the rest of the salad in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Iceberg is the classic lettuce used in this salad, but you can use romaine or mixed greens too.
- Top with your favorite Taco toppings like diced avocado, fresh cilantro etc.
Ideas to Serve with your Taco Salad!
- Fire up the grill and make this easy BBQ Chicken Marinade for amazing grilled chicken!
- It’s not a party until you serve Instant Pot Crack Chicken along this delicious salad.
- Mix up a big batch of Margaritas to serve!
WATCH THE STEP BY STEP VIDEO FOR THIS RECIPE BELOW:
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Dorito Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Head Lettuce shredded
- 16 oz bottle Catalina dressing
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 onion chopped, if desired
- 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 lbs hamburger browned and grease drained off
- 15.5 oz bag Nacho Cheese Doritos crushed
Instructions
- Brown hamburger and drain off grease.
- Mix it together with lettuce, dressing, tomatoes, onion and cheddar cheese in large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Right before serving mix in Doritos.
Tips
- If you’d like to make this ahead of time simply layer the salad. First layer is the ground beef, then the tomatoes and onions form layer two. Sprinkle the lettuce on top of that and then the cheese. Leave off the Doritos until serving time. When it’s time to serve mix in chips and dressing and then toss to combine.
- Not a fan of Catalina dressing? Use Ranch, French or any other dressing you’d love.
- If you are not going to enjoy this all at one time simply take out the amount you’d like, top with chips and dressing then store the rest of the salad in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Iceberg is the classic lettuce used in this salad, but you can use romaine or mixed greens too.
- Top with your favorite Taco toppings like diced avocado, fresh cilantro etc.
Video
Nutrition Information
Originally Publish January 25, 2018
Macrina lopez says
Great salad
Julie Evink says
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe!
MARCIA JANTZ says
I’ve made this salad for years, for the dressing we like 1000 Island and add a tsp of sugar and taco seasoning to the 1000… very good! Now I’m hungry for this! 🙂
MARCIA JANTZ says
Add about half the taco seasoning pack to the 1000…..
MARCIA JANTZ says
Also I put about a 1/2 a packet of taco seasoning to the hamburger meat….
Julie Evink says
Sounds like a delicious twist!
Jen says
Love this recipe. We use spicy taco seasoning in the meat and the spicy red Doritos. Also love it with the cool ranch Doritos. Easy to switch out different ingredients and quick to make. Love seeing other comments about making half then storing the rest to keep from getting soggy. Wonderful suggestion!
Julie Evink says
Love all these variations!!
Kathi Imjo says
I have made this salad for years. Love it as my family does.
Julie Evink says
It’s a favorite of ours too Kathi!
Marie Murphy says
I have made this recipe for years but usually leave out the hamburger and add kidney beans.
Julie Evink says
A great option!
AngieinSC says
I love this recipe! I do leave out the onions but I use everything else and I add black olives and set out salsa and sour cream. It is yummy!! I do however only mix half if it’s for supper. Then mix it in a bowl if they want more. Leftovers are all stored in zip top bags. That keeps it all fresh. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!!!
Julie Evink says
Great storage idea! Glad you enjoyed it!
Paula says
What about warming it after? Don’t want warm lettuce. I should have kept it separate.
Michelle Sperr says
Lettuce wouldn’t reheat very well, you’re correct Paula! We often eat it cold and straight outta the fridge!
Synlover Too says
I first made this salad over 30 yrs ago for a grad school potluck – before the days of flavored Doritos. WAIT – Am I giving my age away ? LOL
I used taco seasoning & Creamy Cucumber salad dressing & it was a huge hit. Haven’t made it for a very long time – but seeing your post has awoken a craving for some, so I’ll have to grab some Doritos when I go to the store Sun morning (to stock up on reduced price Halloween candy for upcoming baking).
Julie says
Hope you enjoy it!
Nancy Adams says
I’ve been making this for over 40 years and it is always a huge hit. The only difference is that I like it more like tacos than a salad, so I serve it with salsa and sour cream on the side. Sometime I will also have Catalina dressing on the side. You just can’t go wrong with a classis recipe like this!
Michelle Sperr says
What a great idea to serve it with salsa and sour cream on the side! Glad you enjoy this recipe Nancy!
Raelene Ross Ramirez says
I’ve made this salad for over 25 plus years and it is my favorite! I use red onion and add black olives. The icing on the cake is to also add a can of Ranch Style Beans. The flavor is over the top,
Julie says
Interesting! I might have a to try that!
Cynthia Huberdault says
We use Taco seasoning mix and I use cherry or grape tomatoes whole so it won’t get soggy. In a pinch just for me I’ve used salsa, lettuce and whatever meat I have left over beside Doritos and dressing.
Julie says
Taco seasoning is a great addition, glad to hear you love it!
Juniper says
We mix the Catalina with sour cream about 1/2 and 1/2. Or just put a couple dollops of sour cream on the top and whoever wants it can take it and then of course there is more sour cream in another small bowl. We also put taco seasoning in it..the salad ,… Extra toppings like guac, extra shredded cheese, diced onions, chives., Dish of black beans, bowl of refried beans. Then everyone can add what they want. .. So good !!
Julie says
Sounds great! Glad you enjoy this one!
Cindy says
My mom used to make this all the time when I was growing up and now I make it all the time. The only things I do differently is use taco seasoning on my meat and use Italian dressing instead. It’s a quick, easy dish, and one of my favorites!
Julie says
It’s such a classic dish! I’m so glad you enjoy it!
Dawn says
We used to make this all the time except we added kidney beans to it and it was delicious
Julie says
Sounds like a great addition!
Kurt says
My mom’s taco salad is totally different.
Ham , block of cheese , pinto beans , tomatoes, lettuces
corn chips and ott’s dressing.
Dice ham ,cheese , tomatoes and lettuce into cubes bite size. Grab a bowl and add chips then throw in everything on top. Top it off with the ott’s dressing.