This taco salad contains traditional ingredients such as lettuce, tomatoes, beans, ground beef and corn chips. Serve this salad on a hot summer day.

Taco Salad III

beef

(1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

iceberg lettuce, shredded

red onion, sliced

green onions, chopped

(15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained

kidney beans, drained

tomatoes,

avocados

Cheddar cheese

(16 corn chips

(16 ounce) bottle Catalina salad dressing

Prepare the ground beef as directed by taco seasoning package and set aside.


In a large bowl, combine the beef mixture, lettuce, red onion, green onion, pinto beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, avocado and cheese. Mix well.


Before serving, add the corn chips and enough dressing to coat. Mix well and serve immediately.


This has been passed through our family for years.  A great recipe!  Some suggestions would be to serve it on top of lettuce, instead of mixing it in.  That way you can keep it for leftovers.  Also, mix the dressing  with the meat, beans, tomatoes and cheese first, then add the chips on top and lettuce on bottom.  You can do without one of the onions, and one of the beans, kidney beans work best. A great dip for chips as a snack/appetizer, too!

This has been a staple in our house for years.  I don't change the ingredients, just make it more figure friendly.  The Kraft "Light Done Right" Catalina dressing is great and has less fat/calories.  The leanest ground beef and using romaine/iceberg mix helps too! I also substitute Baked Doritos for the corn chips.  Very hearty &amp; satisfying salad...Yummy!!

I served this at a tex mex party and everyone loved it.  I left out the meat though, because I was serving it with enchiladas and tacos.  Make just what you need, as it doesn't last for the next day.  I had everything cut up seperate and did a quick mixing just before serving.  I used the chips as a bedding on the bottom of a large bowl and put a few chips on top for garnishing.  I will use this recipe again.

Excellent recipe... been using one very much the same since my grandmother brought it back from southern Ca. in the 80's....  try using a little less catalina and mix some sour cream and taco sauce with the dressing you do use for a delightfully different tasting dressing. Sometimes I add 2 pkgs of taco seasoning to the meat, unless of course, you are watching salt intake.  Thanks for sharing a great recipe Melanie.

Perfect for lunch!  I used some left over chili I had on hand vs. ground beef and canned beans.  I layered everything over the lettuce and added tortilla chips vs. corn chips and topped it with a bit of sour cream and "Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette" from this site.

This is by far the best Mexican-influenced salad I've ever found.  It is better on day 2! Don't add chips, though, if you plan to eat it more than one day.  Chips become soggy.

This is the first "allrecipe.com" recipe I didn't give 5 stars.  I thought it was terrible, and everyone thought it was too sweet..just not a good combo of ingredients.  It tasted far better without any dressing and without the meat.

This salad was excellent!  I didn't add any beans but everyone who ate it thought it was wonderful!!  I've already given out the recipe!

I was looking for a summer salad to use as a meal (with a good healthy balance).  This was WONDERFUL!  I used light cheese and only an 8 oz bottle of Catalina.  Yum!  Thank you!

VERY good.  I used too much dressing, so it was a little soggy.  Flavor was great.  Don't count on leftovers, does not keep well (what salad does).  Will make again.

very good we used sour cream and salsa instead of the dressing, this is a great recipe and we will have this many times

Oh how I've missed you, recipe!  I think this was first popular in the 60's?  I had actually forgotten about it (and lost the recipe) until a friend asked me if I had that taco salad recipe my g'ma used to make, so I went looking.  I followed the recipe with the exception of leaving out the avacado and green onions only because I completely forgot  to pick them up from the store, and YES, that bummed me pretty bad.  Like many, I combined everything but the lettuce and dressing, since I cook for just me and knew there would be many portions.  It only lacked a bit of "bite" so I did add some Louisiana Hot Sauce at the end.  Thanks for the memories!!

Great recipe!  You definitely don't need to use the entire 16 oz bottle of catalina dressing.  I had the 8 oz bottle and that was plenty, otherwise it's too sweet.

