Doritos Casserole

When I think of Tex-Mex comfort food recipes, this Dorito casserole is top of mind along with other family favorites, like my original taco casserole, chili mac, and Frito pie. A flavorful ground beef casserole is loaded up with taco seasonings, sour cream, salsa, and diced tomatoes, and topped with crunchy Doritos and melty cheese. What’s not to love? It’s the perfect taco night recipe that both adults and kids love, and it makes the best game day food, too!

Reasons to Love This Dorito Casserole Recipe

• It’s an (almost) one-pan recipe. Prepare the filling, then dump it into a baking dish, add the toppings, and bake.
• Cozy Tex-Mex comfort food. I love that this recipe combines all my favorite taco-inspired flavors into a rich and creamy casserole.
• This is a make-ahead-friendly casserole that you can assemble a few hours ahead. Pop it in the oven before guests arrive!
• It’s easy to customize with your favorite taco ingredients. Make it as spicy or mild as you’d like, use your favorite kind of cheese, and throw in your go-to taco toppings. See the Variations section below for ideas.

Dorito Casserole Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy Doritos taco casserole. See the recipe card for the full ingredients list with exact measurements.

• Olive Oil – You can also use vegetable oil, canola oil, or any other light colored oil.
• Yellow Onion – Use one medium-sized onion for this casserole. You don’t have to use a yellow onion; I just prefer the milder flavor. Try a Spanish onion or white onion too!
• Minced Garlic – I like to use fresh garlic and mince or finely chop it, but you can also use jarred garlic or convenient frozen garlic cubes to save time.
• Ground Beef – I like to use lean ground beef in this casserole recipe, but you can absolutely use ground turkey or ground chicken too!
• Taco Seasoning – Choose your favorite package of low-sodium taco seasoning.
• Diced Tomatoes and Chiles – Pick up a can of Ro-Tel. You can also combine one can of regular diced tomatoes with one small 4-ounce can of green chiles.
• Salsa – Use hot or mild prepared salsa, whichever you prefer.
• Sour Cream. This is what makes the filling creamy! You could also use Greek yogurt, or even cream cheese or Cream of Chicken Soup.
• Cheddar Cheese– You can use pre-shredded cheese or grate your own. Grating the cheese fresh will lead to meltier results, though.
• Doritos – Crush up a bag of Doritos tortilla chips into coarse chunks. You can use a variety of corn chips on this casserole, like Fritos, plain tortilla chips, or even Cool Ranch Doritos!

How to Make Taco Doritos Casserole

This easy casserole is ready for the oven in about 15 minutes. You’ll find the printable step-by-step in the recipe card below.

1. Prepare the filling. In a large skillet, cook the onions until they’re soft, then add in the ground beef and garlic, cooking until the meat is done. Drain any excess fat, and stir in the taco seasoning, Ro-Tel, and salsa. Cook for 5 minutes and add the sour cream just before taking the mixture off the heat.
2. Assemble the casserole. Next, spread half of the meat mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle over one-third of the cheese and half of the crushed Doritos. Repeat the layers, ending with a final layer of cheese on top.
3. Bake. Cover the casserole with foil, and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to toast the cheese a little. Garnish your Doritos casserole as desired and serve warm.

Tips For the Best Dorito Casserole

• Don’t over-crush the Doritos. Make sure you don’t crush up your Doritos too finely. You want them in coarse chunks, so they don’t soften inside the casserole.
• Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Once your casserole has cooked for 20 minutes, remove the foil and finish baking. This helps the cheese get nice and golden brown.
• Use lean ground beef. I recommend using 90% lean ground beef for this recipe so the casserole doesn’t come out too oily.
• Use Nacho Cheese Doritos. Any flavor of Doritos will taste great in this dish, but I have a soft spot for the Nacho Cheese flavor. They’ll give you the cheesiest, most irresistible casserole ever!

Easy Variations

Of course, all of your favorite taco toppings will be great, but the ingredients you put in your Dorito casserole are entirely up to you. Here are some ideas for what to add to yours:

• Extra toppings: I love garnishing this casserole with diced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, or all of the above.
• Mix up the meat: This dinner is also delicious with ground turkey, shredded chicken, or a combination of ground chicken/turkey and ground beef for a leaner casserole.
• Substitute the Doritos: Use your choice of tortilla chips instead.
• Add more veggies: Stir sautéed bell peppers or drained and rinsed canned corn or black beans into the beefy filling.
• Use fresh tomatoes and jalapeños. You can swap them for the canned Ro-Tel tomatoes and chiles.
• Different cheeses. Try grated Pepper Jack cheese or a Mexican Cheese blend instead of cheddar.

What to Serve With Dorito Casserole

• Guacamole: Guacamole is a great appetizer to set the stage for this casserole. My easy avocado salsa is the perfect Tex-Mex variation.
• Rice: Try my quick and easy Instant Pot Mexican rice.
• Salad: Pair this casserole with a Southwestern quinoa salad or Cobb salad.
• Cocktails: Enjoy a chilled margarita or frozen sangria.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make it ahead. Assemble the casserole up to 6 hours in advance, but don’t bake. Keep it covered in the fridge. You may need to increase the cooking time if you’re baking right from the fridge.
• Refrigerate leftovers. Store the cooled Doritos casserole covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The Doritos get a bit soggy with time, but the leftovers still taste good.
• Reheat. I recommend reheating this casserole in the oven in order to crisp up the topping again.

More Easy Casserole Recipes

• Salsa Verde Chicken Casserole
• Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole
• Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
• Cheeseburger Casserole
• King Ranch Chicken
• Pizza Casserole
• Tater Tot Casserole