A build-your-own taco salad laid out buffet-style: seasoned ground beef or turkey, black and pinto beans, a spread of vegetables and cheese, crushed Doritos for crunch, and ranch and hot sauce to finish. Everyone builds their own bowl exactly how they like it. A reliable family dinner.
Gluten-FreeHigh ProteinKid-Friendly
Best for: feeding the whole family with minimal fuss — set out the bar and let everyone build. Scales easily up or down. Most components can be prepped ahead and held.
Family Taco Salad Bar — Recipe
Prep
20 min
Cook
15 min
Total
~35 min
Serves
a family
Equipment
Large skillet
Colander
Serving bowls for the bar
Ingredients
Meat
2 lb 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey
2 packets McCormick Gluten-Free Taco Seasoning
Greens
1 large container or bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped bite-sized
Beans
1 can gluten-free black beans
1 can gluten-free pinto beans
Cheese & toppings
Shredded cheddar cheese
1 can sliced black olives
Green onions, sliced
Bell peppers, sliced
Jalapeños, sliced
Pepperoncini, sliced
Sweet onion, thinly sliced
Tomatoes, diced
Crunch & dressing
1 bag Doritos, crushed bite-sized
Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
Ortega Hot Sauce
Cook the meat
Brown the ground beef or turkey in a large skillet. Drain if needed.
Stir in both packets of taco seasoning per the package directions. Keep warm.
Prep the rest
Roughly chop the spinach so the leaves are bite-sized.
Drain and rinse both cans of beans well until the canning liquid is gone. Mix them and let them drain and dry while you prep the toppings.
Slice and dice all the vegetables and set them out in bowls. Crush the Doritos.
Set the bar & serve
Lay everything out salad-bar style: spinach, seasoned meat, beans, cheddar, olives, green onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, pepperoncini, sweet onion, tomatoes, crushed Doritos, ranch, and hot sauce.
Everyone builds their own taco salad with whatever toppings they want.
Notes from experience
Rinsing the beans well and letting them dry keeps them from watering down the bowls. Add the Doritos last, per serving — in the bowl they stay crunchy; sitting out in the bar they go stale and soft. Keep the meat warm and everything else cool.
Make-ahead
Most of the bar holds: brown and season the meat ahead and reheat, rinse the beans, and cut the vegetables in advance. Set it all out just before serving. Leftovers keep as separate components — don't pre-build bowls, they wilt.
Dietary note
Built gluten-free with McCormick GF taco seasoning and GF beans, but tagged conditional for two reasons: regular Doritos contain gluten (check for a GF variety, or set them out separately so gluten-sensitive eaters can skip them), and confirm your ranch is GF. Contains dairy (cheese, ranch). Easily vegetarian — skip the meat and lean on the beans.