Brought this to a large gathering.  Usually, taco salad is taco salad, but I kept hearing comments about this one even from people who didn't know I had made it!  I left out the onions, red because they are too strong for many people, and green because I simply forgot although they would have been good.  Where I come from, Dorothy Lynch is the ONLY dressing that goes in taco salad, try it instead of Catalina.  I used fat free Dorothy Lynch.

made this for company that i had over was a hit i did not add the catalina dressing though added bout 1tsp of cayanne into the taco mix and for toppings i added avocado and sour cream some black olives was delish and very feeling yum!!

This taco salad was fantastic! Simple, every-day ingredients so it made it real easy to make. I loved the Catalina dressing on the salad, and I think that is what sets this taco salad apart from many others because of the unique taste. Some people said that they thought the Catalina was a bit off for a taco salad, but that is the key ingredient in making it different than your typical taco salad. Will definitely make again. AND my son ate his whole plate - WOW!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe, Melanie!

I have always liked this version of taco salad.  I use an 8 oz. bottle of Catalina dressing.  I also add chopped bell pepper because it gives even more crunchiness.  This is one of those recipes that you can easily change up, depending on your preference.  I also have chopped avocado for anyone who wants to add it.

Good salad. I skipped the pinto beans and avacado. Plus instead of chips I deep fried (using a tin can to shape) a few soft taco shells to make edible bowls. Yum!!

I love this recipe! This was the best taco salad recipe I could find that didn't kill it with dressing and doritos!

Who doesn't like a taco salad. I only used one can of pinto beans and left out the kidney beans since it was just the two of us. We didn't use any dressing just topped with some light sour cream.

Easy and very tasty.  I used tortilla chips instead of corn and skipped the pinto beans.

Excellent and quick recipe, I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and my family loved it!

I debated on reviewing this recipe, because of the changes I made.  I used chicken because I didn't have ground beef.  I used plain white onion because it's what I had.  I thought the salad was very good; maybe a bit too many beans, and I did miss the traditional green pepper.  Overall tho, very pleased with the results.

All time family favorite! My family has enjoyed this salad for 30  years.
The key here is to use CATALINA dressing.  We always use the kraft LIGHT Catalina.
Also, try with Nacho Cheese Doritos for the chips.
this is so fabulous!

I just started making this salad recently. My family loves it! This version of the salad is particularily good. One suggestion I would make is using nacho flavored tortilla chips it really kicks it up a notch. This recipe is the best for taco salad I've ever tried.

I've been making this recipe for years, it's great for all seasons!  What I do differently...if you're concerned about sodium skip the packaged taco seasoning and add your own blend of spices. You may also substitute low/no fat Catalina dressing. I do not mix the meat and beans with the salad rather I add the dressing and chips to the salad (toss) and then top with the meat mixture. If you want left-overs skip mixing dressing and chips and do so individually. That way the lettuce doesn't become soggy.

My children and I love this salad! I leave out the avocados, not a big fan of them. I have to put the tomatoes and onions on 1 side. My daughter doesn't like 'em. I have used the taco seasoning recipe from AR and I can not tell a difference from the packaged. Great recipe!

Made this for the family tonite and it got rave reviews even from my 7yr old who is a picky eater.  Added sour cream on top for even a bigger yum factor.  This is quick and easy to make plus it is delicious!!!!!!!

Can't go wrong with this recipe!

We left out the pinto beans just because we didn't have it on hand. And the onion because my husband isn't a huge fan.  Still very good!

I really liked this recipe. I made my own taco seasoning from AR and added my onions to the beef. I also made my own dressing, 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 of ranch. It was enough for two large salads. I've made single serving with 3 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon ranch. Yummy!

My family serves this salad as a 'build your own' so we can make it just the way we like it. We also use Russian instead of Catalina. A favorite for sure!!

Catalina dressing???!!!!  No way.....I'd only use a salsa ranch or plain old salsa.  Otherwise it's a pretty good salad.

