Mom’s Frito Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing
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This Frito Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing is hands down, the best Frito salad recipe out there! The salad is always the standout “salad dish” for potlucks!
The Fritos and taco seasoned beef, combine perfectly with the sweet and tangy flavor of the Catalina Dressing for a flavorful taco salad everyone enjoys.
Mom’s Frito Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing
We have a family get together planned on Sunday at my sister-in-law’s house and have been asked to bring a dish. I decided my Mom’s Frito Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing recipe will be perfect. It’s such a great salad recipe and always gets polished off whenever I take it to a potluck.
With the holiday weekend coming up, I figured I’m not the only one trying to think of a dish to bring to a potluck, so I thought the taco salad recipe would be a perfect recipe to share with you guys today.
Why You Should Make this Frito Taco Salad
Can I just admit right now, that it’s been so long since I made this Frito Taco Salad – I forgot how delicious it really is!
And before you ask, yes, salads can be a main dish! The only issue you might face with a salad for dinner is that when you say the word “salad”, some kids will automatically complain! (I’ve got one that will try anything and another that complains about everything not made with chicken and can’t be cooked in the air fryer, lol.)
The greatest thing about a Frito Salad is the FRITOS!
It’s amazing what a few salty, crunchy corn chips sprinkled into a salad will do. Kids gobble it up!
There is just something about the Fritos, Catalina dressing and taco flavors that go together just perfectly.
Ingredients in a Frito Taco Salad
Want to Give this recipe a try? Make sure to add these ingredients to your grocery list:
- 1lb of lean ground beef (or turkey)
- taco seasoning
- 8 to 10 cups of romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped.
- 1 can of black or pinto beans, drained
- 1 cup of corn
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1.5 cups of shredded cheese
- 2 cups of Fritos
- Catalina Dressing
- optional toppings: chopped green onions or black olives
How to Make this Taco Salad Recipe
(Scroll to the bottom for the Printable Recipe Card.)
- Brown the ground meat, adding the package of taco seasoning in towards the end (If your taco seasoning is in bulk, use 2.5 tablespoons.)
Tip: Don’t break the ground beef up in too small of pieces – larger bites of taco seasoned ground beef are just tastier. - Remove from heat and drain if needed.
- In a large bowl, add all the ingredients to the salad and mix everything together.
- Combine well, making sure everything is coated with the dressing.
- Top with extra Fritos and desired extra toppings. Serve immediately!
Can I Use Turkey Instead of Beef
Of course! This Frito Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing is traditionally made with ground beef, but I’ll sometimes substitute turkey or even shredded chicken and it is just as good!
Can I Make the Salad Ahead of Time
Once prepared and dressing is added, you should serve the Taco Salad immediately. But, if you want to put the salad together ahead of time for a party or potluck, mix the cooked and seasoned beef with the beans and corn and place in one container and the lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese in their separate bags.
Once you are on location and ready to serve, combine everything, adding the Fritos and Catalina Dressing to the salad last.
Another fun idea would be to serve the salad and all the ingredients “buffet style”. That way your guests can pick and choose what to add and how much to their salads. (Kind of like a taco bar, but it’s a taco salad bar!)
Want More Potluck Dish Ideas? Check these out:
- Walking Tacos (Frito Pies in a bag)
- Texas Caviar (a delicious black bean and corn salsa)
- Sausage and Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
- Easy Tropical Fruit Salad
- Apple and Walnut Salad
- Blueberry Dump Cake Recipe
- Banana Cream Pie Bars
- Cherry Dump Cake
Printable Frito Taco Salad Recipe Card:
Print
Mom’s Frito Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 1
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 5 to 6 1x
- Category: salad
- Method: stovetop
Description
This Frito Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing is always the standout “salad dish” for potlucks! The Fritos and taco seasoned beef, combine perfectly with the sweet and tangy flavor of the Catalina Dressing for a flavorful taco salad everyone enjoys.
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 cups of romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped. (Or whatever looks like enough to feed your family.)
- 1lb of lean ground beef (or turkey)
- 1 package of taco seasoning (or 2.5 tablespoons bulk seasoning)
- 1 can of black or pinto beans, drained (pintos are best)
- 1 cup of corn
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1.5 cups of shredded cheese
2 cups of Fritos - Catalina Dressing (use your judgment on the amount.)
- (optional toppings: chopped green onions or black olives)
Instructions
- Brown the ground meat, adding the package of taco seasoning in towards the end (If your taco seasoning is in bulk, use 2.5 tablespoons.)
Tip: Don’t break the ground beef up in too small of pieces – larger bites of taco seasoned ground beef are just tastier. - Remove from heat and drain if needed.
- In a large bowl, add all the ingredients to the salad and mix everything together. Combine well, making sure everything is coated with the dressing.
- Top with extra Fritos and desired extra toppings. Serve immediately!
Notes
If you want to put this together ahead of time for a party or potluck, mix the cooked and seasoned beef with the beans and corn and place in one container and the lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese in their separate bags. Once you are on location, combine everything, adding the Fritos and Catalina dressing to the salad last.
Nutrition
- Calories: 504
- Sugar: 14
- Fat: 29
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 24
Keywords: frito taco salad, taco salad, frito taco salad with catalina dressing
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Love this recipe. If you melt velveeta cheese (about 1/2 a cup) with a can of Rotel and use that as your dressing … game changer 🙌🏻
This was a salad my Mom used to make when I was kid and I loved it. I wa so excited when I happened to come across this recipe. However I did use a pre made chopped Salad and it turned out great.
