Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing (and Fritos)
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Catalina Frito Salad is a hearty, Tex-Mex style salad made with crisp lettuce, seasoned ground beef, beans, cheese, and crunchy Fritos, all tossed in a sweet and tangy Catalina dressing. There’s no mayo-based dressing or complicated prep here — just simple ingredients layered together for big flavor. Everything comes together quickly in one skillet and a large bowl, making it perfect for busy weeknights or potluck dinners.
This Catalina Salad takes me straight back to church potlucks and summer get-togethers, where dishes like this never last long once they’re set out. It’s not fancy, but it’s the kind of recipe people remember.
When our girls were little, we were part of a young couples’ church group that gathered often, and everyone brought a dish to share. That’s where this recipe came from. A friend, Miss Donna, would toss it together right at the table—Fritos, Catalina dressing, and all—while keeping everyone laughing. It was simple and always one of the first dishes to disappear.
That’s what I still love about this salad — the mix of crisp lettuce, warm taco beef, hearty beans, and that sweet-tangy dressing, finished with that signature crunch. It’s quick and just as dependable now as it was back then.
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot
Ingredient Notes
- Iceberg lettuce | Holds up well to dressing without getting soggy quickly.
- Tomatoes | Cherry or grape tomatoes are nice, or use your favorite variety — just be sure the tomatoes are bright red and ripe for the best flavor!
- Onion | Choose a sweet onion like Vidalia or slice a few scallions to add the onion flavor.
- Hot Chili Beans | If you’re not familiar with these, they’re simply canned red beans in a hot chili sauce.
- Cheese | Sharp cheddar is my preference, but you could certainly use a mild cheddar,, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese if you like.
- Frito Corn Chips | You’ll love the crunch!
- Catalina dressing | This signature sweet-tangy base that sets this salad apart from regular taco salad! I used a bottle of Kraft Catalina dressing for this recipe, but homemade Catalina dressing.
- Taco-seasoned ground beef | Make it with ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken to make the dish filling enough for dinner, or leave the meat out entirely for a vegetarian option.
Variations and Substitutions
- You may use a can of red kidney beans, black beans, or pinto beans instead of hot chili beans.
- Mix it up and add nacho cheese Doritos (for a Dorito taco salad) or use a bag of tortilla chips (slightly crushed) instead of Fritos.
- ·Make it vegetarian with plant-based crumbles and add avocado for freshness.
How to Make Taco Salad With Catalina Dressing
Catalina Salad is best enjoyed right after it’s tossed together, so if you’re taking it to a picnic or potluck, plan to assemble it on site using the tips below. For a cool, creamy side, serve it alongside this Fiesta Corn Dip.
STEP 1 | Rinse, spin, and chop
It’s important to dry the lettuce as much as possible. After you rinse the lettuce, chop it into bite size pieces and place in a salad spinner — remove as much water as you can.
Dice the tomatoes and onion, and add to the bowl with the chopped lettuce.
Next, empty the can of hot chili beans into a colander and rinse under cool running water. Again, drain off as much water as possible.
Use a box grater to shred the cheese and set aside in another bowl for now. I prefer grating my own cheese as the bags of shredded cheese are coated with powdery flour. Fresh is tastier!
STEP 2 | Cook the taco meat
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then swirl a tablespoon of canola oil in the bottom of the pan. Crumble a pound of lean ground beef into the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Continue cooking and stirring until the meat is no longer pink.
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Then, sprinkle the taco seasoning mix and water over the meat and continue cooking according to the package directions. Keep the taco meat warm until you are ready to assemble the salad. If you are transporting to a picnic, a small Crock Pot should work.
STEP 3 | Toss and serve
When you’re ready to assemble the salad, add the lettuce, and veggies to a large salad bowl. Then, add the drained beans, corn chips, and cheese, and toss gently.
Top it off with the taco meat and pour over a cup of Catalina dressing — or as much as you like! Toss again until all ingredients are coated. Remember, if you do this step too early, the salad and chips will get soggy — yuck!
If you like, finish the salad by adding some a few grinds of fresh ground pepper on top and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Let’s eat!
Recipe Success Tips
Storage Tips
- Once the salad is tossed with the dressing, it needs to be eaten right away to avoid getting soggy.
- If you know you won’t eat the whole salad at once, store the ingredients separately in ziploc bags or bowls with tight fitting lids and toss together when ready to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost. French dressing is made with tomatoes and paprika, while Catalina dressing has more ketchup in the mix. Normally, French dressing is a paler orange while Catalina dressing is a bright red and is usually a bit thinner. Both are tangy and good substitutes for the other.
This taco salad is gluten free with a minor substitution! Fritos are not technically gluten free, but many Tostitos products, including Simply Organic Yellow Corn Chips are. Kraft Catalina Dressing is gluten free, and most brands of taco seasoning are as well — check the label of your brand to confirm.
Perfect Bowls & Tongs for Easy Serving
Serve up taco salad like a pro with these perfect bowls and handy tongs. (These are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you!)
Serving Suggestion
Having a party? Make this easy salad into Walking Tacos! Buy single serving bags of Frito chips. Toss the corn chips in the salad and toss it up. Then, refill the bags with the taco salad and grab a fork to eat it all right out of the bag.
