Description
Get ready for flavor overload with this Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing! It has all your favorite taco toppings and we're adding Fritos for crunch. This is the salad of Summer and is a full meal all in one bowl. Ready to eat in under an hour!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce or romaine hearts, chopped (about 3-4 cups)
- 1 lb 85/15 ground beef
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup Catalina dressing + more for serving
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and stems removed, diced
- 1 roma tomato, seeds and stems removed, diced
- 1 bell pepper, seeds and stems removed, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup original Fritos
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the lettuce, then chop it into bite sized pieces. I like to run mine through the salad spinner to remove all the excess water.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink, breaking the meat up as it cooks with a meat masher, spatula or wooden spoon.
- Once the meat is fully browned, reduce the heat to low and push the meat to one side of the pan and soak up some of the grease with a few paper towels and discard. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the ground beef into a bowl or pie plate and place in the fridge for another 15 minutes until cooled down completely. Note: I like to use a pie plate because it allows the meat to spread out and cool quicker in the fridge.
- Once the meat has cooled, it's time to assemble the salad. Start by adding the lettuce to a large bowl and tossing with 3/4 cup of Catalina dressing. Layer the ground beef on top, and then the cheese, followed by onions, tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro. Top with Fritos right before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dry the salad extremely well or run it through the salad spinner to remove the excess water.
- Allow the ground beef to cool on the stovetop and then in the fridge. This will help keep the greens and veggies nice and fresh without wilting them.
- I don't recommend prepping this salad too far in advance because it does get soggy quick. If you need to prep a few hours ahead, that is totally fine, but add the Fritos right before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooling Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican