This cheesy Doritos chicken casserole is tasty enough for any night of the week. It’s a creamy casserole loaded with cream cheese and shredded chicken, then topped with crispy Nacho Cheese Doritos. The Doritos make an amazing cheesy crust that turns the humble casserole up a notch. A fun and delicious meal that’ll put a smile on everyone’s face.
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I love casseroles because they’re always so easy to make. This one takes just 10 minutes to prepare and uses minimal dishes, so cleanup is always so easy.
This super cheesy, crispy Doritos chicken casserole is so fun – you have to make it tonight. It’s a wholesome and delicious dinner that my family loved and yours will too!
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- Ultra-Cheesy. This amazing casserole is loaded up with cream cheese, Mexican cheese, and topped with Nacho Cheese Doritos! It’s the cheesiest casserole ever.
- All-in-One Dinner. Casseroles are so great for dinner because it’s a complete meal! This casserole is so filling and wholesome.
- Super Kid-Friendly. Got picky eaters? There’s no way this Doritos topped casserole won’t become one of their favorites.
🥘 Ingredients
This casserole has a special ingredient, Nacho Cheese Doritos. It’s an easily found snack chip that will take this casserole over the top.
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil – Or another oil with a high smoke point.
- ¼ cup Yellow Onion – This is about ½ a medium sized onion, diced. You can also use white onion, if preferred!
- 21.5 ounces Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup – This is equal to two 10.75-ounce cans of cream of chicken soup.
- 10 ounces RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles – 1 can of RoTel makes this dish extra flavorful!
- 1 ½ tablespoons Taco Seasoning – Make my simple recipe or use your favorite store-bought brand, like Ortega.
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese – The cream cheese should be softened and brought to room temperature. I recommend cubing or cutting up the cream cheese into chunks to make it melt more easily.
- 15.25 ounces Black Beans – 1 15.25-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed.
- 4 cups Cooked Chicken – The chicken should be shredded for this recipe! I like to use leftover rotisserie chicken to make this meal super easy.
- 9 ounces Nacho Cheese Doritos – This is equivalent to one regular size bag of Doritos. The chips should be crushed and divided into two portions.
- 2 cups Mexican Cheese Blend – I like a finely shredded Mexican cheese blend. This should also be divided into two 1 cup portions.
- ¼ cup Cilantro – Cilantro is an optional, but a recommended addition. If using, make sure it’s fresh and roughly chopped.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🧂 Substitutions & Additions
This quick casserole is fantastic as is, but you can easily customize it! Here are a few delicious variations you can try:
- Rice – You can make this meal a little extra filling by adding 1 or 2 cups of plain, cooked white rice.
- Jalapeños – Add a little Tex-Mex spice with some diced fresh or pickled jalapeños! You can also add chopped chipotles in adobo (dried jalapeños) for a different layer of spice.
- Corn – You can easily sneak in extra veggies by adding in a little fire-roasted corn into the chicken mixture.
- Red Bell Pepper – Sauté some diced red bell pepper with the onion for extra flavor and color.
🔪 How To Make Doritos Chicken Casserole
This easy casserole is as simple as it is downright delicious. You don’t need any special equipment here, just a large skillet and a oven safe baking dish.
- Prepare. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C), while you heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Next, lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or oil and set aside.
- Make Sauce. Once the oil is heated and shimmering, add ¼ cup of diced yellow onion and sauté until fragrant and tender, or about 4 to 5 minutes. Then, pour in 21.5 ounces of condensed cream of chicken soup, 10 ounces of RoTel diced tomatoes with green chiles, and 1 ½ tablespoons of taco seasoning. Stir to combine all the sauce ingredients.
- Add Rest of Ingredients. After stirring the sauce, add 4 ounces of cubed, softened cream cheese and stir until it’s melted and smooth. Then, add 15.25 ounces of drained, rinsed black beans and 4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (If you’d like some cilantro in your casserole, stir in ¼ cup with the chicken and beans).
Assemble & Bake
- Layer Casserole. Start by layering half of the crushed 9 ounces of Nacho Cheese Doritos into your prepared baking dish, then add half of the chicken and sauce mixture. Top with 1 cup of the shredded Mexican cheese blend, then add the last half of the chicken mixture. Finally, top with the remaining crushed Doritos and remaining 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese.
- Bake Casserole. Once the casserole is layered, bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) in the middle of your oven’s center rack for 30 minutes. If the cheese topping begins to get too brown, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. The casserole is ready when the cheese is fully melted and golden.
I love to garnish plates with a little extra cilantro and serve it as is. If you want to make it even more filling, try serving with my cilantro-lime rice.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened. Setting your cream cheese out for about 30 minutes before using is typically sufficient time to let the cream cheese warm to room temperature.
- Regular size bags of Doritos (keep getting smaller) but typically range between 9 and 10 ounces. Family size bags are around 15 ounces and will work just as well.
- Cilantro is optional but recommended. Cilantro is a great garnish, but also a fantastic stir-in for more great Tex-Mex flavor.