This is delicious and classic taco salad.  I only used one can of black beans, but besides that it is perfect!  The one critical review stating it would be better without lettuce and meat made me laugh out loud.   Well then it wouldn't be a taco or salad, now would it??

This was so good and really hit the spot tonight; not to mention that it took practically no time to prepare. I used ground turkey and made my own taco seasoning so I could control the salt. Instead of mixing everything all together, I placed the salad around individual plates and put the meat mixture in the center. Can't wait for lunch tomorrow! Thanks so much Melanie!

I was a little sceptic because we never eat Catalina dressing, however this was great! quick &amp; easy to make! I left out all the onions. I also didn't add the dressing until I made each salad, that way I could add ranch dressing to the kids salads. Yummy!

Really really good, I used only kidney beans, Doritos instead of corn chips, &amp; just about 1/2 cup (4 ounces) of Catalina dressing, I tried another recipe in the past that used a whole bottle of Catalina and it was WAY too sweet. Nice to be able to add beans to a dish and still have everyone enjoy it. Thanks for posting the recipe!

The best taco salad!!!  My family makes a point of coming to the table for this dinner.

This has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. I now make it for my kids and they love it. I do not mix the ingredients which allows everyone to make their own personal salad. My chip of choice for this salad is original doritos. YUMMY!

This was excellent will be making again and again.  Good one for picnics just put the lettuce in right before serving.  Great recipe thank you

My husband and I loved this taco salad! The only changes I made were I used black beans along with the pinto beans because we don't like kidney beans. I also added a can of corn. I took the advice of another reviewer and mixed salsa with sour cream. I also had a bottle of  Hidden valley salsa ranch and used that as well. I kept the lettuce, mission tortilla chips and sliced avocados separate from the other taco salad ingredients so the avocados will stay fresh and the lettuce and tortilla chips will be crispy for tomorrow. I added the lettuce to my plate, then I topped with the mixture and then added avocados and the sour cream and salsa mixture and then a little of the hidden valley salsa ranch dressing and then topped it with crushed tortilla chips and mixed it all together on my plate. It was absolutely delicious! My husband loved it and so did I. I will definitely make this again! :)

This has been a favorite of mine since childhood.  To add extra kick you can substitute doritos for the plain corn chips.  Also, french dressing will work if you don't have Catalina.

This is another dish I made for my sisters Baby shower and it was super easy to make and I just love avocado's so I added some to this recipe and I also added a can of corn. Everyone loved this dish and I just loved how easy and simple it was to make! I just found another favorite dish!

This is an EXCELLENT taco salad. The only thing I would do differently is not slicing the onion but chopping it up instead, the onion slices were way to big in my salad. My fault though! I will certainly do this one again.

I don't use the Catalina dressing.  I mix 8 ounces of sour cream with 8 ounces of taco sauce and mix it well into the remaining ingredients.  Haven't had a complaint yet!

Excellent taco salad. Instead of Catalina dressing, we have used Thousand Island dressing for years.  Also, because the chips tend to get soggy if all the salad is not eaten, we let each person add their chips.

Made this for the 4th of july. Layered it instead of mixing all together. took advice from another reviewer and mixed beef mix with 1/2 dressing ,1/2 tomatoes and beans. put lettus on bottom, beef mix, 1 onion sliced, rest of tomatoes, cheese and sliced black olives. served avocado on side and also Doritos on side. will make again

Made it, loved it. We like chopped black olives, will add that next time. Will use less dressing next time. Had leftovers. Will have bowl of lettuce separate from bean, meat, onion, dressing, etc. mixture. Serve Fritos on the side so they don't get soggy. Teens say it is all mixed at grad parties, goes quickly! My daughter likes hers with sour cream and taco sauce.

This version of a taco salad was super tasty. I love the Catalina dressing- it is the first time I tried it on a taco salad- and it really really worked! 
I have made this with chicken, ground turkey, and ground beef.
I usually add more veggies also- such as carrots, bellpepper, mixture of lettuces (spinach, green leaf), lots more avocado, etc. 
I also used less cheese, and added a small dollop of sour cream.

