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Two bowls of taco salad topped with Catalina dressing and sour cream.
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4.67 from 3 votes

Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing

This Classic Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing is loaded with crunchy iceberg lettuce, seasoned ground beef and beans, diced tomatoes, creamy avocado, and crushed tortilla chips. It's all topped with zesty Catalina dressing for a tangy and sweet twist to the classic Mexican flavors.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 558kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound 85% to 90% lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning mix
  • ¼ cup water
  • 15 ounce can chili beans in sauce like Bush’s Chili Beans in Mild Sauce (see notes below)
  • 3 cups iceberg lettuce well chopped (about ⅓ a head)
  • 3 cups romaine lettuce well chopped (about ⅓ a head)
  • 16 ounce can kidney beans lightly rinsed and well drained
  • 1 large tomato (hothouse) chopped
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • 2.25 ounce can sliced black olives drained
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese (or pepper Jack) plus additional for topping
  • 1 large avocado chopped
  • ¾ cup Kraft Catalina Salad Dressing

Optional Toppings

  • crushed tortilla chips
  • sour cream

Instructions

  • Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place it over MEDIUM heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef with a spoon, until crumbled and browned. Drain well.
  • Return the pan to MEDIUM heat and add the taco seasoning and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Add the chili beans with sauce and continue to cook (it should be bubbling), stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until most of the sauce has been absorbed by the beef or cooked off. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool while preparing the salad.
  • Chop the lettuce, tomato, and green onion. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and drain the olives. Shred the cheese.
  • Add the lettuce to a large serving bowl. Add the kidney beans, tomato, green onion, olives and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Toss well to combine. Top with the slightly cooled meat and bean mixture and toss lightly. Garnish with the avocado and remaining cheese.
  • Top individual servings with a little salad dressing, some crushed tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, and additional cheese, if desired.

Notes

Classic ground beef option: The ground beef can be cooked without the saucy chili beans, if desired. Just omit the beans and follow the directions as written.
Repurpose taco meat: Cook a double batch of my recipe for Easy Ground Beef Tacos and freeze half of the taco meat to use to make Taco Salad on a busy day.
Greens: You can really use any combination of greens you like for this salad. Even kale! I will frequently mix in some chopped romaine with the iceberg lettuce.
Dressing: Catalina is a classic choice and my mom used to serve it with Thousand Island dressing too. Nowadays, we love it with a drizzle of jalapeno Ranch. Traditional Ranch dressing is also a great choice.
Protein: Swap out the ground beef for ground turkey. Taco Salad is also delicious with grilled chicken or chopped rotisserie chicken.
Beans: Black beans or pinto beans can be used in place of or in addition to the kidney beans.
Toppings: While sour cream and crushed tortilla chips are the classic toppings for Taco Salad, the possibilities are limitless! More delicious topping choices include salsa, jalapenos, cilantro, and diced bell peppers. Instead of tortilla chips, try it with crushed nacho cheese Doritos or Fritos corn chips.

Nutrition

Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1572mg | Potassium: 1150mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 3020IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 5mg