There are taco salads. And then there is this recipe for corn chip taco salad that has all the great taco salad ingredients and a corn chip crunch!
Okay, I love love love this taco salad, and here’s why. Not because it is ridiculously easy to make (and it is).
Not because it tastes ridiculously good (and it does). It’s because — unlike 99.9% of most taco salads — the crunchy part of the taco salad is actually worth eating.
You know what I am talking about. Usually you order a taco salad and it comes in a giant tortilla “bowl.” You say to yourself, Self, I’m just going to eat the salad part, and you work through all that good stuff in the bowl.
The spicy taco meat, the avocado chunks, the chopped tomatoes, the cheese (ah! the cheese!!) and pretty soon your taco salad is gone and the only thing left standing is the tortilla bowl.
There are taco salads. And then there is this recipe for corn chip taco salad that has all the great taco salad ingredients and a corn chip crunch!So you break off a piece of the side of it, and honestly? It’s not that good.
It’s okay….but it’s kind of bland and not that tasty…but it’s there on your plate, and pretty soon you have picked off most of the sides of it.
And so your awesome taco salad has ended with a whimper.
But in MY taco salad, my friends, your favorite corn chips take the place of that tortilla bowl. They are added to the salad at the very end and tossed right into the salad along with everything else.
So every other bite contains a hit of salty corn chip wonderfulness along with all the other taco salad taste sensations.
Now corn chips may not be the healthiest ingredient on the planet…but DANG! they are good. And all I have to say is, if you are going to eat the taco salad bowl — and you KNOW you are — let’s at least make sure it tastes pretty great going down.
That picture up there shows the ingredients before the tossing (and the lettuce is underneath all that other good stuff) just because it is more photogenic that way, but let me be clear — you should be toss, toss, tossing all those great ingredients together so that each bite is a mixture of all those rocking taste sensations.
So for all of you who like to walk on the wild side with the corn chips, here is my favorite taco salad recipe.
Corn Chip Taco Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Mexican
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Pin RecipeDescription
There are taco salads. And then there is this recipe for corn chip taco salad that has all the great taco salad ingredients and a corn chip crunch!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 3 chopped tomatoes
- 2 chopped avocados
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 2 cups corn chips
Instructions
- Prepare taco meat with ground beef according to taco seasoning mix directions.
- Combine all ingredients except corn chips in large mixing bowl. The taco flavoring in the meat juices will serve as the “dressing” for the salad.
- Add corn chips and toss again.
- Throw caution to the wind and have seconds.
Hi there! I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN! My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too. And if you make this recipe, I would love you to tag @FramedCooks on Instagram so I can see the deliciousness!
Oh how I love taco salad. Especially with tons of tomatoes and smothered with hot salsa.
Your taco salad looks great! That is one of my daughter's favorite meals and would make a nice post turkey dinner. You have a very nice blog here.
YUM! This sounds wonderful. Being a native Texan, I'm no stranger to Taco Salad. And though I usually use tortilla chips instead of a tortilla bowl, I haven't tried it with Fritos. I can see some experimenting in my future…
I use Doritos instead. It’s really good, especially as it adds the cheesy flavor along with crunch.
This is my exact taco salad except I usually add just a bit of ranch dressing. Yummy!!!
ooh, ranch dressing — will need to give that a try!
I make the same salad but call it "Girl Scout" Tacos and use Catalina dressing on it.
Oh this sounds soooo good!
Could you add sour cream to this?
You definitely can!
This is a family favorite! We use chili cheese fritos and sub in white corn & black beans for the tomato & avocado.
★★★★★
Chili cheese Fritos???? I didn’t know there was such an amazing thing in the world – I have to get me some! Love that you substituted the things that make it a family fave. :)