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. 

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. 

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. 

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

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. 

5 from 1 vote

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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. 

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword easy beef taco salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Natasha Bull

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

1. 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.

2. While the beef is cooking, start to prep your other salad ingredients, and make the dressing by mixing the sour cream and salsa together.
3. 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.

Recipe Notes

• Serves 4+ as a main dish and more as a side.
• 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.