Delicious, only used one can of black beans instead of kidney and pinto beans.  Makes a lot of salad I halved the recipe and we still had lots left but its not a salad that's good the second day.  I also made the salad again later on in the week and made it vegetarian by adding taco seasoning to my can of beans.  Still tasted great. Another tip is I use the taco seasoning recipe on this site and make a large batch of it, you will never have to buy those individual packets again.

Like, the BEST TACO SALAD I have ever had! I made a lot of it, because it sounded soo good. And come to find out..... i still didnt make enough! I never make anything but this recipe when it comes to tacos :)

Very good. Mixed the pintos into the meat mixture.  Served everything on the side so everyone could add what they liked. And I could keep the salad and it would be good the next day.

This was a hit. I roasted the peppers and onions and I let out the dressing and topped it with a little bit of nacho cheese. It was quite well received.

I left out the dressing, because I did not want my left-overs to be soggy. Still, it was great!

This was a great recipe, but I liked the few changes I made. Instead of both types of beans, I just used one can of black beans. As well, I used a new salad dressing that just came out called salsa ranch - it was dynamite! I have a family event to go to this weekend, and everyones already asking if I'll make this again - good job!

Easy and crowd pleasing! I leave out the red onion and avocado. If making for dinner, I let me family assemble their own with the desired toppings and then add the dressing. Otherwise, you can't save leftovers as they'll be soggy with dressing. Fritos brand chips are a must for this dish!

Loved this salad! I mixed kidney beans in with my meat then mixed the meat mixture with the avocado, cheese, and tomatoes and put this on a bed of lettuce with the chips and dressing on top. This allowed for the meat mixture to be saved for leftovers without getting soggy. I'm making this again for dinner tonight!

I love this recipe. I used 1 1/2 heads of lettuce because there was so much dressing. I added 2 jalopeno peppers diced very small and 8 ounces of mediem salsa. Many of people asked for the recipe. I will make again.

I used a double batch of Bill Echol's taco seasoning, only cut back on the salt and heat because I'm feeding little mouths. I did cook the onion and pepper together with minced garlic, then added it to the beef mixture. I used shredded cabbage, as it's healthier than iceberg and I served it with corn chips, homemade salsa and sour cream. Very good. One of our favorite comfort meals made better with homemade products and healthier ingredients. EDITED: After trying the meat mixture, I did add a tbsp. of brown sugar and a tbsp. of fresh lime juice.

Family-approved, but I only add 1 can of beans (kidney), and about 4 oz of catalina.

I  left out the red onion, and used one large can of Bush's chili beans, green leaf lettuce, and Fritos Scoops. While the Scoops held up very well, the green leaf lettuce wilted a lot more than I think the iceberg would have. It was very good, but the leftovers weren't worth saving. I will make it again, but will serve the lettuce separately next time.

This is a great salad!  I've made it for years and everyone loves it.  Awhile ago, I served the taco salad as an entree, accompanied by macaroni and cheese as a side dish.  There's something about this combo--cold salad/warm mac &amp; cheese, sweetness (the Catalina dressing) and crunchiness/creamy cheesiness--double yum!!

There is a taco seasoning 1 recipe on this site that is great. All the things you normally alredy have in yor pantry. Great because you can control the salt.

This is a fabulous recipe!  I don't add the lettuce or catalina until after, on my own plate, since my kids don't care for it.  They prefer ranch on top.  We make this all the time!!

Excellent! Add avacados and green onions for extra flavor.  YUM.

I did change out the kidney beans for black beans... for my taste buds only. We served this for guests &amp; the next time my girlfriend &amp; her husband came for dinner she expressly asked for This Taco Salad because of the Catalina dressing! She had remembered that taste for almost a year. Now that's a recommendation!

