Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad

Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad Recipe: An All-American version of a classic taco salad with layers and layers of texture and zesty flavor.

Taco Salad

Taco salad is a beloved go-to dinner at my house. No one ever looks disappointed when I carry a big heaping taco salad to the table… Especially if it has crumbled Doritos in it. Introducing the Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad Recipe!

The fusion of Tex-Mex flavors, fresh crunchy produce, and All-American snack ingredients is an absolute crowd-pleaser for family dinners and casual parties.

Dorito Tacos

There are many variations of Dorito Taco Salad floating around the web. It’s a dish midwesterners have been making for decades. (In fact, my sister-in-law Jennifer makes a fabulous version!)

However, today I wanted to share a version that I lovingly call The Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad. It offers tons of fresh produce and a little extra naughtiness! Plus, it is so colorful and pretty, perfect for brightening days and faces.

Pure Heaven in a Salad

The crushed Doritos give the taco salad intense flavor and crunch, while the ranch dip provides a zesty cool balance to the hot taco meat.

Heaven. The Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad Recipe is pure heaven.

However, this may not be the healthiest salad on A Spicy Perspective, but I assure you, your family will think it’s one of the best.

Taco Salad Dressing

I like to start by making a quick Homemade Catalina Dressing. It’s much bolder and slightly less sweet than the store-bought varieties.

This is what you’ll need:

• Red Wine Vinegar – This brings a more rich taste to the recipe than just regular white wine vinegar.
• Ketchup – The perfect blend of vinegar and sugar. Plus tomatoes!
• Honey or Agave –  You can either use honey or agave! Of course, this adds a sweet flavor to the dressing.
• Worcestershire Sauce – Another savory-sweet condiment to add.
• Smoked Paprika – This adds a smoky flavor to the dressing. Try turning up the heat by using hot smoked paprika.
• Onion Powder – Get a concentrated onion flavor, without chopping, by using onion powder.
• Grapeseed Oil – If you don’t have (or can’t find) grapeseed oil just replace it with any other flavorless oil.

The recipe is super simple. Basically, add all of the ingredients together in a blender except the oil. While the blender is still running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing is emulsified. That’s it!

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Taco Salad Ingredients

Then toss the zesty Catalina dressing with romaine lettuce and start piling on…

• Taco Meat – a staple in all taco salads, use ground beef or ground turkey!
• Kidney Beans – if you wanted to make this a vegetarian dish, simply leave out the taco meat and just add in the kidney beans.
• Crumbled Nacho Cheese Doritos – this is what makes this recipe special and oh so tasty!
• Grape Tomatoes – cut in half, these tomatoes offer a bite of fresh, sweet, and acidic flavor.
• Chopped Green Onions – onions give this salad a little oomph!
• Black Olives – an essential taco topping! But if you don’t like olives, feel free to swap them for something else.
• Avocado Slices – creamy, fresh avocados slices give this salad depth with a contrasting silky texture.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese – you can’t go wrong with cheese, right?
• And finally the Creamy Ranch Dip – this dip enhances this Dorito taco salad like crazy, so don’t skip out on this ingredient!

If you are looking for a more spicy taco salad, try adding sliced pickled jalapenos and Tabasco sauce, like one of our readers tried and loved!

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How to Make Taco Salad

1. Brown the ground beef and mix it with taco seasoning. You can use any taco seasoning you like or make it homemade!
2. Then mix sour cream with ranch dip mix to have a zesty creamy topping for the Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad Recipe, to give it chip-and-dip appeal.
3. Chop the lettuce and place it in a large bowl then toss it with the Catalina dressing, and you can always add more if you like.
4. Next pile on the Doritos, tomatoes, green onions, avocado slices, olives, and cheese. 
5. Lastly, dollop some of the ranch and sour cream mixture on top and serve!

Get the Full (Printable) Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad Recipe Below. Enjoy!

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For a Healthier Version…

If you’re super worried about the health standard of this salad, you can take the fat and calories down a few notches by using Baked Doritos, lean ground beef or ground turkey, low-fat sour cream, and low-fat cheese.

And if you have any allergies or intolerances, simply omit or sub out the ingredients that don’t work for you or your family. This recipe is super versatile!

So why not surprise your family with this heaping pile of goodness tonight!?

Other Salads You Might Like:

• The Best Broccoli Salad Recipe
• Guatemalan Fiambre Salad Recipe
• Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe (Esquites)
• French Red Potato Salad Recipe
• Thai Red Curry Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
• The Ultimate Wedge Salad Recipe
• Harvest Salad (Cobb Style) Recipe
• Simple Macaroni Salad from Lauren’s Latest

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