Taco Salad with Ground Beef and Catalina Dressing

Name: Taco Salad with Ground Beef and Catalina Dressing
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) 85% lean ground beef, cold, from the fridge; 1 small (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup); 2 tbsp (16 g) chili powder; 2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin; 1 tsp (2½ g) smoked paprika; 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder; ½ tsp (½ g) dried oregano; 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste; ⅓ cup (80 ml) water; 1 medium head (about 1½ lb) (680 g) iceberg lettuce, cored, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups), washed and very well dried; 15 oz can (425 g) canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 10 oz (285 g) cherry tomatoes, halved; 4 whole (60 g) green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced; ½ cup (60 g) sliced black olives, drained (optional); 6 oz (170 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded (about 1½ cups); 2 medium (300 g) ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice; 5 oz (about 5 cups whole chips, measured before crushing) (140 g) salted tortilla chips, coarsely crushed by hand into bite-size pieces; ¾ cup (180 ml) Catalina dressing, shaken well, plus more for serving; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp iceberg, warm-spiced ground beef, sharp cheddar, and crunchy tortilla chips are tossed in sweet-tangy Catalina dressing for a classic, hearty main-course salad that comes together in under an hour.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 55 min
Makes: 6 main-course servings (about 2½ cups each)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the taco beef
1½ lb (680 g) 85% lean ground beef, cold, from the fridge
1 small (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tbsp (16 g) chili powder
2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin
1 tsp (2.5 g) smoked paprika
1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
½ tsp (0.5 g) dried oregano
1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
⅓ cup (80 ml) water
For the salad
1 medium head (about 1½ lb) (680 g) iceberg lettuce, cored, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups), washed and very well dried
15 oz can (425 g) canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz (285 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
4 whole (60 g) green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
½ cup (60 g) sliced black olives, drained (optional)
6 oz (170 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded (about 1½ cups)
2 medium (300 g) ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice
5 oz (about 5 cups whole chips, measured before crushing) (140 g) salted tortilla chips, coarsely crushed by hand into bite-size pieces
¾ cup (180 ml) Catalina dressing, shaken well, plus more for serving
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

Equipment (7)

Large (12-inch / 30 cm) skillet
Very large salad bowl (5–6 quart / 4.5–5.5 L)
Salad spinner or clean kitchen towels
Chef's knife and cutting board
Small bowl for spice mix
Wooden spoon or spatula for breaking up beef
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce first; wet leaves water down the dressing and make the chips soggy.
Shred the cheddar from a block if you can; it melts slightly on the warm beef and tastes sharper than pre-shredded.
The beef must cool for about 10 minutes before it goes on the salad, or it will wilt the lettuce.
Add the tortilla chips and dressing only right before serving to keep everything crisp.

