Chopped Nacho Cheese Taco Quinoa Salad

Name: Chopped Nacho Cheese Taco Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 12 ounces butter lettuce; 1 cup cooked quinoa; 1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed; 1 bell pepper; 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes; 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese; 4 green onions; ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1 to 2 cups crushed nacho cheese tortilla chips; pickled onions for topping; for topping: chopped avocado; 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons ketchup; 1 garlic clove; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; salt and pepper; ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

User Reviews

5.0

69 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
50 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings
4 to 6
Course
Salad
Cuisine
American

Chopped Nacho Cheese Taco Quinoa Salad

Kian Mendoza

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This nacho cheese taco salad is my favorite twist on the classic 90s dorito taco salad. Chopped ingredients and homemade catalina dressing!

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Ingredients

Servings

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
12 ounces butter lettuce, chopped
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 bell pepper, diced
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 2 cups crushed nacho cheese tortilla chips (honestly however much you’d like!)
pickled onions for topping
for topping: chopped avocado, plain greek yogurt or sour cream

catalina dressing

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 garlic clove minced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

Note: the beef and quinoa can be made a day or two ahead of time! This is a great recipe to make with leftover taco meat or quinoa.This serves 4 to 6 as a side dish, or more if it's served with a bunch of other things.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring often, until brown. As it’s browning, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and
pepper, the cumin, garlic and chili powder. Break it apart into small crumbles and cook until brown. Remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain excess grease.
In a large bowl, toss together the chopped lettuce, beef, quinoa, beans, tomatoes, cheese, onions and cilantro. Sprinkle with the crushed chips and toss. Drizzle on some of the dressing and toss well. Serve with avocado, pickled onions and greek yogurt if you’d like!
To make ahead of time, I like to layer this in a bowl. Layer the beef first, then the beans and cheese, then remaining ingredients, then lettuce. Cover and store in the fridge. Before serving, add the crushed chips and dressing, tossing well.

catalina dressing

Whisk together the vinegar, honey, ketchup, garlic, paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified. This stays great in the fridge for a few days!