Doritos Taco Salad With Creamy Salsa Dressing

Change up taco night with this easy 20-minute Instant Pot Taco Salad recipe. Let the Instant Pot do all the work while you prep the romaine, tomatoes, cheese avocados, and most importantly the nacho cheese Doritos corn chips. Top it off with the BEST two-ingredient creamy salsa taco salad dressing. 

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Taco salad recipes can be made in a variety of ways and there’s no wrong way to make a taco salad. This recipe was adapted out of necessity for busy weeknights when school pick up and kids activities make for a small time window to get kids fed and back out the door. Getting the taco meat started just before picking up the kids from school and having the produce washed and chopped ahead of time allows for this seriously delicious and easy dinner to come together quickly. Of course, you can prepare the taco meat and beans in a skillet but, you can’t walk away from that and rush off to pick up kids while that is cooking, can you?

Ingredients

For this recipe you’ll need:

• Lean ground beef or ground turkey
• Red beans
• Water
• Romaine lettuce
• Grape tomatoes
• Colby Jack cheese
• Nacho cheese Doritos corn chips
• Black olives
• Avocado
• Sour Cream or Plain Greek yogurt
• Salsa

Taco Seasoning:

• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Chili powder
• Ground cumin
• Onion powder
• Granulated garlic/ garlic powder

Instant Pot Directions

To start add the EVOO to the Instant Pot and select the sauté function. Add the lean ground beef when the display reads HOT. Sauté for 4-5 minutes. Season the ground beef with chili powder, onion powder, granulated garlic, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cancel/turn off the sauté function and add water and scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot to be sure there is nothing stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the rinsed and drained kidney beans on top of the ground beef. Lock the lid in place with the vent knob turned to the sealing position.

While the ground beef and kidney beans are cooking in the Instant Pot assemble the salads. Start with a bed of romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced black olives, and shredded Monterey jack cheese on top.

When the Instant Pot beeps to signal that the cooking time is complete allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. When the lid can be safely removed spoon taco meat and beans onto the salad. Top the salad with cheese, a few broken-up Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips, and pour over the creamy salsa dressing.

Creamy Salsa Dressing

To make this simple two-ingredient taco salad dressing you will need Greek yogurt or sour cream and salsa. I like a thicker consistency salsa when making this dressing. We call this creamy salsa taco salad dressing “pink” dressing because when you blend up the Greek yogurt and salsa it turns a light pink color. For a creamy dressing blend the two ingredients for 30 seconds in the blender. If you prefer a chunky texture you can mix the two ingredients by hand in a bowl. Keep in mind the spice of the salsa you are using will determine how much heat the salad dressing will have.

Meal Prep

To have an even easier weeknight dinner ready to go, pre-cook the ground beef and kidney beans and store it in an air-tight container like this for up to 4 days before. Blend up the creamy salsa dressing and store it as well for up to a week. Wash and chop up the salad ingredients and assemble everything when you’re ready to serve.

Recipe Varriations

If you prefer lean ground turkey you can substitute it for lean ground beef. You may also enjoy spicy nacho cheese Doritos or plain tortilla strips instead of Doritos. Swap out Monterey jack cheese for pepper jack or your favorite Mexican cheese blend.

Stove Top Instructions

Heat 1-2 Tbsp. of EVOO in a skillet on medium heat. Brown the ground beef until there is little to no pink left about 7-10 minutes. Season with taco seasonings and stir to combine. Add the rinsed and drained kidney beans and turn the heat to low. Continue to cook for an additional 3-4 minutes to warm the beans through.

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Yield: 6

Doritos Taco Salad With Creamy Salsa Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Change up taco night with this easy 20-minute Instant Pot Taco Salad recipe

Print

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsps. EVOO
• 1.5 Lbs. Lean Ground Beef or Turkey
• ¼ cup of water
• 15.5 oz. can Red Kidney Beans
• Grape Tomatoes
• Sliced Olives
• Diced Avocado
• Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• Romaine Lettuce
• Nacho Cheese Doritos Corn Chips

Creamy Salsa Dressing

• ½ Cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
• ¾ Cup Salsa

Taco Seasoning

• 1 ½ tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 ½ tsp. Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Add the EVOO to the Instant Pot and select the sauté function
2. When the display reads HOT add the lean ground beef
3. Sauté for 4-5 minutes
4. Season the ground beef with chili powder, onion powder, granulated garlic, ground cumin, salt, and pepper
5. Stir to combine the meat and spices.
6. Select cancel/turn off the sauté function and add water
7. Scrape/deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot to be sure there is nothing stuck to the bottom of the pot
8. Add the rinsed and drained kidney beans on top of the ground beef. Lock the lid in place with the vent knob turned to the sealing position set the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
9. While the ground beef and kidney beans are cooking in the Instant Pot assemble the salads.
10. Start with a bed of romaine lettuce. Top it with grape tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced black olives, and shredded Monterey jack cheese
11. Blend or mix together the sour cream or Greek yogurt with the salsa for the sales dressing
12. When the lid can be safely removed spoon taco meat and beans onto the salad.
13. Top the salad a few broken-up Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips
14. Pour over the creamy salsa dressing.

Notes

If you prefer lean ground turkey you can substitute it for lean ground beef. You may also enjoy spicy nacho cheese Doritos or plain tortilla strips instead of Doritos. Swap out Monterey jack cheese for pepper jack or your favorite Mexican cheese blend.

Stove Top Instructions:

Heat 1-2 Tbsp. of EVOO in a skillet on medium heat. Brown the ground beef until there is little to no pink left about 7-10 minutes. Season with taco seasonings and stir to combine. Add the rinsed and drained kidney beans and turn the heat to low. Continue to cook for an additional 3-4 minutes to warm the beans through.

Store leftover meat and beans in an air tight container for up to 4 days and store creamy salsa dressing for up to 7 days.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 565Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 677mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 8gSugar: 2gProtein: 50g

Nutrition information is an estimate.

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