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Crispy Taco Salad with Tangy Catalina Dressing

Experience a blast from the ’90s with every bite of this vibrant taco salad drizzled in tangy-sweet Catalina dressing. Each forkful of seasoned beef, fresh veggies, and crunchy chips is coated in a homemade vinaigrette that perfectly balances sweet, savory, and crisp.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: catalina taco salad, taco salad with catalina dressing
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 6 cups romaine lettuce
  • 16 oz can of black beans drained and rinsed, or pinto beans
  • cup frozen corn defrosted, or drained canned corn
  • 1 large tomato diced
  • 1 avocado diced
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese or shredded cheddar
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 1 cup tortilla chips crushed, plus more for serving
  • OPTIONAL: sour cream and/or jalapeños for topping

Homemade Catalina Dressing

  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 3 tbsp sugar plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil or any neutral-flavored oil

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients for the dressing, except avocado oil, in a food processor. Process to blend, then slowly pour in avocado oil until fully incorporated. Taste to add more sugar, if needed.
    1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup ketchup, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook stirring until browned while breaking up the meat, about 5 minutes.
    1 lb ground beef
  • Add taco seasoning, water, and lime juice, simmer for about 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
    2 tbsp taco seasoning, 1/4 cup water, 1 tbsp lime juice
  • In a large bowl, add romaine lettuce, cooked beef, black beans, corn, tomato, avocado, black olives, and tortilla chips. Drizzle the dressing over everything.
    6 cups romaine lettuce, 16 oz can of black beans, 1½ cup frozen corn, 1 large tomato, 1 avocado, 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, 1/2 cup sliced black olives, 1 cup tortilla chips
  • Toss everything together to coat. Divide into bowls, and serve with sour cream, jalapeños, and more tortilla chips, if using.
    OPTIONAL: sour cream and/or jalapeños

Video

Notes

Salad leftovers stay crisp when you store ingredients separately. Keep the greens, toppings, and chips in airtight containers, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Only add the dressing and chips just before serving to preserve maximum crunch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving - makes 8 | Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 612mg | Potassium: 758mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3537IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 4mg