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Dorito Chicken Casserole Recipe

I have to admit: I hadn’t eaten Doritos in years before I decided to remake this Dorito Chicken Casserole Recipe. The recipe is a classic and longtime favorite here on Blog Chef.

Chicken, gooey melted cheese, and everyone’s favorite tortilla chip is a tempting combo, but my at-home cooking has slanted towards healthier options lately. Still, I enjoy indulging every so often and I had an unexpected craving to indulge in, you guessed it, Doritos.

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So, yeah, I revisited the Dorito Chicken Casserole — and it did not disappoint. It’s salty, cheesy, tangy, crunchy, and satisfying. I served it to four adults, and we polished the entire thing off handily.

Why make Dorito Chicken Casserole?

The better question here might be, why not make Dorito Chicken Casserole? The recipe is super easy to put together and creates a hearty meal on its own. Serve it to guests for casual get-togethers or use it as a weekday meal. Since it’s a casserole, you can clean up all the prep mess while it’s baking.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you need for this casserole:

  • 2 cups shredded chicken (see FAQs for starting with raw chicken)
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (a mix of cheddar and jack)
  • 10 oz. can of cream of chicken soup (see FAQs for substitution)
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (see FAQs for substitution)
  • 9.25 oz bag of Doritos Nacho Cheese

Steps to prepare Dorito Chicken Casserole

1. Get your ingredients ready

The two ingredients you may need to prep a bit are the chicken and cream of chicken soup. Let’s talk about the chicken first.

If you’re starting with raw chicken, you can:

  • Pressure cook it in an Instant Pot. Cook 2/3 lb of chicken breast on high pressure for 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then open the valve. Remove the breasts from the pot and shred with two forks.
  • Poach chicken breast in water. Place 2/3 lb of chicken breast into a large pot and cover them with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove breasts from pot and shred with two forks.
  • Bake chicken in the oven at 400°F or 204°C for 20 minutes. Check for doneness and shred with two forks.

You can alternatively buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that.

Shredded chicken on a cutting board.

Now, about that cream of chicken soup…You can simply buy a can of soup as the original recipe recommends. But you don’t have to. (I don’t cook with canned soup anymore because it’s generally loaded with preservatives and ingredients I can’t pronounce.)

The other option is to make cream of chicken soup. I like BabyDollPie’s recipe. It does have a fair amount of seasonings in it, which you could leave out if you wanted.

2. Mix the filling

Now you can heat your oven to 350°F or 177°C. Also wipe the inside of a 2-quart casserole dish with oil. I used olive, but any oil will do.  

Ingredients for Dorito chicken casserole in a bowl.

Then grab a large bowl and mix:

  • 2 cups of shredded chicken
  • 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning

3. Layer

Grab a handful of Doritos, crush them slightly with your hands, and drop them into the casserole dish. Repeat until you have an even layer of chip pieces covering the bottom of the dish. Top that with half of the chicken mixture.

Repeat with another layer of Doritos and another layer of chicken. Add more crushed Doritos on top and finish with more shredded cheese.

Dorito Chicken Casserole just prior to baking.

4. Bake and serve

Cover the casserole with foil and bake in your heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. It should be bubbling hot when you remove the foil.

Dorito chicken casserole topped with salsa and served with salad.
I like this casserole topped with fresh salsa and served with a green salad.

Let the casserole cool for a few minutes, then serve. Optionally, top with fresh salsa.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Dorito Chicken Casserole Recipe

Close up of prepared Dorito Chicken Casserole.

Chicken, gooey melted cheese, and everyone's favorite tortilla chip is a no-fail combo. This recipe comes together in a few minutes and cooks for 30.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (divided)
  • 10 oz can cream of chicken soup
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (drained)
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 9.25 oz bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F or 177°C. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
  2. In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken, 1 cup of cheese, cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, Ro-tel tomatoes, and taco seasoning.
  3. Grab a handful of Doritos, crush them gently with your hands, and place them in the bottom of your casserole dish. Repeat until there's an even layer covering the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the chicken mixture. Add another layer of crushed Doritos, and then the rest of the chicken mixture. Top with remaining cheese and more crushed Doritos.
  4. Cover the dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until bubbling hot. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

You can start with raw chicken or rotisserie chicken if you don't have shredded chicken on hand. If you're using raw chicken, cook it in an Instant Pot, the oven, or a pot of boiling water first, then shred it and proceed with the recipe. You can also make your own taco seasoning mix and cream of chicken soup -- see the FAQs for recipes!

Doritos Recipes

Stuff you can make with Doritos!

Dorito Chicken Casserole FAQs

Do I have to use canned cream of chicken soup?

No, you don’t have to use canned cream of chicken soup. You can easily make a healthier homemade soup that stands in beautifully for this recipe.

Do the Doritos get soggy?

The chips at the bottom get softer, but not soggy. As designed, the recipe has a nice variation in texture. The chips at the top stay crunchy, while the ones underneath mimic have a tortilla vibe, like what you’d have in an enchilada casserole. If you’re worried about the chip texture, skip the layers and place the chips on top only.

What do I serve with Dorito Chicken Casserole?

A green salad goes well with this casserole. It’s very rich, so you want something fresh and light.

What drinks go with Dorito Chicken Casserole?

Lemonade, beer, or margaritas are nice drinking pairings for Dorito Chicken Casserole.

Can I substitute something else for the taco seasoning?

Yes, you can substitute a homemade taco seasoning mix. Also see our list of other taco seasoning substitutes. If you’re working with a taco seasoning packet, know that most of them contain 2 tablespoons or 6 teaspoons of mix. For this recipe, use 1 tablespoon or 3 teaspoons.

What do I do if I’m starting with raw chicken?

You can quickly cook up chicken for shredding. My preferred method is the Instant Pot. Toss your chicken pieces in with some water and pressure cook them for 5 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Release the valve, remove the chicken, and shred it with two forks.

Do you have more Doritos recipes?

Dane Hansen

Sunday 3rd of September 2023

This dish was the star at our potluck dinner.

Catherine Brock

Tuesday 5th of September 2023

Dane, You made my day! So glad you enjoyed it. Catherine

Kaci Laney

Monday 6th of July 2015

This is by far the best chicken casserole I've ever had in my life! I have nearly everything on hand so that makes my shopping trips easy and quick! This is one of those go to meals my family (all 5 of us!) thoroughly enjoy!

Nancy Rocheleau

Thursday 23rd of April 2015

I love this easy to do, my grandkids will love this recipe, I add more cheese to it they ll love it

Bonnie

Tuesday 31st of March 2015

Great recipe but I changed a few things. Added onion, garlic, green chilies, chopped corn and pinto beans to the mix. I also used Baked Doritos and low fat cheese and sour cream.

Vicki Buffolino

Wednesday 25th of February 2015

Salt bomb but i think i used too much cheese and not enough chicken.

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