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Dorito Chicken Casserole – this cheesy casserole made with NO canned soup is full of chicken, Rotel tomatoes, and cheese with lots of crunch from crushed Dorito chips.
It is no surprise that my family loves Mexican flavors. There are a million Mexican Recipes on this site already, but I just can’t get enough!
This chicken casserole has been around for years, and is traditionally made with canned soup. I have seen it with cream soup or with the condensed cheese soup. Well, neither of those are found here! We have real milk, chicken broth and cheese to make this super creamy and delicious.
Dorito chicken casserole is one of those dinners that your family is going to request over and over again. It is simple, and looking at the ingredients doesn’t seem like anything all that special. But then you take a bite and it is just so good!
And don’t be scared by the ingredient list. I know it looks like a lot, but it is really super simple to make. It will take about 20 minutes to assemble everything, and then it just bakes in the oven. You really are just making the sauce that replaces the creamed soup. So a few spices and you are making a roux (basically just a thick sauce). Trust me, it is so much better than the dump and go with canned soup, it is worth the extra few minutes.
How To Make Dorito Chicken Casserole
- Start by sautéing the onion and garlic together in a little bit of oil.
- Once the onion is soft add in the cooked chicken with taco seasoning and a little bit of water. Mix everything together until it is nicely coated. Scoop the meat into a bowl and set aside.
- Return the skillet to the heat and make the roux. For this you just melt the butter, and mix in the flour until it is no longer white. Whisk in the chicken broth until it is smooth.
- Add in the spices and tomatoes, and heat until it boils and starts to thicken.
- Add in heavy cream and cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the the cheddar cheese and add back in the chicken you set aside. Once everything is well combined you are ready to start layering!
- Start by putting 1/3 of the bag of Doritos into the bottom of your casserole dish. Top with half of the chicken mixture and then the next 1/3rd of the Doritos. End with the rest of the chicken mixture and top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
- Bake the casserole until it is hot and bubbly.
- To serve top with the remaining chips and whatever toppings you like!
Recipe Tips
- This is a great use for rotisserie chicken. You can just shred it and mix in with the onions and taco seasoning. Or the next time you are making chicken, make extra and set it aside. If you can start with shredded cooked chicken, this can be in the oven in 20 minutes!
- If you like things spicy you can add some heat. There is a can of Rotel tomatoes already called for, feel free to use the hot variety or you can sauté jalapeno with the onions or even add in more cayenne with the spices. Any one of those will up the heat level if you like it hot!
- Mix up your flavor of Doritos. I used the classic nacho cheese, but the cool ranch is probably my favorite. You could also use their spicy nacho, sweet chili, taco flavored, or just about any of their others!
- Add in your favorite mix-ins. Black beans or corn kernels would be great to mix in and add veggies and bulk this casserole up more.
Getting dinner on the table every night doesn’t have to be complicate. This cheesy chicken dorito casserole is a simple recipe that is packed with flavor. Plus, there are plenty of leftovers, so you have lunches for a day or two as well. You can’t beat that!
One of the fun things about this dinner is you can add your favorite taco toppings when you serve it. Use diced avocado, fresh tomatoes, sliced jalapenos you name it! And if you can’t get enough I have a Dorito Taco Casserole that uses traditional taco meat that you will love as well.
More Tasty Mexican Recipes
- Sour Cream Enchiladas
- Baja Shrimp Tacos
- Refried Bean Dip
- Mexican Pizza
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Dorito Taco Salad
- Frito Pie
Dorito Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 10oz can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 11 oz bag Doritos, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º
- In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Once the onion is soft add in the cooked chicken with taco seasoning and water. Mix everything together until it is nicely coated. Scoop the meat into a bowl and set aside.
- Return the skillet to the heat and melt the butter. Mix in the flour until it is no longer white. Whisk in the chicken broth until it is smooth.
- Mix in the spices and can of tomatoes. Stir and cook until it is boiling and starts to thicken.
- Add in heavy cream and cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 cups of cheddar cheese and the chicken you set aside.
- In a 13×9 inch pan or large casserole dish, start by putting 1/3 of the bag of Doritos into the bottom of your casserole dish. Top with half of the chicken mixture and then the next 1/3rd of the Doritos. End with the rest of the chicken mixture and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake the casserole, uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly.
- To serve top with the remaining chips and whatever toppings you like!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Delicious casserole! Whole family loved it
Everyone at my house really loved this meal! Can’t wait to make it again!
My kids ask for this every week! They’re obsessed.
This was the perfect meal! Thanks for sharing the easy recipe!
My kids love this casserole!
This looks so delicious and yummy! My family and I are going to love this recipe! So excited!
Wow! I thought I’d never see this recipe again.
My step-mother used to make this for my brother and I back when I was in Junior High School. We probably had it once a week.
I’m going to have to make this next week, just for nostalgia. Well, maybe not just for nostalgia. I love this stuff.
Is it a 1/4 “cup” taco seasoning?
Yep, thanks for catching that. It is updated now.
That’s amazing! When I first heard about this recipe I thought I had lost it.
I remember my stepmother making this for my brother and me when we were in junior high school. This was probably a weekly treat.
This will have to be made next week, just for nostalgia. Or maybe not for nostalgia at all. I love this sort of stuff.