Chicken & Doritos Casserole

Layers of refried beans, saucy shredded chicken, cheese, and crushed Doritos make this Chicken and Doritos Casserole perfect for the whole family! If you’re looking for easy recipes, this cheesy casserole is calling your name.

The first time I ever made this casserole was back in 2013 and ever since then, this casserole has been a favorite of ours. I’ll never forget when I told the kids what we were having for dinner.

I was picking them up at school and one of the first things they always asked was “What’s for dinner?” I said “DORITOS!!” They said, “Sure, Mom…what’s really for dinner?”  I said…”okay, DORITOS Casserole.” But they still didn’t believe me. When we got home they saw the bag of Doritos on the counter and it was like “Wow! She meant it!”

Chicken and Doritos Casserole

What’s not to love about layers of cheese, chicken, and crunchy Doritos? Cheesy, gooey, crispy, and crunchy, it’s the ideal combination of textures and is bound to become a family favorite. Perfectly flavored with taco seasoning and then topped with your favorite taco toppings, this casserole is one of my favorite easy dinners and is ideal for busy weeknights. 

Chicken & Doritos Mexican Casserole Recipe

I love to make recipes that have a Mexican flavor as they always go over well. The other great thing about Mexican recipes is that they are easily customizable. You can swap the cheese, use different beans, add your favorite taco toppings, and make them the way your family loves to eat them. 

If you love this chicken and Doritos casserole recipe, you are sure to love these too:  Mom’s Taco Casserole, Slow Cooker Green Enchilada Casserole, and this Taco Tot Casserole. 

Chicken and Doritos Bake

Though great for busy weeknights, this cheesy Dorito chicken casserole is also good for potlucks, family gatherings, or lazy weekends when you aren’t up for spending too much time in the kitchen. Other than cooking the chicken, there’s not much prep required. You could even pick up a cooked chicken at the grocery store to speed up the process. 

Ingredients for Doritos and Chicken Casserole

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe. 

• Chicken breasts:  Use cooked and shredded chicken breasts. You can also dice the chicken if that’s what you prefer. 
• Refried beans: I made this casserole with refried beans. You can pick some up at the grocery store or use homemade, both are good options. 
• Cream of chicken soup: I used a can of cream of chicken soup, if you’ve got cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup in your pantry you can use that instead but it will alter the flavor of this dish.
• Mexican shredded cheese: You can pick up a blend at the grocery store or make your combination using Monterey Jack, asdero, and mild cheddar cheese.
• Milk: Any fat content of milk works to add moisture to this casserole.
• Sour cream: Full-fat or low-fat sour cream will both work to add a rich creaminess. 
• Rotel tomatoes: I like to use Rotel tomatoes, drained, as they have a touch of spice but any type of canned tomatoes will work. Casseroles made with Rotel tomatoes don’t always need added spice as Rotel tomatoes are canned with chilies. 
• Taco seasoning: Pick up a packet of taco seasoning or make your own for this chicken Doritos casserole.
• Doritos: I used a whole bag of Doritos, crushed. Feel free to use your favorite flavor of Doritos. Nacho cheese Doritos are our favorite, but a bag of cool ranch Doritos would work too.
• Optional Toppings: tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream, olives, jalapeños, avocado

Be sure to keep reading to find tips and tricks, substitutions, and answers to questions you may have about this cheesy chicken dorito casserole recipe. 

How to make Doritos and Chicken Casserole

This casserole comes together quickly and easily. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small pan, place chicken with a little bit of water and cover.

Cook until chicken is done, and can be shredded or cubed.

Spread the refried beans into the bottom of the baking dish, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the soup, milk, sour cream, Rotel, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and taco seasoning.

Add chicken, and combine.

Over the bean layer, sprinkle a layer of Dorito chips and top with half of the chicken mixture. Add another layer of Doritos, top with the remaining chicken mixture, and top with remaining cheese and more Doritos.

Cover and bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven. I baked mine uncovered for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the top.

Allow leftovers of this creamy chicken casserole to come to room temperature and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftovers of this easy chicken casserole, but you may find the Doritos won’t have the same crunch when defrosted and reheated. 

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this cheesy chicken and Doritos recipe make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

Substitutions

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

• Use refried beans made from black beans or pinto beans, both work well.
• Instead of chicken, use ground beef or ground turkey.
• If you don’t have Doritos, you can use crushed tortilla chips.

FAQs about this Doritos casserole

• Can I prepare this Dorito chicken casserole recipe in advance?  You can prepare the casserole in advance however if you want crunchy chips it may not be ideal as the Dorito chips may get soggy. 
• Can I make this casserole vegetarian? Yes, omit the chicken and add more beans to make a vegetarian casserole.
• How do you crush the Doritos? Transfer the Doritos to a Ziplock bag and crush with your hands or a rolling pin. Alternatively, you can place them in the food processor and process them a few times until they start to get crumbly. 

Tips & Tricks

• Use rotisserie chicken meat instead of cooking the chicken yourself for quicker prep in making this easy casserole recipe.
• If you find your casserole dish is filled to the rim, place it on a baking sheet in the oven so it doesn’t drip and make a mess. 
• For a spicier Mexican chicken casserole, add green chilies and chili powder when you cook the chicken. 

More Recipes to Love

This Teriyaki Chicken Casserole, this Chicken and Rice Cordon Bleu Casserole, or this Chicken and Broccoli Casserole are perfect if you are looking for delicious casseroles with chicken. If you prefer beef casseroles then Mom’s Taco Casserole (pictured above,) Beef and Kraut Tater Tot Casserole, or this Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas Casserole may be good options. 

This easy Doritos chicken casserole goes well with a nice green salad, followed by these Frosted Mexican Brownies for dessert for the perfect Mexican-themed meal. 

This easy Mexican casserole is easy to make and is sure to be an instant family favorite! I’d love to hear what your family thinks about it!

This post was originally published on March 5, 2013.  It was updated to improve user experience and reshared on June 18, 2024.