Description
Mexican-inspired Tex-Mex salad combines fresh ingredients with zesty southwestern flavors. Crisp vegetables, seasoned protein, and tangy dressing create a delightful meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (15 ounces/425 grams) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Vegetables and Greens:
- 1 head lettuce, shredded
- 1 large tomato, diced
Seasonings and Dressing:
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) water
- 1 (14.5 ounces/411 grams) bag tortilla chips, crushed
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) Catalina dressing
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked, ensuring no pink remains visible.
- Drain excess grease thoroughly from the meat, then return to pan.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over beef and pour water, stirring to distribute evenly.
- Simmer mixture on low heat for 5 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and sauce to thicken.
- Prepare salad base by layering crisp shredded lettuce in a large serving bowl.
- Distribute diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and shredded cheddar cheese evenly across lettuce.
- Transfer seasoned beef from skillet onto prepared vegetable mixture.
- Gently fold ingredients together to ensure uniform distribution of meat and vegetables.
- Immediately before serving, crush tortilla chips and scatter over salad.
- Drizzle Catalina dressing across the top, ensuring light and even coverage.
- Toss salad quickly to integrate all components and prevent chips from becoming soggy.
- Serve promptly to maintain crisp texture and optimal temperature.
Notes
- Swap ground beef with plant-based crumbles or black beans for a vegetarian version that keeps the zesty Tex-Mex flavor profile intact.
- Drain kidney beans thoroughly to prevent excess liquid from making the salad soggy, ensuring a crisp and fresh texture.
- Toast tortilla chips lightly before crushing to enhance their crunch and add a deeper, slightly nutty undertone to the salad.
- Prepare ingredients separately and assemble just before serving to maintain maximum freshness and prevent chips from becoming soggy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg