Cheesy comfort food in a flash! Dorito Chicken Casserole is a cheese loaded explosion of flavor.  Bright Mexican inspired ingredients like peppers, onions, garlic and seasonings are layered with chicken and crunchy Doritos before being baked under a blanket of melty cheese. Oh. Sweet. Heavens. This is amazing.

Dorito Chicken Casserole in a white baking dish with a blue napkin and a white plate and fork.


Dorito Casserole

Mid October and we finally closed our pool today. It’s fall, officially so I finally gave in and tried to enjoy the crisp fall air that’s settled into our neighborhood. It’s sad…but true. Summer is falling further and further behind us. Winter is staring me down. Bring on all the comfort food.

This is the time of year I start to crave all the cozy dinners my mom used to make when I was growing up. We, frequently had meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Salisbury Steak with peas and all the chicken casseroles. Like all of them. 

This Cheesy Dorito Chicken Casserole was not one of them but this one I stumbled on during my single mom days and with money being tight….it was one of those recipes I loved to make with a budget friendly bag of Doritos. Bonus points that it traveled well the next day for lunch. And BONUS bonus point that it was loaded with cheese so my daughter would eat it, too.

You can find so many variations of Dorito Casserole all over the internet these days but my Dorito Chicken Casserole recipe is simply spectacular because it’s all made from scratch.

Now don’t run away, I promise you it’s just as easy as using all the canned soup. But much healthier and you probably have all the ingredients you need right in your kitchen like right now.

Serving on Dorito Casserole on a white plate with a fork on a blue napkin.

What is Dorito Casserole?

Dorito Casserole is a one pot chicken recipe that is layer upon layer of Mexican flavors. Dorito chips are the base for the chicken casserole which is then topped with sauteed vegetables, seasoned chicken and layers of cheese. 

A creamy, cheesy sauce is poured over the entire casserole before being topped with more chips and cheese. It’s then baked into a bubbling, hot, comforting dish that’s just what you need on a busy weeknight.

Dorito Chicken Casserole being served from a white baking dish.

How To Make Dorito Casserole

Most Dorito Chicken Casserole recipes call for canned soups but my easy casserole recipe is made without it.  A quick cream sauce is whipped up in a pot then blended with cheese before being poured over the casserole. It’s so much tastier and not loaded with as much sodium as a can of soup.

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Add butter to a skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the peppers, onions and garlic. Cook until softened.
  3. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
  4. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until done, approximately 5-6 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning. Transfer to a bowl.
  5. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to turn golden brown.
  6. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder and canned tomatoes.
  7. Turn the heat off. Stir in the half and half, cream cheese until melted. Add 1 cup of cheddar and stir until melted.
  8. Add 1/3 of the Doritos to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 the chicken in an even layer over the Doritos and top with 1/2 the vegetables. Top with 1/3 of the Doritos. Arrange 1/2 the chicken over the layer of chips and then top with the vegetables. 
  9. Pour the cream sauce over the casserole and mix it in with a spatula just a bit so it can work it’s way down to the bottom of the dish.
  10. Arrange the remaining Doritos over the top of the casserole and sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar cheese.
  11. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
  12. Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream and salsa, if desired.
Crushed Doritos in a baking dish.
Layer of chicken and vegetables in a white casserole dish.
Cheese sauce being poured over Dorito Casserole.
Spoon in a white baking dish spreading cheese sauce in the casserole.

How To Serve Dorito Casserole

We like to serve our Dorito Chicken Casserole with black olives, chopped jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro and extra cheese. Yes, more cheese….can you ever have too much cheese? 

Overhead shot of Dorito Chicken Casserole.

What to Serve with Dorito Casserole

Cilantro Lime Rice in a blue bowl.

Substitutions for Dorito Casserole

But seriously, the sky’s the limit with this Chicken Casserole recipe. You can even add black beans to the vegetable layer for an extra boost of fiber and vitamins because if we’re being totally real here, this is not an every day of the week casserole. Just sayin’. 

If you want to make your Dorito Chicken Casserole even easier, I like to make a batch of this Shredded Chicken at the beginning of the week and save some to whip this casserole up in a hurry. You can even use 1 can of cream of chicken soup instead of the chicken stock, butter, flour mixture. I won’t judge.

Life is stressful and if canned soup keeps you calm….then by all means, do it. If you do use 1 can of cream of chicken soup, be sure to add about 1 1/2 cans of water before adding the cheese to the mix. 

If you’re looking for something a little lighter but still with the crunch of Doritos you should definitely try this Dorito Taco Salad!

Overhead shot of Dorito Chicken Casserole

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More Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes

Overhead shot of Baked Teriyaki Chicken Casserole on a bed of rice with veggies in a blue casserole dish.
Overhead shot of Dorito Chicken Casserole.

Get the Recipe: Dorito Chicken Casserole Recipe

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Super easy Dorito Chicken Casserole is a great one pot weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
5 from 5 votes
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced red pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced green pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno, optional
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
  • 1/4 cup taco seasoning
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 regular size bag Dorito Chips, nacho flavor
  • Chopped Cilantro, if desired.

Equipment

  • baking dish

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Add butter to a skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the peppers, onions and garlic. Cook until softened.
  • Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
  • Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until warm, approximately 5-6 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to turn golden brown.
  • Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder and canned tomatoes.
  • Turn the heat off. Stir in the half and half and cream cheese until melted. Add 1 cup of cheddar and stir until melted.
  • Add 1/3 of the Doritos to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 the chicken in an even layer over the Doritos and top with 1/2 the vegetables. Top with 1/3 of the Doritos. Arrange 1/2 the chicken over the layer of chips and then top with the vegetables.
  • Pour the cream sauce over the casserole and mix it in with a spatula just a bit so it can work it’s way down to the bottom of the dish.
  • Arrange the remaining Doritos over the top of the casserole and sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar cheese.
  • Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Notes

Dorito Chicken Casserole recipe can be assembled in advanced and stored in the refrigerator covered tightly with plastic wrap.
To bake, remove the plastic wrap and bake according to recipe instructions.
Calories: 333kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 1291mg, Potassium: 460mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1146IU, Vitamin C: 27mg, Calcium: 258mg, Iron: 2mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Mexican