Catalina Taco Salad is one of my favorites from my childhood. Sweet and tangy Catalina Dressing, Fritos, ground beef, sharp cheddar, red kidney beans, and more!
I remember my mom making Catalina Taco Salad fairly often, especially for potluck luncheons at our church. I love the tangy flavors of the Catalina dressing combined with the salty, crunchy corn chips. My mom didn’t always add the meat in this taco salad, and we liked it just as well, but these days I generally make mine with ground beef to make a heartier main dish salad.
This Catalina Taco Salad recipe grows and grows so make sure you are using a very large bowl. It makes a very large salad and can serve around 12 people or more depending on whether it is being served as a main dish or as a side dish. You can add other ingredients, like avocados, black beans and corn, as well as substitute the beef for cooked, ground turkey or diced chicken.
Have you ever made Catalina Taco Salad? What are your favorite add-ins?
- 8 cups torn romaine lettuce or lettuce blend
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ packet taco seasoning mix
- 16 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 bag Fritos corn chips
- Brown beef; drain well. Stir in ½ packet taco seasoning. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a very large bowl combine, lettuce, kidney beans, tomatoes, olives, green onions, and cheese; mix well. Right before serving, add seasoned beef and Fritos; mix well. Add bottle of Catalina dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
I am passionate about good food, cooking for family and friends, and creating recipes that form lasting memories from one generation to the next. I hope you find inspiration for cooking and creating here!
Ben says
September 18, 2017 at 3:54 amThanks for not screwing this up with doritos or trying to make it resemble a traditional taco salad, my Mom used to make this years ago and it’s kind of it’s own thing.
The only difference when I make it is I use iceberg lettuce for crunch and at a higher ratio to the other ingredients and put the chips on top so they stay crunchy, I can see avocado and roasted corn being really good though.
Lourdes says
April 4, 2018 at 12:54 pmHi, I did your recipe and added corn and avocado. I ended up using green olives since they were what I had available at the time. Great recipe! Made it for super bowl and no one could keep their hands off it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Jennifer says
April 6, 2018 at 12:52 pmThank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!