The Tastiest Nacho Salad Recipe (Super Easy and Delicious!)
If you're looking for a delicious dish that combines the bold flavors of nachos with the freshness of a salad, then this recipe is perfect for you!
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword Nacho Salad
Prep Time 35 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 55 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Author Valya's Taste of Home
Ingredients
What You Need to Make Nacho Salad at Home
2Bags of chips
2.5lbs.– ground beef (I grind beef on my own, see the Lasagna post for details)
1tsp.- sea salt
½tsp.– garlic salt
¼tsp.– black ground pepper
1.5cups– water
½cup– Taco Seasoning
For the Cheese Sauce:
2lbs.– Smooth Melting Cheese(If you prefer homemade cheese, check out this recipe HERE.)
½tsp.– Cayenne pepper
Milkoptional
For the Salad Toppings:
Shredded lettuce
Tomatoes
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Green onions
Instructions
How to Cook Seasoned Beef
Begin by pouring water into a small bowl. Add the taco seasoning to the water and mix it well until the seasoning is fully combined. Set this mixture aside for later use.
Take a large pan and place the ground beef in it. Add olive oil to the pan. Turn the heat to high and start the process of browning the meat. Make sure that you constantly mix and break up the meat as it cooks.
Once the meat starts to brown, reduce the heat to medium. Add regular salt and garlic salt to the meat and mix them in. Continue to sauté the meat for a couple more minutes to enhance the flavors.
Now increase the heat back to high and add the taco seasoning mix that you prepared earlier. Sauté the meat on high heat for about 5 minutes, constantly mixing it. This will allow the liquid to evaporate and the meat to sizzle and become well-seasoned.
Turn off the burner and let the meat cook a little longer in the residual heat of the pan. Cover the pan with a lid to keep the meat hot and allow it to cook to the desired level of doneness.
How to Prep Nacho Salad Ingredients
While the meat is cooking, you can prepare the other components of the dish. Heat the chips in the oven to make them warm and crispy. Dice the tomatoes and gather the rest of the salad toppings.
Cut the melted cheese into smaller pieces and place them in a small pot. Turn the heat to medium-low. Stir the cheese constantly to prevent it from burning at the bottom of the pot.
If you find that the cheese is too thick, you can add small amounts of milk to thin it out. Use your judgment and add up to 2 cups of milk if needed. Keep the cheese covered and on low heat throughout serving to prevent it from thickening.
Add cayenne pepper to the cheese and stir it for about 30 seconds or until the pepper is well mixed in. This will add a bit of spice to the cheese sauce.
How to Assemble Nacho Salad
Take a plate or bowl and place a handful of chips on it. Drizzle the cheese sauce over the chips. Add the taco meat on top of the chips.
Finally, add the lettuce, diced tomatoes, scallions, shredded cheese, and sour cream as desired. Serve the dish immediately and enjoy!