This Dorito chicken casserole recipe is a fun way to make your dinner time a little more flavorful. Cheesy Doritos are the perfect topping for a creamy, cheesy chicken casserole!
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Pin RecipeDoritos may not be an ingredient you think to use for dinner—that is, unless you’ve already made my Doritos Taco Salad and Dorito Casserole.
In fact, you may not think of Doritos as an “ingredient” at all. They are typically just a snack. But Doritos are surprisingly delicious when sprinkled on top of a creamy chicken casserole. They add such a unique, amazing flavor that will make everyone in your family run to the dinner table. Who can say no to chips for dinner!?
Cheesy Dorito Chicken Casserole Recipe
I often make chicken casseroles for dinner since they tend to be easy meals that I can make ahead of time or whip up quickly. This Dorito chicken casserole recipe is just as quick to make as other casseroles, but it does have an interesting twist—the Doritos!
I sprinkle crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos over the top of the chicken casserole and I also add a layer to the bottom of the casserole dish, almost like a crust. Not only do the Doritos make the casserole taste irresistible, but I love the crunchy texture.
The Doritos bake in the oven nicely. Warm Doritos are actually better than cold Doritos out of the bag! And the fact that Doritos can be considered a dinner just makes everyone in my house happy. I know you are going to love this crowd-pleasing dish, too.
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Ingredients for Dorito Chicken Casserole
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Doritos chips – I like to use Nacho Cheese Doritos because they are my favorite and I love the extra cheese flavor they add to the casserole. However, Cool Ranch Doritos also taste great.
- Vegetable oil
- Green bell pepper
- Cream of chicken soup – A simple can of cream of chicken soup adds so much flavor and creamy texture to the casserole. It acts as the sauce for the whole dish.
- Rotel tomatoes – Rotel tomatoes are diced tomatoes that are canned with green chilies. They are slightly spicy which gives the casserole a great flavor.
- Kosher salt
- Onion powder
- Cumin – Cumin has a smokey, spicy taste that you often see in taco seasoning. It helps give the casserole a Mexican flair.
- Shredded chicken – I like to use rotisserie chicken since it is already roasted and shreds easily. One small rotisserie chicken is the perfect amount for this casserole recipe.
- Mexican-style cheese – You can find Mexican blend shredded cheese in almost every grocery store.
- Green onions
Variations
- Use cream of celery soup in place of cream of chicken. It will add a more subtle flavor that is still creamy and rich.
- Add ½ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper to make the Dorito chicken casserole spicy. You may also want to use Flamin’ Hot Doritos or Sweet Spicy Chili Doritos when you are making a spicy chicken casserole.
- If you only have regular diced canned tomatoes, those will work well. You can always add a little extra bell pepper or chop up a jalapeño to stir into the casserole.
How to Make Dorito Chicken Casserole
- Prep the equipment: Start by preheating your oven to 350ºF. Then, spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set it aside for now.
- Sauté the veggies: Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the diced peppers to the skillet and sauté the peppers for about 4 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Add the tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, salt, onion powder, and cumin to the skillet and stir. The mixture will look like a thick, chunky sauce. Stir in the shredded chicken and half of the shredded cheese. Mix until the cheese melts.
- Crush the chips: Use a rolling pin to smash the Doritos in the bag, turning them into small crumbs.
- Bake the casserole: Sprinkle half of the crunched Doritos in the bottom of the prepared pan, then spread your chicken mixture on top of the chips. Sprinkle the remaining cheese, green onions, and Dorito crumbs over the top of the casserole. Bake it in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The cheese will be melted over the top and the edges of the casserole will start to bubble.
- Enjoy: Scoop the casserole onto plates and enjoy it while it is nice and hot.
Quick Tip
If the Doritos start to turn dark brown as the casserole bakes, place a piece of foil loosely over the top of the casserole dish. This will prevent the heat of the oven from burning the Doritos, but let the casserole continue to cook.
How to Store Dorito Chicken Casserole
If you have leftover Dorito chicken casserole you can wrap the dish with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat the casserole, you can microwave it in 30-second intervals until it is hot. You can also pop the whole casserole dish back into a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes to get the chips nice and crispy once again.
FAQs
Can I leave some Doritos whole?
Yes! You can leave some larger pieces of Doritos in the casserole. In fact, I love having some Dorito crumbs and some whole Doritos on top of the casserole. I like to use whole chips to scoop up the casserole as if it were a dip!
I like the classic Nacho Cheese Doritos for this dish but the Sweet and Spicy Chili Doritos are really good too. The Cool Ranch flavor adds a nice, tangy flavor and the Flamin Hot Doritos will give the meal a nice kick of spicy heat.
You can freeze most chicken casseroles, however I do not recommend freezing this Dorito chicken casserole. The freezer can cause the Doritos to get soggy and too soft. Part of the appeal of this meal is the crunchy chips so I recommend making the dish fresh to ensure the Doritos stay crunchy.
More Delicious Casserole Recipes
Dorito Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 bag (9.25 oz) Doritos (nacho cheese or cool ranch flavor)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
- 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)
- 1 ½ cups Mexican shredded cheese, divided
- ¼ cup green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Coat the inside of a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Crush the chips in a gallon size bag with a rolling pin. You can also use a food processor, if desired. Set aside.
- Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot and begins to shimmer, add the diced pepper. Cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, then add the soup, tomatoes, salt, onion powder and cumin. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until mixture is heated through. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the chicken and half of the shredded cheese.
- Sprinkle half of the crushed chips into the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the chicken mixture over the top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese and green onions evenly over the top. Finish by topping with the remaining chips.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is completely melted. Serve.
