Taco casserole is good, but this Dorito Casserole recipe is even better! Everyone’s favorite tortilla chip adds crunch and nacho cheese flavor to this family-friendly dinner.
I love making casseroles for dinner because it makes meal planning so easy. You don’t need to come up with ideas for a protein, starch, and veggie because it’s all combined in one recipe. This Dorito Casserole recipe is a complete meal in a casserole dish, and it’s absolutely jam-packed with Tex-Mex flavor. Your kids will love it and so will you!
Easy Dorito Casserole Recipe
If you’ve made taco casserole or burrito casserole before, this Dorito Casserole recipe is pretty similar. Seasoned ground beef is layered with melty cheese, crunchy Doritos, and your fave taco toppings: salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, olives, lettuce, and anything else you like.
You’ll love that this Dorito Casserole is easy enough to throw together for a weeknight dinner. Put all the topping options on the counter and let everyone customize their servings. Want a chicken version? I’ve got one: Dorito Chicken Casserole!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Ground beef
- Low-sodium taco seasoning – The Doritos add a lot of salty flavor to this taco casserole, so to keep things from getting too salty, I use low-sodium taco seasoning.
- Ro-tel tomatoes and chiles
- Salsa – Use your favorite tomato-based salsa.
- Sour cream
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Doritos
- Garnishes – Diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, avocado, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, additional sour cream or salsa—and anything else you like on a taco!
Substitutions
- Vegetarian – Use your favorite plant-based grounds in place of the ground beef to make a vegetarian Dorito casserole.
- Cheese – Instead of cheddar, you can use Monterrey jack, pepper jack, or a Mexican cheese blend.
- Chips – For more of a traditional taco casserole recipe, swap the Doritos for plain tortilla chips.
How to Make Dorito Casserole
1. Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Start the Seasoned Beef
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and ground beef to the pan, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon.
3. Finish the Beef Mixture
Once the beef is no longer pink, stir in the taco seasoning, Ro-tel, and salsa. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in the sour cream. Remove from heat.
4. Assemble the Dorito Casserole
Pour half of the beef mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle a cup of cheese over the top of the meat, then half the Doritos. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
5. Bake
Cover the casserole dish with foil and place it in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is bubbly.
6. Serve
At this point, you can either garnish the Dorito casserole in the dish or serve it and let everyone choose their own garnishes.
Hint: Make sure you use a pan that has a bit of height to it—you want to make sure all the layers of the casserole will fit!
Variations
- Spicy Taco Casserole – Layer pickled jalapeños into the casserole, use a spicy taco seasoning, or choose a hot salsa to add more heat to your taco casserole.
- Turkey Taco Casserole – Ground turkey can be used instead of the ground beef.
- Black Bean Taco Casserole – You can also omit the meat and use 2 cans of black beans instead. To do this, you’d cook the onions, then add the black beans, Ro-tel, taco seasoning, and salsa all at the same time.
FAQ
How long does Dorito Casserole take to cook?
This Dorito Casserole takes about 10 minutes on the stovetop, plus an additional 30 minutes in the oven.
Can I use other flavors of Doritos?
Yes! You can choose any flavor of Doritos you like. If you use Cool Ranch, you might want to use ranch dressing as a garnish to amp up the ranch flavor.
Can I make this casserole in advance?
This isn’t the best casserole for making in advance because the chips will soften and you won’t get that crunchy texture that makes Dorito Casserole so irresistible!
Can you use rotisserie chicken in this casserole?
Yes, you can use rotisserie chicken. Cook the onion, then add the chicken when you add the taco seasoning, Ro-tel, and salsa.
Top Tip
If needed, drain the ground beef before you add the taco seasoning. You want the ground beef mixture to be thick and creamy once it’s done cooking, otherwise, the Doritos will get soggy.
If you’re looking for more….try these recipes next!
- John Wayne Casserole
- Frito Pie Casserole
- Walking Tacos
- Easy Turkey Tetrazzini
- Cornbread Casserole
- Easy Taco Salad
Dorito Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion about 1 medium onion
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 package low- sodium taco seasoning
- 1 10- ounce can Ro-tel tomatoes and chiles
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1 family size bag Doritos very coarsely crushed
- Optional garnish – diced tomatoes cilantro, jalapeños, avocado, lettuce, olives, sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon.
- Add in the taco seasoning, Ro-tel, and salsa. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the sour cream evenly and then remove the mixture from the heat.
- Pour half of the meat mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Top with 1 cup of the cheese and half of the Doritos. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients, topping with the remaining cheese.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Garnish as desired and serve warm.
