This super-easy Doritos casserole is always a family favorite! Plus, it's an easy way to use up leftover chicken.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Picky eater friendly! Zesty Dorito chips add extra flavor the whole family will crave!
- Ready in under a half hour—makes busy weeknights so much easier. Great for potlucks and big family get-togethers, too. Put it all together and bake later.
- Slowly cooking the chicken breasts in chicken stock gives them more flavor and makes them easier to shred.
Mexican chicken casserole is an addicting, delicious way to add some fun to taco Tuesdays.
The cheesy casserole is packed with Mexican flavor and each bite delivers a satisfying crunch of Doritos—parents, teens, and kids give this casserole recipe two cheese-covered thumbs up!
Try this Dorito casserole with ground beef, too.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- You can substitute cooked ground beef, ground turkey, or another favorite taco night protein!
- If you prefer the nacho cheese flavor Doritos, you can use those. Or try whatever Doritos flavor you like best.
- In a pinch, regular tortilla chips will work, but I'd also stir in some taco seasoning to make up for the flavor you'd get from Doritos.
- Can't find Rotel tomatoes with chiles? Add a small can of green chiles to regular diced tomatoes.
- You can swap the cream of chicken with a cream of mushroom soup.
- Stir in some drained black beans, refried beans, or cooked rice to make the easy chicken casserole stretch—my favorite feeding-a-big-family trick!
- Use a Mexican cheese blend instead of cheddar if you prefer it.
- Is your house full of spicy food lovers? Use extra spicy Ro-tel tomatoes, add jalapenos, or sprinkle in a combo of cayenne and chili powder.
- In addition to the cilantro, you can garnish the Mexican Dorito casserole with chopped green onions, fresh jalapenos, guacamole, hot sauce, and/or red pepper flakes.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Lightly crush Cool Ranch Doritos and layer them in a baking dish.
- Mix the remaining ingredients and a cup of cheddar cheese in a large
mixing bowl . - Spoon the chicken mixture over top of the Doritos.
- Bake and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Casserole times and temps
Sometimes you need to bake two things at once - here's how to adjust the time and/or temperatures of your casserole!
These times are only an estimate.
Be sure to check your casserole often. It's done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165F when stuck in the middle of the casserole.
| Temperature | Time | Time From Frozen |
| 300F | 55 minutes | 2 hours |
| 325F | 45 minutes | 1 ½ hours |
| 350F | 30 minutes | 60 minutes |
| 375F | 20 minutes | 40 minutes |
| 400F | 15 minutes | 35 minutes - cover with aluminum foil last 5 minutes |
🥫 Storage
Cheesy Dorito chicken casserole seems to disappear just as quickly as a new bag of crunchy chips on game night. However, if you have leftovers, they're great the next day, too!
Refrigerate Mexican chicken casserole in an airtight container (or wrapped with plastic cling film) for two days. Microwave until warm.
Alternatively, freeze leftovers in freezer-safe containers for up to three months. You can also make the casserole ahead of time, freezing after step five. In either case, let the Doritos casserole thaw in the fridge before microwaving or baking as directed.
This easy Mexican lasagna is another easy casserole that freezes well. Give it a try.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Cook chicken breasts with a cup of chicken broth to make them super easy to shred. Use a
- Use rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Use a rolling pin to crush the Doritos in their bag, or a food processor to gently pulse them.
- However, don't pulverize the chips into cheesy dust. You just want to break them down into bite-sized pieces so they're easier to fork.
- Drain the corn well so that it doesn't make your creamy chicken casserole watery.
- Pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store works in a pinch, but it doesn't melt as well. For an extra creamy, delicious Mexican chicken casserole, I highly encourage you to shred the cheese from a block.
- If you LOVE chips, sprinkle the remaining crushed Doritos on top after baking for an extra crunch.
I don't know about you but I always struggle with finding great side dishes for my meals. Here are over 50 great ideas for dishes to serve with this casserole.
👩🍳 FAQs
We all love our crunchy Doritos. This recipe is formulated to make sure the Doritos keep their texture. In some spots, they may soften a bit, but if you follow the instructions and drain your watery mix-ins well, your cheesy chicken Dorito casserole will turn out perfectly!
Sure! I prefer the light, tanginess of sour cream over the heaviness of cream cheese. However, it'll still taste great if you have to swap.
I always say it's not a complete meal without extra cheese! Feel free to measure the cheese, not with a cup, but with your heart. In our home, there's no such thing as "too much cheese."
If your salsa is on the thick and chunky side, I'd say you could go for it. However, a salsa that's thinner than the Rotel tomatoes will make your casserole more watery. To be on the safe side, you could opt to serve your casserole with some salsa after baking.
I like to spoon it over some rice and garnish it with shredded taco lettuce and guacamole! It's kinda like a Tex-Mex chicken and rice. You can also serve it as-is alongside your favorite Mexican side dishes. For parties, serve the casserole as a dip with extra Doritos or chips for scooping!
📚 Related recipes
- With bell peppers, black beans, and onion, Frito Chicken Casserole is a mouth-watering, easy dinner recipe that the entire family will beg for!
- Green Chile Chicken Casserole gets its fabulous Southernwestern flavor from Monterey Jack cheese and ranch seasoning—plus, it's low-carb!
- The hearty Mexican favorite you crave made easy: Beef Enchilada Casserole takes just a few minutes of prep, and can be made ahead!
- King Ranch Chicken is SO quick and easy to make - it's perfect for weeknights.
- It's not Tex-Mex but it IS delicious! Give this cozy chicken cobbler a try!
🍽️ Serve with...
This is such a hearty meal - you sure don't need much!
🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends
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I love a glass casserole dish and when it has its own lid - all the better! And, since you're going to be grating a ton of cheese you'll love this rotary cheese grater. No more skinned knuckles!
📞 The last word
If you've got a super busy day coming up try this easy fiesta chicken in the crockpot. It's a dump-and-go dinner!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Mexican Chicken Casserole with Doritos
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, or thighs - cooked and chopped or shredded
- 15.5 oz Cool Ranch Doritos, lightly crushed
- 2 cups corn kernels, fire roasted if you can find them
- 10.5 ounces RoTel tomatoes with chiles
- 21 ounces cream of chicken soup, 2 -10.5 ounce cans
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1-½ cups cheddar cheese, grated from a block
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Spray a coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Slightly crush chips and add to baking dish.
- Stir chicken, 1 cup cheese, corn, Rotel tomatoes,condensed soup, and sour cream together in a bowl.
- Pour chicken mixture over crushed chips into the baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Spread remaining 1 cup cheese over the casserole and bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 5 minutes more.
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving garnished with cilantro.
Notes
- Don't pulverize the chips into cheesy dust. You just want to break them down into bite-sized pieces so they're easier to fork.
- Drain the corn well so that it doesn't make your creamy chicken casserole watery.
- Pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store works in a pinch. It doesn't melt as well. I encourage you to shred the cheese from a block.
- If you LOVE chips, sprinkle the remaining crushed Doritos on top after baking for an extra crunch.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published Oct 17, 2022. Last updated October 6, 2023, for editorial improvements and more helpful tips.
Leanne says
I made some changes...used a full carton of chicken broth, a 16oz brick of velveeta, one can rotel, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, one rotisserie chicken, plain tortilla chips. I dont like the MSG in Doritos. BAsically build like this but add cheddar cheese on top. The rotel and velveeta give it a great flavor
Briggles82 says
It wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be. All I can really taste is the cream of chicken soup. The corn gives it a sweet kick which I didn’t like. It’s edible but I don’t think I’ll make it again.