Description
This Taco Salad is a vibrant, hearty dish perfect for a quick and flavorful meal. It combines seasoned ground beef with fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, crunchy Doritos, and a creamy salsa-sour cream dressing with a hint of lime. Easy to prepare and bursting with Tex-Mex flavors, this salad offers a satisfying blend of textures and tastes ideal for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Beef:
- 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
For the Dressing:
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup salsa
- Fresh lime juice (to taste)
For the Salad:
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 10 ounces little tomatoes (grape or cherry), halved
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
- 1/2 cup canned corn, drained
- 1/2 cup black beans, drained
- 1/2 avocado, sliced or chopped
- 1 cup Doritos, broken into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (or to taste)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Beef: Add the olive oil, ground beef, and all the spices—chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cumin—to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef while breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and fully cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove any excess fat if necessary.
- Prepare Dressing and Salad Ingredients: While the beef is cooking, chop the lettuce, halve the tomatoes, chop the red onion, shred the cheese, drain the corn and black beans, and slice the avocado. In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream and salsa. Add fresh lime juice to taste, thinning the dressing with extra lime juice or water if it’s too thick.
- Assemble and Serve: Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cheese, corn, black beans, avocado, and fresh cilantro in a large salad bowl. Allow the cooked beef to cool for a few minutes, then add it along with the broken Doritos to the bowl—adding the chips last helps keep them crunchy. Toss the salad with the dressing, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately to enjoy the perfect balance of textures and flavors.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the ground beef with seasoned cooked lentils or crumbled tempeh.
- Adjust the spice levels by varying chili powder or adding fresh jalapeños to the salad.
- For a lighter version, use low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt in the dressing.
- Add extra lime juice to brighten the flavors just before serving.
- Serve immediately after assembling to prevent the Doritos from getting soggy.
