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    Framed Cooks » Recipes » Dinner

    Corn Chip Taco Salad

    Published: May 1, 2023 · Modified: Feb 25, 2025 by Kate Morgan Jackson · This post may contain affiliate links · 15 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    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!

    All ingredients for corn chip taco salad ready for mixing in mixing bowl.
    Jump to:
    • Why we love this recipe
    • Ingredients you need
    • Ingredient additions and substitutions
    • Here’s how to make this recipe
    • Equipment we used for this recipe
    • Recipe FAQ
    • Want to round out your meal?
    • Other taco recipes we love
    • Could you leave us some stars?
    • Corn Chip Taco Salad

    Why we love this recipe

    Okay, I love love love this taco salad, and here’s why. Not because it is ridiculously easy to make (and it is). I just love a main meal salad that is both scrumptious and ready in a flash (looking at YOU, Shortcut Fried Chicken Salad!)

    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.

    And by that I mean this:  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.

    Pretty soon your taco salad is gone and the only thing left standing is the tortilla bowl.

    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 THIS 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.

    Ingredients you need

    taco salad ingredients

    Ingredient additions and substitutions

    • Taco Seasoning: You can find this in the International Foods section of your supermarket…or in about five minutes you can make your own with this super easy taco seasoning recipe!
    • Corn Chips: We love the regular size Frito chips for this recipe, but any corn chips will work! Do get the regular small ones – the scoop kind are a little big for this salad. But if that’s all you can find, just crunch them up a little before adding them.
    • Avocado: These are notorious for being super hard when you buy them (you can find them in the produce section of your supermarket) so I always try and get mine a few days ahead to give it time to soften up. You can also swap out the avocado for guacamole, either the already prepared kind, or you can make your own – here’s my favorite guacamole recipe!
    • Ground Beef: While you can use lean ground beef for this recipe, we recommend the 80/20 mixture for the best taste. You can also swap in ground turkey if you like!

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

    Here’s how to make this recipe

    Cooked ground beef with taco spices in pan.

    Step 1: : First we make the taco meat!  Cook a pound of ground beef over medium high heat-with a packet of taco seasoning, according to taco seasoning mix directions…or even better, make your own taco seasoning – it takes five minutes and has zero ingredients that you can’t pronounce.

    !ngredients for corn chip taco salad ready for mixing in bowl.

    Step 2: Combine the cooked meat mixture, one head of chopped iceberg lettuce, three chopped tomatoes (or if you aren’t in tomato season, you might want to use a couple cups of halved cherry tomatoes – they taste good all year!) some shredded cheddar and two peeled and chopped avocados in a large bowl.

    Mixed together corn chip taco salad in a bowl.

    Step 3: Now mix it all together until it is fully combined. The taco flavor in the meat drippings will serve as the “dressing” for the salad.

    And…you’re done! Unless you want to add a dollop of sour cream on top of your salad. 🙋🏼‍♀️ Or drizzle on a little ranch dressing.

    Equipment we used for this recipe

    These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!

    • Tongs: We love these for everything from tossing up delectable salads to flipping chicken! They come in multiple sizes.
    • Large Skillet: You probably have one of these already but if you don’t, here’s our fave.
    • Cutting board: These dishwasher safe cutting boards also come in multiple sizes and are nice and sturdy.
    • Metal Bowls: These lightweight bowls are perfect for just about anything you want to mix up, and they also make nice informal serving bowls, especially for outside since they are unbreakable!

    Recipe FAQ

    Can I use tortilla chips instead of Fritos?

    You can, however corn chips are a little thicker and will stand up better to the other ingredients and the tossing. But tortilla chips will still work! If you have big ones, you will want to crumble them a little into bite sized pieces.

    How do I know when an avocado is ripe?

    The age old mystery! It should give a little (but not feel mushy) when you press on it, and if you pick the short brown stem off it should be green underneath.

    Can I make this ahead of time?

    You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time, but wait to toss them all together until right before you serve so things don’t get soggy.

    Can I leave (whatever it is that someone doesn’t like) out?

    Ha! The great thing about this recipe is that as long as you have the meat cooked with the taco spices, the lettuce and the corn chips. After that, you can get as creative as you want. SOME people in my house don’t like avocado, so I pass that around separately. You can add corn, black beans, chopped bell peppers, black olives, chopped sweet onions, a spoonful of salsa, a squeeze of lime juice…you be you!