I have used a recipe like this for 35 years.  Anyone who doesn't like this try using ranch dressing!!!! I'm sure you will give it a 10 star rating. Sure to hit the spot on a hot day.  Thanks Melanie.

I made this for a house party.  I added Black Olives and Black Beans.  Also served with Taco Sauce and Sour Cream.  Everybody loved it and wanted recipe.  I will make this again, again and again.

Oh my gosh, the dressing is soooo good!  I will definitely make this again.

I made this recipe and it was so good that every body had seconds.  In fact it was so good that we all ate way tooo much!  I only used a quarter of the bottle of dressing (low fat Catalina) because it was already very moist with the tomatoes, and a little dressing goes along way.  I also used whole grain tortilla chips so it felt a little bit healthier! Awesome taco salad and so easy to make!

This recipe is good with a few changes.  I donot add any beans, I use Frito brand corn chips and Honey Catalina dressing.  Allow each person to add their own prefered amount of corn chips. It does not keep well for left overs so adjust your portion sizes accordingly.

Super dellish.  The kids enjoyed the cruch of the chips in the salad.  I used ranch dressing this time, but will look for the Catalina next time.  Both are a refreshing change from regular salsa and sour cream.  Thanks for the recipe!

Started making this in the early 70's except I use Thousand Island dressing and crumbled tortilla chips instead of fritos and no pinto beans, just kidney beans

Love taco salad in the summer. This one did not disappoint. Catalina is a must in taco salad in this house. I couldn't use onions because hubby won't eat them and I was bummed I forgot the avocado. Tasty!

Five thumbs up for this delicious meal.  I added canned corn, canned chopped green chiles and used grape tomatoes instead of chopped regular tomatoes.

why does this recipe has so much fat in it?  did not like this at all.

My guests loved this  dish and asked for the recipe.

Great for parties! We use doritos as a personal preferance but otherwise leave the recipe pretty untouched as its written.

Taco Salad III Haiku: "Deceiving salad. Healthy? No, but tasty? Yes! (Separate, to save.)" OK, so I changed a few small things, but I'd stress not mixing everything together, so that if you have leftovers, they won't soggify. My only changes, due to what I had, were to use black beans, romaine lettuce, and spicy-nacho doritos, as well as tossing in a handful of corn. Mmm I love how I trick myself into thinking "salad for dinner! No guilt!", but end up devouring a mountain of this, b/c it's just so good.

This was a great recipe and a different way to eat Taco Salad, however, the lettuce, cheese, chips and meat mixture would probably not be a good idea if there will be leftovers.  My avocados were too ripe so I had to omit that ingredient, but I'm sure it would have added a different flavor.  I normally fix my Taco Salad with Southwestern Chicken and Italian dressing to top it off. So sure I will make this again with the necessary variations.  Thanks Melanie!

i love it!!! but you have the time its so much better with home made chips!!

I would omit one of the cans of beans but overall good!

Very tasty. I left out the avacado and used French dressing instead of Catalina. I don't add the lettuce or corn chips directly to the salad because they get too soggy for leftovers.

This was really good!  More than enough to feed 4, doesn't keep well so I'll half the recipe next time.  I even mistook the "corn chips" for fritos and it was still good.  ;)

I made this for a work potluck lunch and it was a HIT. I think I gave out the recipe to at least 4 of my coworkers. It is super easy and very delish!! 

good. i gave 3 starts because 1 whole bottle of catalina dressing was just too much, i'd use half that amount. i did like the catalina in it though. i had taco shells instead of chips, so put it in the taco shell bowl and then break off some bowl and put it in the salad, eat some, break off more, and so on. next time i would cut down on the onion too. this recipe has endless possibilities!

The basis of this recipe was great,like many others I changed this a little, I used 3/4 of a head of iceberg lettuce and a whole head of Romaine(much healther) ommited the red onion(two kinds of onion to much)omitted the pinto beans and avocados.  Added sliced black olives and used only a cup of home made ranch dressing not catalina. I also used white tortilla chips not corn.  It sounds like I re-did the whole recipe.  I took this to church last night and everyone raved about it.