1
Prep the salad vegetables
- Chop the iceberg into bite-size pieces and dry completely in a salad spinner or between clean towels.
- Place in a very large salad bowl.
- Drain and rinse the kidney beans, halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the green onions, and shred the cheddar (about 1½ cups).
- Keep the beans, tomatoes, green onions, olives (if using), and cheese in separate piles or small bowls.
- Refrigerate the bowl of lettuce while you cook the beef.
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Ready when: Lettuce leaves feel dry to the touch with no water beading
Tip: Damp lettuce dilutes the dressing and turns the salad watery, so dry it thoroughly.
2
Mix the taco spices
- In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly blended.
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Ready when: Spice mix is a uniform brick-red color with no streaks
3
Brown beef and onion
- Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef and chopped onion.
- Cook for 8–10 minutes, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon and stirring every minute or so, until no pink remains and the onion is soft and translucent.
- Some browned bits on the pan are good.
- If more than 2 tablespoons of fat has pooled, spoon off the excess and discard.
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Ready when: Beef is fully gray-brown with no pink, lightly browned in spots, and reaches 160°F (71°C)
Tip: Don't stir constantly in the first 2 minutes; letting the meat sit briefly helps it brown rather than steam.
4
Season and simmer
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the spice mix and tomato paste to the beef and stir for 1 minute until fragrant and the paste is evenly mixed in.
- Pour in the water, scraping up any browned bits.
- Simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has mostly reduced and the beef looks glossy and moist, not soupy.
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Ready when: Only a spoonful of thick sauce remains in the pan and the beef coats the spoon
Tip: Taste a crumble and add a pinch more salt if needed; the dressing is sweet, so the beef should be well seasoned.
5
Cool the beef
- Transfer the beef to a shallow bowl or rimmed plate and spread it out.
- Let it cool for about 10 minutes, stirring once, until warm but no longer steaming.
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Ready when: Beef is warm to the touch, not hot, and no longer steaming
Tip: Rushing this step gives limp lettuce. Slightly warm is fine and tastes great.
6
Prep avocado and chips
- While the beef cools, toss the cubed avocado gently with the lime juice in a small bowl to prevent browning.
- Crush the 5 oz (140 g) tortilla chips by hand into bite-size pieces, leaving some larger chunks for crunch; they will pile up to roughly 3½–4 cups once crushed.
- Chop the cilantro if using.
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Ready when: Avocado cubes are lightly coated in lime juice; chips are in pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide
Tip: Cut the avocado last, no more than 15 minutes before serving.
7
Build the salad base
- Take the lettuce bowl from the fridge.
- Scatter the kidney beans, cherry tomatoes, green onions, and olives (if using) over the lettuce.
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Ready when: Vegetables are scattered evenly over the lettuce
8
Add beef and cheese
- Spoon the cooled beef over the vegetables and sprinkle with about three-quarters of the shredded cheddar (about 1¼ cups), saving the rest for the top.
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Ready when: Beef and cheese are evenly distributed across the salad
9
Dress and toss
- Pour ¾ cup (180 ml) Catalina dressing over the salad.
- Using two large spoons or salad tongs, toss from the bottom up for about 1 minute until every leaf has a light, even coating.
- Add the avocado and about two-thirds of the crushed chips and toss just 3–4 times, gently, so the avocado stays in cubes.
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Ready when: Lettuce glistens with a thin coat of dressing, with no pools at the bottom of the bowl
Tip: Start with ¾ cup of dressing; you can always add more at the table, but you can't take it away.
10
Top and serve
- Top with the remaining cheddar, remaining crushed chips, and cilantro if using.
- Serve immediately in large bowls, with extra Catalina dressing on the side.
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Ready when: Chips on top are still crisp
Tip: Serve within 10 minutes of tossing for the best crunch.

Good to know

Tips

Dry the lettuce thoroughly and chill it; cold, dry iceberg is what keeps this salad crunchy.
Let the beef cool to just warm before assembling. Warm beef is delicious, but hot beef wilts the lettuce.
Hold back some chips for the top so there is crunch in every bowl even after tossing.
For a lighter version, use 93% lean beef and reduce the dressing to ½ cup, adding 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan when browning the beef.

Make ahead

Cook the taco beef up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container; rewarm briefly in the microwave or skillet until steaming, then cool 10 minutes before using. Chop and dry the lettuce, and prep the tomatoes, green onions, and cheese up to 1 day ahead, storing them separately in the fridge. Add avocado, chips, and dressing only just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Undressed components keep separately in airtight containers in the fridge: beef 3–4 days, chopped lettuce and vegetables 1–2 days. The assembled, dressed salad does not store well; the chips go soft and the lettuce wilts, so eat within 1 hour. Cooked taco beef freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet or microwave until steaming (165°F / 74°C) before cooling slightly for the salad. Do not freeze the salad.

Substitutions

85% lean ground beef → Ground turkey or ground chicken. Cook to 165°F (74°C) and add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, since poultry is leaner.
Catalina dressing → Russian dressing or a mix of ½ cup French dressing and ¼ cup ketchup-based salsa. Catalina is sweet, tangy, and orange-red; a bottled Western or French dressing is the closest match.
iceberg lettuce → Chopped romaine hearts. Slightly less crisp-watery and more flavorful; dry well and keep the same amount.
sharp cheddar cheese → Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese. Milder and meltier; use the same weight.