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Mexican Layered Salad

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A trifle bowl with a layered Mexican Salad with chips on top

Our hearty Mexican Layered Salad is a fun and delicious mashup of meatless nachos and a fresh, crispy green salad!

This cool crisp layered salad is great for summer parties, or a simple dinner on the deck. Easily made several hours in advance, the chips are added on top at the last minute to ensure they stay crisp. The textural contrast is one of the things I love most about this salad. Crunchy, cool, creamy and crisp with a smooth flavorful dressing drizzled throughout.

 

A glass bowl with a layered Mexican Salad with cheese and chips on top

This layered salad is drizzled with an easy homemade dressing.

The dressing is made with equal parts mayonnaise, yogurt (or sour cream) and taco sauce. I also add fresh chopped cilantro leaves and plenty of lime juice to add a nice acidic note. We’ve also tried adding a teaspoon of sugar or honey to the dressing with great results. I would make the dressing first and give it a taste. Your taco sauce will be the deciding factor as to whether or not you need the added sweetness. Also, you can substitute salsa for the taco sauce if preferred and pass extra when serving the salad.

 

 

A clear glass trifle bowl with a layered Mexican Salad with corn, beans, cheese and chips on top

How to make a pretty layered salad:

  • At the bottom of the bowl add 4 cups of fresh torn lettuce. I like to use Romaine as it won’t compress as much under the weight of all the other ingredients. It stays crisp and light and has great flavor;
  • Next, dollop half the dressing over the lettuce;
  • Spread thin sliced red onion for the next layer;
  • Garden fresh cherry tomatoes, halved;
  • Sweet summer corn. You can use fresh, frozen or canned;
  • Thin sliced cucumber;
  • Canned black beans, drained and rinsed;
  • Diced avocado sprinkled with fresh lime juice;
  • Shredded cheese (fresh grated extra-sharp is best!);
  • Spoon the last of the dressing over the top; and
  • Finally, top with broken pieces of chips and sliced green onion for garnish.

 

A bowl of Mexican Layered Salad with tomatoes, avocado chunks, cucumber and sliced red onion

The salad will keep well for up to 8 hours before serving.

Layer all the salad components, except the chips, in a 3-quart bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with broken chips and pass with more when serving the salad. Dig deep into the bowl with salad tongs to get a little bit of everything! If you think you’ll have lots of leftovers, leave the chips off when making the salad and pass them when serving with individual bowls. Pair this hearty salad with a simple grilled meat for a complete and delicious meal! This pretty salad makes for easy entertaining and great eating 🙂

 

 

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A trifle bowl filled with Mexican Layered Salad with chips on top

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5 from 1 vote

Mexican Layered Salad

Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 6
Course: Appetizer, Salad
Author: Tricia
PRINT RECIPE
A fun and delicious mashup of meatless nachos and a fresh, crispy green salad! Great for casual entertaining.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream or skyr)
  • ¼ cup prepared taco sauce, or salsa
  • 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • juice of ½ a lime

For the salad:

  • 4 cups lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (we recommend Romaine)
  • ½ small red onion, sliced thin
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup corn (fresh, canned or frozen - SEE NOTE)
  • ½ an English cucumber, sliced
  • 1 (10.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted, skinned and chopped
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups tortilla chips, broken into pieces
  • 1 green onion, sliced thin for garnish (optional)

Instructions

To prepare the dressing:

  • Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

To prepare the salad:

  • Spread the lettuce in a large serving bowl. Drizzle half the dressing over the lettuce. Top with onion, tomatoes, corn, cucumber, black beans and avocado. Drizzle the juice of ½ a lime over the avocado and then top with fresh grated cheese. Drizzle remaining dressing over the salad and cover with tortilla chips. Garnish with sliced green onions if desired.

Recipe Notes

  • If using frozen corn, thaw and rinse in very hot water before using. Drain well. If using canned corn rinse in hot water and drain well.
  • Salad can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 4 hours before serving. Do not add tortilla chips until ready to serve. Salad is best served the day it’s made. If you plan to have leftovers, omit adding the chips and pass for individual servings at the table.
  • Inspired by a Cook’s Country recipe
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 429mg | Potassium: 601mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3373IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 2mg

 

SRFD’s favorite inexpensive 3 quart trifle or salad bowl

We love this inexpensive 3-quart party bowl for trifles, salads, fruit or even punch! Having a lid makes this perfect for potlucks or any gathering where the food must be transported. While it’s not heirloom quality glass, it is a great value priced under $15! The bowl is dishwasher safe and the lid is BPA free. Click on the photo for more information or to purchase from Amazon.

Saving Room for Dessert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program ~ I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.

 

Here are a few more of our favorite summer salad recipes:

 

A bowl of Greek salad with tomatoes, olives, cucumber and feta cheese

Enjoy this Easy Greek Salad Recipe made with crisp, fresh vegetables, feta cheese and olives, and simply dressed with herbs, oil and vinegar. Click HERE to get the recipe.

 

A big bowl of marinated tomato and tortellini salad

Marinated Tomato & Tortellini Salad with cucumbers, onion, olives, avocado, cheese and fresh garden herbs. Don’t forget the crusty bread to soak up all the juices! Click HERE to get the recipe.

 

A bowl of easy pasta salad with broccoli, tomatoes and cheese

Try our Easy Pasta Salad Recipe with a homemade Zesty Italian Dressing ~ it’s our favorite summer potluck classic! Click HERE to get the recipe.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Tricia

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10 Comments

  1. mimi rippee says

    July 26, 2019 at 8:58 am

    Beautiful. I love layered salads, even though they can be tough to dish out! Great components to this, and meat can always be offered to those people… I’m not sure what taco sauce is, but I think Tapatio would be great in your dressing.

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      July 26, 2019 at 10:29 am

      Hi Mimi – this one is not bad to dish out – it scoops very well. Taco sauce is available in the Mexican food section of the grocery store. It’s a red sauce great for drizzling on all your favorite Mexican dishes. Tapatio is a hot sauce, where taco sauce comes in many heat levels and is not that hot. Thanks!

      reply to this comment >
  2. Sue says

    July 25, 2019 at 7:08 pm

    5 stars
    Layered salads are a favorite of mine, I even like to eat them without tossing, just going down, layer by layer, it’s such fun, and they’re so beautiful!

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      July 26, 2019 at 7:51 am

      We do to Sue!

      reply to this comment >
  3. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says

    July 25, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    This Mexican spin on layered salad is just calling my name right now! Such a great, tasty spin on the classic 🙂 Hope you’re having a great vacay!

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      July 26, 2019 at 7:53 am

      Thanks Jennifer – we’re having a lovely time!

      reply to this comment >
  4. monique says

    July 25, 2019 at 11:45 am

    A lovely fresh twist! Must try!

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      July 26, 2019 at 7:53 am

      Thanks Monique! Enjoy 🙂

      reply to this comment >
  5. angiesrecipes says

    July 25, 2019 at 6:32 am

    How beautiful with all those layers!

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      July 26, 2019 at 7:53 am

      Thanks Angie – we love the variety of flavors and textures in this salad. Yum!

      reply to this comment >

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