- Can’t find the RoTel? Plain or fire-roasted diced tomatoes are equally wonderful.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
When stored properly, leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days. Make sure to wrap the baking dish well with plastic cling film or transfer leftovers to an airtight container.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to transfer the cooled leftover portions into an airtight container. You can even freeze an entire casserole, wrapped with a layer of plastic cling film and a layer of aluminum foil
Reheating
To reheat I recommend using the oven for the best results. This way, the Doritos topping can get crispy again.
Either place the whole baking dish or portions of casserole into a 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes. The casserole is reheated when it’s golden and bubbling, or warmed to your satisfaction.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Doritos is what makes this casserole so amazing! They add fantastic flavor and make an amazingly crisp topping. However, if snack chips like Doritos are something you avoid, you can try using regular tortilla chips!
This recipe can easily be made ahead of time! Simply cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend not adding the crushed Doritos topping until just before baking, so it stays nice and crispy!
😋 More Amazing Casseroles
- Mexican Cornbread Casserole
- Chicken Stuffing Casserole
- Zucchini Squash Casserole
- Ground Beef Mexican Casserole
- Walking Taco Casserole
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
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📖 Recipe Card
Doritos Chicken Casserole (with Cream Cheese)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ¼ cup yellow onion (diced - or white onion)
- 21.5 oz cream of chicken condensed soup (2 10.75-ounce cans)
- 10 oz RoTel diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 ½ tablespoon taco seasoning (see recipe or use your favorite brand)
- 4 oz cream cheese (cubed or cut into chunks, softened at room temperature)
- 15.25 oz black beans (1 15.25-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
- 4 cups cooked chicken (shredded, or leftover rotisserie chicken)
- 9 oz Nacho Cheese Doritos (one regular size bag, crushed - divided into 2 portions)
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend (shredded - divided, two 1 cup portions)
- ¼ cup cilantro (optional, fresh, chopped)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) while you heat a large skillet with the olive oil to medium heat. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- Once the oil is beginning to shimmer, add the diced onion and saute until opaque, fragrant, and tender or about 4-5 minutes. Pour in the cream of chicken soup, RoTel diced tomatoes with green onions, and taco seasoning. Stir to combined.
- After stirring the sauce, add the softened cream cheese and stir until it's melted then add the drained black beans and shredded, cooked chicken meat. Stir to combine and evenly coat the chicken with sauce. *If you'd like some of the optional cilantro in your chicken casserole, stir it in with the chicken and beans.
- Layer half of the crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos into your prepared baking dish then add half of the chicken sauce mixture. Top with half of the shredded Mexican cheese blend. Add the last half of the chicken mixture, top with the remaining Doritos, and then the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) in the middle of your oven's center rack for 30 minutes. If the cheese topping starts to brown too much, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Your casserole is ready when the cheese is fully melted and golden.
Notes
- Setting your cream cheese out about 30 minutes before you'll need it is (typically) sufficient time for the cream cheese to warm at room temperature.
- Plain or fire roasted diced tomatoes are also great in this casserole.
- Regular size bags (keep getting smaller) but typically range between 9 to 10-ounces. The family size bags are around 15-ounces and will work wonderfully as well.
- The optional cilantro is great as garnish when serving, but is also a fantastic stir-in for the casserole.
Pocahontas 👸🏼 says
From scratch *crockpot boneless chicken breast with condensed cream of chicken soup& spice remove chicken once it's cooked cool enough to dice & add back to the crockpot add the rest of sauce ingredients& drained black beans & follow layer directions (I use 1/2 Doritos &1/2 tortilla chips to cut back on sodium) slotted spooned mixture then remaining sauce in top layer prior to adding cheese there are many recipes this one is by far the best ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I now am called thee enchilada mamma & I baked it with love ❤️ .com
Susan says
Was very good, son didn’t want the doritos in the casserole so we are them on the side plus no added cheese. Very good flavor.
Cindi Lowe says
My husband works late and I’m always looking for something different to make. I was searching for a recipe for leftover chicken and came across this Doritos chicken casserole. As I went through the ingredients I realized I didn’t have all that I needed, so I improvised with what I had on hand. I used 1 small can of cream of chicken soup, 14oz fire roasted tomatoes, the onion, frozen roasted corn, taco seasoning, dried cilantro, jalapeño cream cheese, a mixture of jack, cheddar, Colby that I crumbled up from already sliced cheese. Shredded chicken thighs and reg tortillas. I layered it, baked it and served it with a dollop of sour cream. It was DELICIOUS!!!
My husband loved it! Only one question. Once the left overs are frozen do you thaw before following the reheating instructio?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, I typically thaw leftovers by placing them in the fridge the night before (for best results). You can thaw in the microwave on short notice but it will really make the chips soggy.
Cindi Lowe says
Thank you! I figured that it needed thawed first before reheating. I just wanted to make sure. ☺️
Kay says
Absolutely love this recipe make it quite often!!!
Chris says
Made it today and it was really good!
Angi says
Made this a couple of weeks ago with cool ranch & it was a hit. My guys requested it for next week but with the salsa Verde flavor & one with the sweet & spicy flavor. I'm sure they'll be just as good. Thanks so much!
johnson janette says
Looks tasty and delicious.