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    Home » Salads

    Easy Beef Taco Salad

    Published: Jul 2, 2019 / Updated: Apr 14, 2021 / 10 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy beef taco salad recipe is loaded with your favorite taco toppings and has the most delicious 2-ingredient dressing! A total crowd pleaser. 

    easy beef taco salad in a large salad bowl

    This recipe originally appeared on The Recipe Critic. I contribute one recipe per month to Alyssa's blog.

    I didn't grow up eating taco salad (European parents), but I started eating it and making it as a young adult, and it's always been one of my favorites. Definitely the type of salad you can eat as a meal. There are so many variations out there, but I like to keep it simple. You can definitely pick/choose what to put in here. Don't like beans? No problem - leave them out. I usually leave the cheese out (gasp! I know...). Salads should be simple, and all ingredients are optional. Heck, you could even swap the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey if you prefer. 

    Or... add extra Doritos. Does anyone remember the Taco Bell flavor Doritos that were around in the '90s? I used to beg my mom for money so I could buy them from my school's little store. Ah memories. Cool Ranch will have to do.

    Love taco salad? You may also like my healthier chicken taco salad recipe or my low carb taco salad. 

    beef taco salad prep in a glass bowl

    How to make beef taco salad

    1. Brown the beef. Cook it in a skillet with the seasoning for 8-10 minutes or until it’s cooked through. If there’s excess fat, drain it (I buy extra lean ground beef so I don't have to). 
    2. Prep your salad ingredients and add them to a large salad bowl.
    3. Make the dressing. Mix the salsa and sour cream together until you've got a smooth dressing.
    4. Toss the salad. Add the Doritos last so they stay crunchy.

    Pro tip: If you want to make this ahead of time, I suggest keeping the meat, avocado, and Doritos separate and then adding those ingredients prior to serving. 

    beef Doritos taco salad in a small white bowl with a fork

    The best taco salad dressing

    Mixing sour cream with your favorite salsa (mine is Newman's Own Tequila Lime flavor) makes an awesome dressing for taco salad. If you want to thin it out a little, add some lime juice!

    More taco recipes you may like:

    • Easy Shrimp Tacos
    • Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe
    • Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
    • Low Carb Taco Bowls
    • Ground Pork Tacos with Apple Slaw
    • Taco Zucchini Boats
    • Instant Pot Taco Soup Recipe

    close-up of beef taco salad

    Questions about this Doritos taco salad? Let me know in the comments below. 

    Made this recipe? Let me know! You can always tag your creations #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see them. 

    close-up of beef taco salad

    Easy Beef Taco Salad

    This easy beef taco salad recipe is loaded with your favorite taco toppings and has the most delicious 2-ingredient dressing! A total crowd pleaser. 
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 643 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

    Dressing:

    • 3/4 cup sour cream
    • 3/4 cup salsa

    Salad:

    • 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
    • 3/4 cup little tomatoes (grape or cherry) halved
    • 1/2 small red onion chopped
    • 1 cup shredded cheese (e.g. cheddar or Tex-Mex blend)
    • 1/2 cup canned corn drained
    • 1/2 cup black beans drained
    • 1/2 avocado sliced/chopped
    • 1 cup Doritos crushed
    • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped (optional)
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Add the oil, ground beef, and spices to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef until it's browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally (about 8-10 minutes). There should not be much (if any) fat to drain if you used lean ground beef. Just spoon the excess fat out if needed.
    • While the beef is cooking, start to prep your other salad ingredients, and make the dressing by mixing the sour cream and salsa together.
    • Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Once the beef is done, let it cool for a few minutes. Add the beef and Doritos to the salad last (so the Doritos don't get soggy). Toss the salad with the dressing, season with salt & pepper as needed, and serve immediately.

    Notes

    • Serves 4+ as a main dish and more as a side (like 6+).
    • Want to make the beef spicy? Add in 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
    • Feel free to use ready-made taco seasoning instead of the spices I suggest if you wish.
    • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
       

    Nutrition

    Calories: 643kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 39gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 844mgPotassium: 1232mgFiber: 9gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 7952IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 360mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword easy beef taco salad
    Author Natasha Bull
    « Easy Smoked Salmon Pasta
    Mexican Stuffed Peppers »

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    1. Scott Schreiber says

      July 22, 2022 at 5:16 PM

      We made this on a 100 degree day in the middle of a 7 day heat wave in Delaware. It was the perfect meal! No excessive heating of the kitchen, short prep time. It was very, very good. We substituted Impossible burger for the hamberger, but otherwise made it as is. It is a perfect, easy, cool summer time meal....and healthy!

      Reply
      • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

        July 22, 2022 at 10:32 PM

        So happy you enjoyed it, Scott! Thank you! Hope you're all staying cool as best you can 🙂

        Reply
    2. Pia says

      June 22, 2021 at 1:48 PM

      5 stars
      Was delicious. Tasty, spicy, quickly, got greens and easy… so good. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:57 PM

        You're welcome, Pia! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    3. Libby says

      April 22, 2021 at 1:28 PM

      5 stars
      Huge fan of your insta/website. Made this taco salad today and LOVED IT. So flavorful!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 22, 2021 at 8:07 PM

        Fantastic!! Thank you!!

        Reply
    4. Shauna says

      April 14, 2021 at 4:32 PM

      5 stars
      So delicious and quick, easy supper!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 14, 2021 at 7:56 PM

        Wonderful! Thank you so much for leaving me a review, Shauna!

        Reply
    5. Suzy Kudsia says

      July 9, 2020 at 2:05 PM

      5 stars
      Absolutely amazing! My husband loved it and hes not easily impressed...I kept the ingredients in separate bowls and everyone customize their own meal. Super easy and fun to eat!
      Thank you! You have so many great recipes!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 9, 2020 at 3:43 PM

        I'm so happy to hear that, Suzy!! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment/review. 🙂 XO

        Reply

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