Julie Clark
Updated:
Frito Taco Salad (No Meat and 15 Minute Prep)
May contain affiliate links. Terms of Use Policy.
Frito taco salad is a no-meat chopped salad of crisp lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, kidney beans and cheddar cheese, tossed in a French and Catalina dressing mix. Toss in crunchy Fritos right before serving.
This is a lettuce & bean salad, not a corn & mayo salad. It comes together in about 15 minutes of hands-on prep, just like our Italian sub salad recipe.
What sets this recipe apart is the combination of both French and Catalina dressing, giving creamy sweetness plus a slightly tangy, spicy kick.
You’ll find this on our family table just about any holiday or summer picnic. It’s naturally vegetarian, but you could stir in our crockpot taco meat if you have a crowd and want it as a main dish.
What goes in Frito Taco Salad?
A classic Frito taco salad needs seven things:
- Iceberg lettuce (or a lettuce and romaine mix)
- Roma tomatoes.
- Red onion
- Kidney beans (or black beans)
- Freshly shredded sharp cheddar
- French dressing plus Catalina dressing
- Fritos corn chips, added right before serving
How do you make frito taco salad?
- In a small bowl, combine the Roma tomatoes, onions and dressings.
- Cut the head of lettuce into bite-size pieces. Place the lettuce in a large bowl.
- Add the kidney beans and cheddar cheese to the lettuce.
- Add the dressing mixture.
- Add the fritos right before serving.
Can I make frito salad ahead of time?
This is a quick and easy weeknight recipe, but there are a few things you do in advance to keep it easy.
- Cut the tomatoes and onions ahead of time and allow them to marinate in the French dressing mixture for a few hours.
- Shred the cheddar cheese. Because you’re shredding your own, right? 😉
- You can cut lettuce in the morning to serve this salad in the evening, but if you cut it too far in advance, it may brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What dressing goes on Frito taco salad?
We use a mix of French and Catalina dressing. French adds creamy sweetness and Catalina adds tang and a kick of spice. You can use just one, but the combination of the two is best.
I frito taco salad vegetarian?
Yes. As it is written it has no meat. Kidney beans and cheddar give it some protein. Add 1 pound of taco meat if you’d like.
How do you keep frito taco salad from getting soggy?
Add the fritos right before serving. Keep the lettuce dry until you toss it with the other ingredients.
Serving Ideas
We serve this salad with just about anything, but especially at family holidays when there is a large spread of all kinds of food. It’s a great potluck dish. Here are a few ideas to make a meal:
15 Minute Frito Taco Salad
No meat needed. This Frito taco salad uses a French and Catalina dressing combo. It's a potluck favorite.
Servings 8 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 4 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup French dressing
- 2/3 cup Catalina Sweet & Spicy dressing
- 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 4 cups Fritos corn chips slightly crushed
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the Roma tomatoes, onions and dressings. 4 Roma tomatoes, ½ cup chopped red onion, ½ cup French dressing, 2/3 cup Catalina Sweet & Spicy dressing
- Cut the head of lettuce into bite-size pieces. Place the lettuce in a large bowl. 1 head iceberg lettuce
- Add the kidney beans and cheddar cheese to the lettuce. 1 can kidney beans, 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Add the dressing mixture.
- Add the fritos right before serving. Mix well and serve immediately. 4 cups Fritos corn chips
Video
Notes
For the best flavor, marinate the tomatoes and onion in the dressing for up to 1 hour, but you can toss and serve right away.
Add the Fritos right before serving so they stay crunchy.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 8 servings, with 1 serving being ⅛ of the salad. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Serving: 251g | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 768mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 881IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 1mg
The only dressings my family likes are Ranch and Italian type do you think this would work in this recipe?
My mother made this with ground beef and kidney beans using taco seasoning packet. Then she’d topped the meat with Frito corn chips, cheddar shredded cheese, lettuce, chopped tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream. So good. The good ol’ days!
I want to make this salad but cannot find sweet and spicy Catalina dressing. How do I make regular Catalina spicy
I’ve been making this recipe for over 50 years – my Aunt in CA gave it to me. BUT… I add Avocado chunks; diced tomatoes,, chopped onions, and a couple tablespoons of Salsa. Make sure you add Fritos last – just before serving since they get soggy fast. YUM.
My MIL taught me how to make this salad in 1972. It is delicious. My family likes to serve it with my MIL’s Enchilada Con QUESO recipe also from 1972.
I made this taco salad and it was delicious. I used thousand Island dressing and added black olives. Thank you for a great recipe!! 🙂
Great salad! I’ve made with doritos too, yummy!
This salad sounds amazing for this hot memorial day party! Just got back from the store. Thank you for sharing!
This is a very tasty salad! My kids used to get “walking tacos” at the football games when my eldest daughter cheered and its basically all of this with salsa or/and sour cream instead of the dressing & beans. We had this brought to us around Christmas time with the kidney beans, Fritos & cool ranch Doritos, added olives and there was arugula in it too which we didn’t care & took out for but with everything else plus added some meat & it was delicious. I never would’ve thought of adding kidney beans to this but it was really… Read more »
This brings me back! When I was younger we used to eat Frito pie which was basically just Fritos in their own bag, with chili and cheese sauce poured over. It was so disgusting but so good at the same time. I had forgotten about those delicious Frito pies until I saw this recipe! I like this slightly more grown up version, and Fritos are THE BEST! I also do not keep chips in my house because once I sit down to watch TV at night, I IMMEDIATELY want those delicious chips. And I will eat them…all!
My mom made this salad for years. Used green onion, Brooks Hot Chili Beans and black olives.
great! but black beans for me.
Been making this for 20+ years but with drained and rinsed Ranch Style beans or pintos AND, hold in to your hat, chopped dill pickle. I know it sounds crazy but that pickle just adds something special.