You can do this with single-serving bags of Doritos, too. How fun is that?
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Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing (and Fritos)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
- 1 head lettuce cut in layers, then chopped
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 1 can hot chili beans drained and rinsed
- 12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 9-1/4-oz. bag Fritos corn chips
- 1 cup Kraft Catalina salad dressing
Instructions
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the canola oil and swirl to coat the pan. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet, cooking and stirring until no longer pink.
- Drain off any grease, then add the taco seasoning packet and water and continue cooking per packet instructions. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, toss together the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, beans, and cheese.
- Add the bag of Fritos, partly crushed, and toss with 1 cup Catalina dressing (add more dressing, if desired). Serve immediately.
Notes
- Making the salad ahead of time? Once you’ve finished prepping and chopping, store the ingredients separately in ziploc bags or bowls with tight fitting lids. This will ensure the lettuce doesn’t get soggy from everything else in the bowl!
- More veggies! Dice up a red bell pepper or cut an ear of fresh corn off the cob to add even more goodness to this salad. If you like a bit more heat, prep a few fresh jalapeno slices too.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
I made this today for my grandson and he LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT. That chile’ licked the plate and I didn’t care…(I told’t him not to do that in a restaurant for reasons I don’t understand…other than that fussy lady at the church told me I am never to eat all the food when dining out although I paid for ALL THE FOOD. Okay…I had a flashback). Anywho, I rarely write in these spaces but wanted you to know this dish is now on my Top Ten Rotation list. Thanks.
Bonnie, you have me chuckling right and I’m so glad you shared your experience with the recipe! So glad you and your grandson enjoyed that salad!
Had a variation of this in the early 80s, and have been making it several times a year since. Always get requests for the recipe at pot lucks. Try this without the beans and onions, and swapping out the Fritos for crushed up Taco Flavored Doritos (Regular Nacho Doritos will work in a pinch). We also use taco flavored cheese, but cheddar is fine too. Thank me later!
What about adding cooked ground beef with taco seasoning to make it a taco salad?
Elizabeth, that’s a great idea! In fact, I recently tried that myself — I just haven’t had time yet to update the post with the new photos and recipe notes I made. I’ll push it to the top of my to-do list 🙂
I’ve been making this salad since a colleague gave me the recipe in the early 1980’s. It is definitely a favorite! I usually use green onions or red onions sliced thin. I have always used chilled kidney beans, but will try next time with the hot chili beans. My husband likes taco seasoned ground beef added. I prefer the salad without meat, but eat both ways.
I prep mason jar salads each week to avoid my “hangry” feeling and that I have something quick to grab to eat. This salad is so good that I always have it in the mix at least every other week. Must try!
This is AWESOME! Great side dish or main meal. Seriously, will be my summer go to dish for cookouts — A MUST TRY!
I make this salad. It’s great. I serve it with a ground beef Mexican casserole. They are the perfect pairing! Everyone always asked my mom to make this when there were potlucks and now I get the same requests.
I’ve always made it with sliced black olives and dill pickles. It’s a family favorite! Great salad!
That’s a very interesting twist…I’ll have to try it! Happy New Year!
Just made it and it is chilling in the fridge..cant wait to taste it..yummy!
Awesome! Hope you like it!
I made it with Dayia Vegan cheddar and Lower Sodium Fritos for health / dietary restrictions. Delicious!
The recipe I have has an addition of a can of corn. ..drained. I usually grill corn on the cob and keep an extra to cut off the cob just for this salad. Also, the addition of grilled chicken (great use of left overs), cut into strips.
Carmen, those are great additions!
Could I possibly use different types of lettuce, like Romaine, Arugula, etc. and have an assortment? I’m not a fan of iceberg lettuce. Thanks.
Mindy, I would think chopped romaine would be a good substitute. Arugula may not work as well.
I’m sure this would be popular at pot-lucks. I love how easy this is!
I’ll tell ya, any salad topped with chips and smothered in delicious dressing is my kind of salad. This looks SO good! And it’s perfect for a summer picnic!
This looks like the perfect potluck salad, and I’ll bet the corn chips add the perfect amount of crunch.
Oh wow, very creative. I never thought of adding corn chips to it. I bet it brings some texture to it!!
I bet this will go quick at potlucks! My son who hates salad might even eat this one. I’ll be trying it for one of our summer barbeques!
Michelle, it’s definitely a hit at summer barbecues – perfect for a large crowd!
I always forget about the Catalina dressing because I tend to opt for vinaigrettes, ceaser or ranch dressing. But oh how I love the Catalina dressing. Thanks for the reminder and the great salad to go along with it!
Julie, I’m usually a vinaigrette fan, too, but this salad with Catalina is a nice change. Enjoy!
Right, Julie. The Catalina MAKES it!
I make something similar about every two weeks and it is seriously the BEST. Such a delicious salad!
Trish, I totally agree!
Looking for a similar salad recipe that uses Velveeta squares…does this resemble yours?
Now this is special!!
Thanks, Jocelyn!
I would imagine that even folks who aren’t crazy for salads (I’m a salad lover) would enjoy this one. The addition of corn chips really makes this crazy good…and super crunchy!
Renee, it is crazy good! And I love “crunchies” on my salad.