This was great because it was hot outside and I didn't want anything heavy. I left the avocado in slices and didn't mix this in a big bowl. Everyone assembled this on their own plates. I used black beans and only 1 can instead of the other 2 kinds. We all enjoyed this meal, thanks!

What I like about thie recipe is that all of the basic foundations are here to make a really great taco salad!

How I changed it though, is that instead of using iceberg lettuce, I used romaine, though I think people should use the lettuce that they personally enjoy.

Also, I substituted ground beef for ground turkey (again a personal preference).

I didn't want my salad to be too 'oniony' so, I opted to leave out the red onion and used only the green onion.

I didn't want my salad to be too 'beany' either, so instead of using both the kidney and pinto beans, I used only the kidney beans--though on second thought, maybe using black beans would be nice too.

Also, I don't like the idea of combining all of the ingredients together. So, instead, I layered everything like a GIANT tostada. First with the layer of lettuce, then the meat, next the cheese, and then the beans, tomatoes, black olives (I decided to add this too) and then lastly the green onions.

I topped the whole thing off with a LARGE dollop of sour cream and for the dressing, I drizzled on some Ortega brand taco sauce. (To me, the Catalina dressing somehow misses the mark in that in kinda detracts from the 'taco' taste of the salad.)

Though all in all, this is quite an excellent recipe!!!

Thanks so much for posting this!!!

Everyone in the family really enjoyed this salad and asked if I would make it regularly. I don't like Catalina salad dressing, so I used Ranch. And I didn't really need to add very much, maybe only 1/3 of a cup. I also omitted the pinto beans and added sliced black olives. I had leftover taco seasoned meat in the freezer, which made this dinner very quick and easy.    

I ADDED ONE SMALL CAN OF CHOPPED BLACK OLIVES. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST TACO SALADS I HAVE EVER MADE. THANKS SO MUCH. I WILL MAKE IT MANY TIMES.

This is a great, basic Taco Salad! Big suggestion though -leave out the dressing! It's delicious served with your favorite Salsa, some sour cream, and avocado or fresh made guacamole. The flavors come to life and it cuts out extra fat and sugar that comes in the salad dressing. Refried beans are a great replacement for the whole beans too.

Made it as written and it's terrific!  In California our Taco Salad is basically the same with these changes. For dressing make Italian dressing using the dry package then add a drop or two or more of Tabasco,  according to your tastes.  Mix dressing and crushed tortilla chips just before serving.  What's amazing is the left over salad is terrific as a wilted salad. Just add some more crushed chips and enjoy!

I was surprised to find this recipe here. I thought this was my family secret. This recipe has always been a every other week dinner in my family growing up. I also now make it every other week for my family. My husband at first thought I was crazy when I introduced it to him and now he can't get enough. My mother mixed it all together also, but with my family I don't mix anything together. I have some that don't like beans or less dressing. Also some with extra cheese. So I decided to mix it in our own and it's easier to store for leftovers. 

Wonderful!  Only changes: used ground turkey, romaine lettuce, sub black beans for the kidney beans and used ranch dressing and salsa.  Putting this one on the rotation.

My husband got me started on the search for this recipe and I am sooo glad I found it. I LOVE this salad. I serve it up separate due to picky eaters and then add the dressing (it doesn't take much) and Frito's on top. My family loves tacos, so this is a little variation we throw in to mix it up. Thanks for sharing!!!

I prefer the variation of this recipe where I mix the French with salsa. Cuts calories and keeps the taco theme. I've also added cucumbers instead of onions. I keep the dressing and meat separate so it saves as leftovers.

Brought this to a potluck and it was gobbled up!  Right before serving, I mixed in about half a bottle of the dressing and corn chips, microwaved pre-seasoned and browned ground beef to heat up and put on top of the salad.  It was very good!

taco salad iii

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Cost: $5.78 /serving

Author : Melanie

Ingredients

Instructions

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