Cafe Rio Salad (CopyCat)

Who says salads have to be so boring? This salad truly has it all and makes you want to eat your vegetables. It features grilled meat, beans, guacamole, cheese, and the usual suspects all nestled in a soft flour tortilla bowl and topped with tortilla strips. It takes about 30 minutes of prep time to make and just 15 minutes of cook time to whip up the grilled meat. What’s better? You’ll save money making it at home!

Homemade Creamy Tomatillo Dressing with Fresh Cilantro

If you’re obsessed with Cafe Rio, you’ve likely snuck a couple of ramekins of the creamy tomatillo dressing home. It’s that good! Below, find a quick hitter recipe to make it from scratch.

• Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup mayonnaise or greek yogurt
• 2-3 tomatillos
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• Lime juice, to taste
• 1 jalapeno with the seeds removed
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Simply blend all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender until silky smooth and creamy. Store leftovers in a Mason Jar in the fridge.

Assembling a Homemade Cafe Rio Salad

Below, find a quick hitter overview on how to make this copycat classic.

• Grill the Meat: Over high heat, grill the chicken or beef until golden brown and cooked through.
• Chop the Veggies: Next, rinse the romaine lettuce and slice it up. Dice the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
• Warm the Tortillas: Place the tortillas in a preheated skillet over medium-low heat one at a time. Top each one with a bit of cheese and cook it just until it’s melted.
• Assemble the Salad: Place the warmed tortillas in large bowls. Layer on the warmed pinto beans, grilled meat, veggies, sour cream, and guacamole. Sprinkle on the cheese (swap the Mexican cheese for cotija cheese if you like a bit of tang), tortilla strips, and cilantro. Finish with a drizzle of dressing and garnish with a couple lime edges. Enjoy straight away!

Tips for the Best Copycat Cafe Rio Salad

A couple of handy tips will help you whip up this salad just like Cafe Rio.

• Make the dressing the night before. If you have time, whip the dressing up the night before so it can marinate and develop its flavors in the fridge overnight.
• Marinate the meat overnight if you can. To make the grilled meat even more tasty, whip up a simple marinade of lime juice, red enchilada sauce, green chilis, salt, and pepper.
• Use a salad spinner to clean the lettuce. There’s nothing worse than soggy lettuce watering down your salad. To get all the moisture off before tossing, use a salad spinner or lay the lettuce leaves out flat on a kitchen towel to dry.
• Only add the dressing right before you plan to serve the salad. To prevent the salad and tortilla from turning soggy, only pour the dressing on right before you plan to serve it.

Make Ahead

This salad is great for batch cooking and having on hand for quick meals throughout the week. Store all the ingredients in their own separate airtight containers and assemble the salads as you go. For best results, make the cheesy tortillas fresh.

FAQ

More Tasty Recipes to Try

• The Classic Pico de Gallo Recipe –  Chunky tomato, onion, and cilantro salsa 
• Taco Salad – Ground beef and all the classic taco toppings
• Pesto Pasta Salad with Mozzerella – Peppery arugula base tossed with tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, rotini and pesto.
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa – Chunky salsa with black beans, corn, and avocado
• Mexican Crock Pot Chicken – Chicken for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas
• The Best Cuban Pork Sandwiches – Tender pork roast stuffed in soft bread

Recipe

Cafe Rio Salad (CopyCat)

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Servings

4 Servings

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

This Cafe Rio salad is a copycat of the restaurant's amazing tortilla, avocado, and grilled meat salad. Great for quick dinners and lunches!

Ingredients

• 1 lb grilled meat chicken or beef
• 1 can refried beans
• 2 cups Mexican cheese
• 4 flour tortillas
• 2 cups lettuce chopped
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1/2 cup avocado chopped
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp cilantro
• 1/2 lime sliced
• 1 cup tortilla chips
• 1/2 cup Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Grill the meat on high heat until golden brown and cooked through.
  
• Chop the lettuce and tomatoes.
  
• Place tortillas on a preheated skillet over medium-low heat. Top the tortilla with a bit of cheese and let it warm up until the cheese is almost completely melted.
  
• Place the tortillas in large bowls. Top with warmed pinto beans and grilled meat.
  
• Top with fresh veggies, sour cream, and guacamole.
  
• Finish the salads with cheese, tortilla chips, lime wedges, and cilantro. Drizzle with the dressing. Enjoy!
  

Nutrition Facts

Cafe Rio Salad (CopyCat)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 728 Calories from Fat 378

% Daily Value*

Fat 42g65%

Saturated Fat 19g95%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 16g

Cholesterol 126mg42%

Sodium 752mg31%

Potassium 834mg24%

Carbohydrates 46g15%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 43g86%

Vitamin A 1210IU24%

Vitamin C 15mg18%

Calcium 492mg49%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.