★★★★★
Can you use a different dressing?
Sure, use whatever you like.
I had to look twice to see if my daughter had posted this! The picture looks just like mine. I’ve actually made a similar recipe for 25-30 years and it is delicious! I’ve never added corn, but just might try that. Green Giant has a Fiesta Corn that would probably be a tasty option. I use chili cheese fritos now and chop a small purple onion up to mix in then garnish with the green onions, but any way you slice it, it’s delicious.
I love adding sweet corn to just about any salad I make. It gives such a little little pop of sweetness, it’s so good!
I hadn’t made this dish in probably 40 years, but it’s exactly what I remember it tasting like. A delicious and quick salad to put together.
★★★★★
I have made this with both Fritos and Doritos. Both so yummy. I have also made with a mixture of Fritos and Doritos because I didn’t have enough of either so I thought why not. Didn’t have time to run to the store. That was also yummy. I can’t find my recipe and low and behold here is a recipe. I use to have it my head but it’s been a long time since I made it so wasn’t sure. I won’t forget again, I’ll just have to make more often. Thank you so much for sharing.
★★★★★
We love this salad!
★★★★★
my family loves this
★★★★★
this is so good made it 2 already
★★★★★
Turned out delicious. Used nacho cheese Doritos and pinto beans with french dressing.
★★★★★
Everyone liked it! That’s great for picky eaters!
★★★★★
Thanks, Jamie, for posting this recipe! I had forgotten all about it – loved it as kids 🙂 Have a great 4th of July!
I’ts so goo right? I originally posted this in 2011 (I left one of the original images at the very bottom.) We made it for fathers day this year, so I planned a head and got new photos!
I love this salad! The last time I made it I used taco flavored Doritos in place of the Fritos and I thought it was even better!
My mom used to make this, but used purple onion in it as well
I made this salad, but I make layers….same ingredients. Everyone enjoyed it!
I bet that is pretty in a glass bowl. Do you serve it and then put the dressing on?
Thank you for being so generous to share this. I had it at a church potluck and have been trying to find the recipe. I love the combination of sweet, spicy, and crunchy.
Me too!
I am 75 years old, and I have had this recipe for at least 30 years. It is very good but sometimes can’t find Catalina dressing. I too live in Texas.
★★★★★
Look up 60’s catalina dressing recipe
online.dere6
I am looking forward to trying this. My mother used to make this salad and I remember loving it. Sadly, she passed before I had the chance to get the recipe from her, as she was a recipe in my head kind of person. I like another posters idea of letting people build their own and I think I might do the same since I have picky eaters. Thanks for giving me the change to re-live my childhood!
★★★★★
I usually make all the fixings and let my family (8 of us!) put their own salads together–their choice of dressing, ratio of toppings, etc. I made this last night and it got a 7/8. (My youngest thought the Catalina dressing was “too sweet”.) So, overall, we rated this one a “keeper”.
★★★★★
Made this for my bunco group last week, it was amazing. Even had people asking for the recipe.
★★★★★
I tried this salad last night. It was good however I did not think the salad dressing went well with a taco salad. Don’t get me wrong the dressing is delicious just not the best for a Mexican salad. I am in CA and we have fantastic Mexican food. So I will stick with my Spicy Avocado Dressing or Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette. I just wanted to try this and see if I would like it better than what I was using.
It must be a southern thing as this recipe has bee around for decades.
My favorite potluck salad!
★★★★★
This is a great dish, my whole Family and everybody at my work loves it and never seconds.
So yummy!! My mother-in-law has a really similar recipe…we love it!!
Yum! This looks like a great side dish to bring to a barbecue or picnic! Pinning!
Looks yummy…bet it was!
My mom always made this salad, oh this brings back great memories!! Sharing on Pinterest and Twitter 🙂
xo, Tanya
twelveOeight
Sounds delicious!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
I love this salad! I use grilled chicken in mine sometimes, too.
This looks amazing! I am pretty sure I am going to be making it soon!
I have seen a recipe like this before and every time I do I think to myself I need to try it! Thinking tonight I'll have to finally make it…it looks so good 🙂
http://www.sarahowe.blogspot.com
I’ve made this for 40 years it’s always a hit I just love it
★★★★★
No joke–I was just telling my husband about my Mom's Taco Salad recipe two days ago and then I saw this–the same recipe! The only difference is sometimes my Mom would use doritos instead of fritos–whatever she had handy. I'm making it this week! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I would love for you to share and link up at my TGIF Link Party. The party is open every Thursday night and closes Wednesday's at midnight.
http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/
Have a wonderful week!
Hugs, Cathy
This looks wonderful! Pinned for later. Thanks
Sounds great! I'll take it to my next family gathering! Thanks! Have a wonderful weekend!
yum!
I thought I was the only one who put Catalina dressing on my taco salad! Ah, the validation I feel now is nearly overwhelming.
When I make this, I also cook half an onion with the meat. Yum!
This is a wonderful vintage recipe. In fact, without the Catalina—which is THE original dressing for taco salad, it can be disappointing. But this recipe is THE BOMB. I wouldn’t make it without the Fritos and the Catalina. Great find. Make it and you’ll agree.
★★★★★