Frito Taco Salad

This Frito Taco Salad is bursting with all the the best flavors of classic ground beef tacos in a delicious and fresh salad. Everyone in the family can customize their meal with a toppings bar, making this the perfect 30 minute recipe for a busy weeknight or weekend entertaining.

We’re always looking for new and flavorful recipes to add to our meal prep and easy recipe list that everyone loves. This Frito Taco Salad has become the hit for spring and summer in our house and comes together in about 30 minutes.

This taco salad has all the flavors of classic ground beef tacos in a healthy and fresh salad. We add crunchy Fritos as the croutons for a great crunch and salty flavor. Cooking the ground beef in taco seasoning and salsa adds vibrant flavors with no fuss.

The best part is that we love to serve this salad taco bar style so everyone can customize their meal, it makes for a fun weeknight dinner or easy for serving a crowd at a weekend party. If you love a delicious salad, try our Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad or Spicy Chicken Salad.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Fun for the whole family to customize. We love to serve this taco salad almost like a taco bar at meal time so everyone can customize their own! Or you can make one gigantic salad!
• Easy weeknight meal to make quickly. With just 30 minutes of prep time, this delicious Mexican-inspired dinner will be on the table in no time.
• Great for leftover proteins and veggies! We love to use leftover chicken or steak for this taco salad with Fritos as well. It’s a great recipe to make the day after to use up leftover protein in a new way!

Ingredients

Scroll Down to the Bottom of this Post for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card 

• Ground beef: The protein for the recipe, we use ground beef for ease but you can use ground chicken or turkey too for a lighter option.
• Taco seasoning: Buy your favorite seasoning packet from the store to flavor the beef.
• Seasoned or Plain Black Beans: Adds additional flavor, texture and fullness.
• Fresh Corn or Mexicorn: Contribute a slightly crunchy texture and sweet flavor.
• Salsa: Stirred into the ground beef for extra flavor and moisture.
• Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce: Crunchy lettuce for the salad, you can buy pre-cut or shred the lettuce yourself.
• Regular or seasoned black beans: Another source of protein for the salad that we also love in tacos.
• Shredded cheddar cheese: Completes any taco in our opinion.
• Quartered cherry tomatoes: Adds a burst of fresh vegetable flavor.
• Sliced green onions: Gives a light onion freshness in each bite.
• Sliced black olives: Adds rich and tangy flavor.
• Catalina Dressing: Acts as a tangy, slightly sweet dressing that ties all the ingredients together with its bright flavor.
• Fritos Corn Chips: We use them as croutons for this salad, they’re crunchy and salty!
• Topping Options: sour cream, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, hot sauce, cilantro, and fresh corn kernels are some of our favorites.

Tools You’ll Need

• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Medium Skillet
• Meat Chopper
• Spatula
• Cutting Board
• Chef’s Knife
• Colander

How to Make Frito Taco Salad

1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain excess fat.
2. Add taco seasoning and ½ cup of the salsa to the beef. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Either serve the salad in a taco bar style so that everyone can make their own, or in one large salad. If making a large salad, in a large bowl, layer lettuce, black beans, corn, the cooked beef mixture, cheese, tomatoes, green onions, olives (if using), and corn chips.

4. Top with the remaining salsa, and Catalina dressing. Add additional toppings as desired.

5. Serve untossed with tongs on the side or toss until the ingredients are combined well. Serve immediately.

Expert Tips

• Drain the beef of excess fat after cooking and before adding the seasoning and salsa. This keeps the beef mixture lean and prevents the lettuce from becoming soggy.
• Layer the salad so the cheese is on top of the hot meat. This lets the cheesy melt for a gooey bite.
• Add your favorite taco toppings. We love to serve all the toppings on the side of this Frito Taco Salad to let everyone customize their salad recipe. If everyone likes all of them, you can go ahead and load it up!
• Make it spicy. Serve with hot sauce, pickled jalapenos, and add a pinch of cayenne to the beef mixture.
• Make it your own. Adjust any of the ingredients to your personal preference. The topping options are endless. We love it with guacamole, sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, fresh lime, cilantro, hot sauce, and taco sauce.

Storage and Meal Prep

The best way to store this salad is to keep all components in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the beef separately in the microwave or on the stovetop for a couple of minutes until warm. Then layer and enjoy. If it’s been tossed together, the chips will become soggy once refrigerated.

We love to meal prep this salad on a Sunday for a busy week ahead. It’s great served warm or cold and is easy to assemble for a delicious and flavorful lunch or dinner.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Easy Salad Recipes

• Outback Copycat House Salad
• Club Salad
• Corn Chip Salad
• Italian Chopped Salad