    Have a question that I didn’t cover?

    Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!

    Want to round out your meal?

    Well, you KNOW we need a margarita with this supper...this recipe for a strawberry basil margarita is my all time fave.

    And if you want to swap out the avocado for some guacamole (or have avocado AND guacamole) I love this easy recipe for bacon guacamole.

    And after all that spicy deliciousness, let’s cool down with this recipe for peanut butter pretzel ice cream cake!

    Other taco recipes we love

    • Bowl of creamy taco macaroni and cheese.
      Taco Macaroni and Cheese
    • taco bake casserole
      Taco Bake Casserole
    • spaghetti tacos
      Spaghetti Tacos
    • stuffed taco potatoes
      Stuffed Taco Potatoes

    Could you leave us some stars?

    If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.

    Print

    Corn Chip Taco Salad

    Corn chip taco salad mixture.
    Print Recipe
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    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 2 reviews

    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!

    • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Mexican
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1 one ounce packet taco seasoning mix (or two tablespoons homemade taco seasoning)
    • 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
    • 3 chopped tomatoes (or 2 cups halved/quartered cherry tomatoes)
    • 2 peeled and chopped avocados
    • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    • 3 cups corn chips

    Instructions

    1. Prepare taco meat with ground beef according to taco seasoning mix directions.  If you are using your own taco seasoning, add it along with a cup of water once the beef is brown and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
    2. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the chips. The taco flavoring in the meat juices will serve as the “dressing” for the salad.
    3. Throw caution to the wind and have seconds.

    Notes

      • Taco Seasoning: You can find this in the International Foods section of your supermarket…or in about five minutes you can make your own with this super easy taco seasoning recipe!

      • Corn Chips: We love the regular size Frito chips for this recipe, but any corn chips will work! Do get the regular small ones – the scoop kind are a little big for this salad. But if that’s all you can find, just crunch them up a little before adding them.

      • Avocado: These are notorious for being super hard when you buy them (you can find them in the produce section of your supermarket) so I always try and get mine a few days ahead to give it time to soften up. You can also swap out the avocado for guacamole, either the already prepared kind, or you can make your own – here’s my favorite guacamole recipe!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag @FramedCooks on Facebook or Instagram…we want to see it!

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    Comments

    1. Alex says

      September 27, 2023 at 1:35 pm

      I made this without the avocado but it was still fabulous! The Fritos gave it the perfect crunch!

      Reply
    2. Trish says

      July 08, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      This is a family favorite! We use chili cheese fritos and sub in white corn & black beans for the tomato & avocado.

      Reply
      • Kate Morgan Jackson says

        July 08, 2019 at 3:21 pm

        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. :)

        Reply
    3. Lucy says

      September 28, 2016 at 8:09 pm

      Could you add sour cream to this?

      Reply
      • Kate says

        September 30, 2016 at 4:37 pm

        You definitely can!

        Reply
    4. Kathleen says

      January 13, 2010 at 8:27 am

      Oh this sounds soooo good!

      Reply
    5. Anonymous says

      December 07, 2009 at 4:33 am

      I make the same salad but call it "Girl Scout" Tacos and use Catalina dressing on it.

      Reply
    6. Kate Morgan Jackson says

      December 01, 2009 at 12:46 pm

      ooh, ranch dressing — will need to give that a try!

      Reply
    7. Michelle says

      December 01, 2009 at 12:24 am

      This is my exact taco salad except I usually add just a bit of ranch dressing. Yummy!!!

      Reply
    8. Shel says

      November 29, 2009 at 5:43 am

      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…

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        October 15, 2013 at 2:28 pm

        I use Doritos instead. It’s really good, especially as it adds the cheesy flavor along with crunch.

        Reply
    9. Laurie says

      November 28, 2009 at 9:20 pm

      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.

      Reply
    10. All Things Yummy says

      November 28, 2009 at 5:12 am

      Oh how I love taco salad. Especially with tons of tomatoes and smothered with hot salsa.

      Reply

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    Kate from Framed Cooks

    Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I’m so glad you’re here!

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