Dorito Taco Salad Recipe

Why this will be your new favourite salad

I love making this Dorito taco salad when I want a flavorful, healthy yet comforting dish. You can feel good about eating a colourful salad for lunch, while still indulging in a serving of crispy chips. Dorito salad is also an excellent recipe for a tighter budget, especially with the few tweaks I include that help cut down on the cost of creating the meal.

This Dorito taco salad recipe is also easy to meal prep for the week. When creating this recipe, you’ll find it’s enough for five servings. So, you can pack one serving for each weekday. Then, you’ll have lunch ready for the entire week in only a few minutes!

Typically, a taco salad with Doritos includes shredded cheddar cheese or mozzarella. I prefer using feta (as noted in the recipe). Not only does feta add a bigger pop of flavour, but it’s also more budget-friendly.

Ingredients

Tortilla chips/ Doritos

Chips are essential to this recipe for Dorito salad, as they help balance out the texture by providing a crunch. You can use plain tortilla chips or any flavour of Doritos that you prefer (such as nacho cheese Doritos or taco-flavoured Doritos). I typically use the supermarket or off-brand tortilla chips to help keep this Doritos salad more budget-friendly.

Iceberg Lettuce/Romaine

You can’t have a Dorito taco salad without lettuce! Depending on your budget and taste preference, you can use romaine or iceberg.

Lean Pork Mince

Using lean pork mince helps increase the protein content of this dish. Alternatively, you can use lean ground turkey, lean ground beef or chicken mince if you prefer the flavour in taco salads. 

Black Beans 

Black beans help make this recipe feel more like a taco salad. They also boost the protein and fibre content to make this dish equally filling and delicious. You can use any variety of beans as a substitute in the salad, including ranch-style beans.

Cheese/Feta

As mentioned, I usually use feta cheese for this recipe. It adds a nice taste to the Doritos taco salad and is less expensive. Though, you can use any shredded cheese that you like.

Sweetcorn 

You can opt for canned sweetcorn for a quicker Doritos salad recipe. 

Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes add a pop of colour and a fresh flavour to the dish. However, any tomato type will work. Make sure to dice larger tomato varieties before including them in the recipe.

Spring Onion

This variety of onions has a subtler taste than standard onions, yet they provide a delicious aroma and flavour. However, any onions will suffice.

Southwest Spices (Paprika, Cumin, Chilli Powder, Cayenne Pepper and Garlic powder)

While the cheese and chips add some flavour, the majority comes from this combination of spices. They help create a taco-like taste. Alternatively, using pre-made taco seasoning will also work in a pinch.

How to make this Dorito taco salad recipe

Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, coated with rapeseed oil/olive oil. Add the mince into the pan and break apart with a spatula. Leave to brown on a high heat for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Once the mince has taken on some nice colour, break apart properly with your spatula and stir, adding all of the spices and onion/garlic granules. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes and set aside to cool.

Once cooled, divide the mince into 5 tall meal prep containers. Next, add the cherry tomatoes, black beans, sweetcorn and spring onion.
Next, divide the lettuce into each container. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the lettuce to act as a barrier between the lettuce and the tortillas.

Add the tortillas and seal the container.

When it’s time to eat, remove the tortilla chips and add to the side of a bowl. Pour the salad into the bowl and crumble over some feta. Enjoy!

How to meal prep this recipe

Start by grabbing five mason jars for this easy taco salad with Doritos. You’ll add the liquid ingredients (such as the mince, tomatoes, black beans, etc.) to the bottom of the mason jars. This step ensures that other components, such as the chips and lettuce, don’t get soggy whilst the salads are in the refrigerator.

After putting the liquid ingredients in the bottom, you’ll layer the lettuce, then add parchment paper. The final ingredient to go above the parchment paper is the tortilla chips. Layering this Dorito taco salad is the key to a fresh-tasting salad with a delicious crunch throughout the week.

FAQ

Should I serve the mince hot or cold?

It’s essential to add your mince to the mason jar when it’s cold. If you add hot mince to your salad with corn chips, the steam will make the remaining ingredients soggy and unappealing over time. Cold mince helps preserve the freshness of your vegetables.

Does it keep for long?

Prepared salads typically stay fresh in the fridge for about 1-2 days. However, by layering the ingredients in the Dorito taco salad, this recipe stays fresh in the refrigerator for about five days. Remember to keep the chips separate from the other ingredients for the best salad.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

Yes, you can easily make this salad with tortilla chips vegetarian. When making this Mexican salad, skip adding the taco meat and double the black beans for an extra protein boost.

When serving, add half an avocado. This avocado will provide a delicious creaminess to the salad and a dose of healthy fats. 

As a tip, don’t prep the avocado for the remaining salads ahead of time, as it will turn brown. Instead, prep the avocado each day so it has a fresh flavour and a green colour.

What else can I add into it?

If you prefer certain veggies, add them to the mixture. For example, you can add diced bell peppers, cabbage, radishes, etc. For a more authentic taste, you can add Spanish cheeses to the mix, like cotija. 

If you want to add a dressing, you can. Any variety will work, from ranch dressing to Italian dressing and Catalina dressing. Or, try using a dab of sour cream for extra flavour. 

Tips & tricks

• Brown the mince on a high heat without stirring for the first 5 minutes to get the best flavour. Then reduce the heat and continue to fry. 
• Thoroughly rinse the blackbeans in cold water to remove the unwanted (in this recipe) liquid from the tin. 
• Customise the heat level by adding more or less cayenne pepper. 

Other 5 for £5 lunch recipes:

Cowboy Caviar (Quick Recipe)

Healthy Noodle Bowls (10 Minute Meal Prep)!

Nando’s Spicy Rice