This simple taco salad recipe is my go-to for a flavorful, quick, and easy meal. It’s made with homemade Catalina dressing, seasoned ground beef, and my favorite taco toppings. Think of it as a taco bar made all from scratch, including the homemade taco seasoning mix.
My Mennonite friends have got me hooked on taco salads! Catalina, Western Dressing, and So-Good French Dressing are their go-to taco salad dressing recipes. However, this light Mexican Dressing using honey is a healthy taco salad dressing with no sugar! All my salad dressings are made with this Homemade Mayonnaise as the base. However, Catalina Dressing doesn’t have any mayonnaise.
Taco Salad Recipe
Taco salad is a quick standby meal for busy weeknight dinners. We have been around Mennonite communities for almost a decade, and I have seen all kinds of taco salad variations and dressings.
The most common taco salad recipes are seasoned beef with a pint of home-canned beans, Rice as a salad topping, and homemade salad dressings, including Ranch Dressing. Mennonites are great cooks, and a basic taco salad is always up their sleeve for hosting at home or big gatherings (go figure, they’re so easy to make!)
Watch How to Make Taco Salad Recipe with Homemade Catalina Dressing.
Ingredients for Catalina Dressing:
Taco Salad Ingredients and Add-ins:
We make taco salad with ingredients we have on hand. The most common toppings are finely diced tomatoes (they stretch further when cut smaller), chopped romaine lettuce, grated cheese, and diced onions. If we have a bag of tortilla chips (hard shell tacos or Tostadas), we will crumble them and serve them on the side for extra crunch and flavor.
- Ground Meat- ground beef is the most common meat used for taco salad. We process our own beef from our farm and make lean ground beef (about 80/20). My friend only uses venison for even leaner meat.
- DIY Taco Seasoning Mix—This is the Taco Seasoning Mix I use for all my Mexican recipes! I keep mine in an old 24-oz container and double the recipe to fit it perfectly. It helps me spot the spice blend easily in my pantry. You won’t find this recipe online; I got it from my older Mennonite friend who lived before the blogging era.
- Homemade Catalina Dressing- is a sweet and sour ketchup-based dressing that is amazing with a Dorito taco salad.
- Extra Toppings- here is a list of toppings you can include on your taco bar: sliced avocados (because, let’s be real, most of us don’t have guacamole on hand), chopped sweet bell peppers, cubed cheese (for extra texture), diced onions in vinegar (for a pickled taste), and sliced hot peppers.
Note: Many of my Mennonite friends add tomato juice or salsa to their Beef and Beans (in the seasoned beef) for a zesty flavor. Adding a packet of the dry Italian seasoning mix to the meat when cooking will eliminate that prominent gamey taste if you use Wild Game.
How To Make Taco Salad:
It is key to make your taco salad dressing beforehand so the flavors can mellow together. I typically do this in the morning when serving taco salad. This Catalina dressing will last well in the fridge for 4-5 weeks stored in a plastic squeeze bottle.
- Make the Catalina salad dressing by blending all the ingredients with an immersion blender (canola oil, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, white distilled vinegar, and sugar).
- Brown the ground beef with 1/2 cup cold water (this makes using a meat chopper easy)! Add the taco seasoning mix and a pint of beans (with the liquid) when the beef is no longer pink. Heat thoroughly until hot and bubbly. You can keep this on the lowest setting until serving or turn it off and set it aside.
- Prepare all the toppings; wash and spin dry the lettuce, finely dice the onions, chop the tomatoes, grate the cheese, and set out the sour cream and Salsa.
- Arrange all the toppings and seasoned beef where you plan to serve the taco salad, and let everyone make their plates.
Note: Fill these into flour tortillas or hard-shell tacos to make burritos or tacos at home. A burrito bowl is typically served as a taco salad with rice. Use different ingredients to create a specific taco theme.
Can I Make Ahead?
Preparing taco meat in advance is a great way to serve taco salad to guests. Prepare the seasoned beef as directed in the recipe card and cool completely before storing it in the fridge. Transfer the cooked seasoned beef into a slow cooker with 1/2 cup of water and set on low for 3-5 hours, stirring occasionally. Set it out in the crockpot when hosting a taco bar. If you’re short on time, reheat it over medium heat in a pan.
Best Practices for Storing, Reheating, and Serving Leftovers:
Taco salad is best made fresh; however, if you scale up the recipe, there can tend to be leftovers. The best way to store leftover taco salad is to keep the meat separate from the taco toppings. That way, you can reheat the meat and arrange all of the toppings for the next meal.
I usually keep my meat in the same skillet in which it was cooked. Using a deep 11-inch skillet with a lid will save you from using plastic wrap. This makes reheating easier as you can set it directly on the heating element without transferring anything.
Prepared Taco salad beef is best kept refrigerated for 3-4 days at 40°F (4°C).
More of Our Favorite Mexican Recipes:
We love taco salads, burritos, and Tex-Mex salad dressings! Here are must-try recipes to make at home!
Taco Salad Recipe with Homemade Catalina Dressing
Equipment
- 11-inch non-stick skillet (with lid)
- Set of bowls and plates (for toppings)
Ingredients
Seasoned Beef:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pint canned black beans (not drained)
Salad:
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped (or iceberg lettuce)
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
- 1 cup sour cream
- extra toppings: cooked rice, avocados, green bell peppers, black olives, guacamole
Catalina Dressing:
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
Instructions
To make the Catalina dressing, blend all the ingredients (oil, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, vinegar, and sugar) with an immersion blender until emulsified and smooth. Keep refrigerated.- In an 11-inch non-stick skillet, add 1/2 cup water and beef. Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid evaporates. Using a meat chopper, separate the beef until it resembles crumbles and the meat is no longer pink. Using water at the start makes this process seamless and prevents oil splatters.
- When the liquid has evaporated and the ground beef is at an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), add the taco seasoning and beans. Heat thoroughly until hot and bubbly.
- Arrange all the salad toppings onto plates or bowls for serving. Top each plate with lettuce, seasoned beef mixture, tomatoes, onions, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and drizzle with Catalina dressing.
Notes
- Store leftover taco salad separately from the taco toppings. So, you can reheat the meat and arrange the toppings for the next meal. Prepared Taco salad beef is best kept refrigerated for 3-4 days at 40°F (4°C).
- For hosting or potlucks, put the seasoned beef in a slow cooker with 1/2 cup of water and set it on low for 3-5 hours.
- This Catalina dressing recipe can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 weeks.
- If using wild game or gamey meat, adding a packet of dry Italian seasoning mix to the meat when cooking will eliminate that prominent gamey taste.
- Using water for cooking the beef separates the meat crumbles more easily and avoids oil splatters.
- We find the seasoned ground beef perfect with the three teaspoons of taco seasoning so the Catalina dressing can stand out. If omitting the dressing, use 3 Tbsp of taco seasoning. If omitting the beans, don't add 3 Tablespoons; it will be too overpowering.
