This simple Mexican chicken casserole with Doritos isn’t called simple for no reason. A new take on the classic fiesta chicken casserole, it’s loaded with flavor and has a crunch making it superb! Layered with rotisserie chicken, cheese, a flavorful tomato sauce, and tortilla chips, this Dorito chicken casserole is a sure winner.
In a hurry? Grab a rotisserie chicken on the way home, and you can have this Simple Tortilla Casserole dinner sitting on your table in no time at all!
It’s different and delicious! Perfect for any night of the week!
Add as much or as little cheese as you like! I use a Mexican blend of shredded cheese, but shredded cheddar works just as well. The Doritos make this casserole extra special by giving it a kick of spicy flavor with a satisfying crunch.
The quick chicken and tomato sauce work beautifully every time! We even add vegetables that we need to get rid of! This recipe is a fabulous fridge cleaner!
Mexican Chicken Casserole with Doritos
As you’ve probably already noticed, the photos in this recipe use corn chips, even though I’m talking about Dorito chicken casserole. That’s because the addition of Doritos is just one of my favorite variations. I wanted to showcase the simplicity of this recipe by making it with corn chips for today’s post. When I talk about substitutions later on in the post, we’ll get more into Doritos and a few other goodies, as well!
In the meantime, let’s talk about this delicious variation on fiesta chicken casserole. I’ve always said that if anything can be made into a casserole, it should absolutely be done. Casseroles are classic comfort food. They’re easy to make, a joy to eat, and they always have pride of place at any family get-together or potluck.
I especially love making this simple tortilla casserole, as well as variation of it, for Taco Tuesdays and potlucks. No one can say no to all the delicious tex-mex flavors in this dish, and it’s so easy to make. It’s a winner all the way around.
Yes, this simple tortilla casserole is a big winner, and it has amazing flavor, but were it not for the casserole itself, we’d never be able to make these variations on a theme. So let’s take a look at how casserole came to be.
History of Casserole
Baked dishes have been around for thousands and thousands of years. Casseroles are among that lot. The precursors of casseroles were made of rice that had been pounded, pressed, and filled with savory meat mixtures – often chicken or sweetbreads – and then cooked. It wasn’t until sometime in the 1870s that something very similar to what we now commonly call casserole appeared in Europe.
Like many of the dishes we enjoy today, the casserole made its way to the New World via settlers who brought their recipes and cooking methods with them. Over the years, casseroles and the one-pot meal idea became more and more popular, but it was in the 1950s when casseroles really came into their own.
It was in that decade that Pyrex bakeware was invented, patented, and sold to the masses. One of their major advertising points was, as you might have guessed, how wonderful the bakeware was for casseroles. At that point, casserole popularity exploded and almost every home across America was a casserole home. However, by the 1970s casseroles had fallen out of favor and were almost looked on with disdain.
Luckily for all of us, the casserole has made a big comeback over the last several years! Now casseroles are just as popular as they were in the 50s, if not more so, and that means more great recipes for all of us to share. Recipes like this easy Mexican chicken casserole with Doritos!
Fiesta Chicken Casserole with a Twist
We all love the classic fiesta chicken casserole. All that onion, garlic, tomatoes, cheese, and meat come together to create something that is really special. It’s packed with flavor NOT with work. In fact it takes very little effort at all to make. When you add the Doritos… Well, it’s pure magic, I must say.
Ingredients
Aside from how delicious this Dorito chicken casserole is, I especially love how easy it is! It only takes a few ingredients to make this simple tortilla casserole, and not one of them is exotic. They’re all super easy to find at your local grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need.
- diced tomatoes
- onion
- garlic
- oil
- rotisserie chicken
- chicken broth
- cilantro
- corn or tortilla chips
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- salt
- pepper
See? That’s a relatively short list of ingredients, wouldn’t you say? When you combine the fact that it’s a casserole with that easy ingredient list, you can already see how easy the recipe is going to be. Winner winner (fiesta) chicken dinner!
Making Simple Tortilla Casserole
Making this casserole is as easy as shopping for the ingredients you need to make it! The only cooking you’ll do is basically sweating the veggies, and then it’s all a matter of layering and a little baking. Like all casseroles, this simple tortilla casserole is, well, simple. It’s a flavor party in your mouth and everyone is invited! The best part is, there’s hardly any work involved.
You’ll find the full recipe instructions, along with amounts, in the recipe card at the end of the post, but for now, take a look at the highlights. You’ll immediately see just how easy this recipe is.
- In a medium sized saucepan, heat oil.
- Add tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
- Add chicken, broth, and cilantro.
- Stir until the mixture is well blended.
- Simmer.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle approximately half of the corn chips across the bottom of your prepared casserole dish.
- Next, dump half of the chicken mixture on top of the chips and then half of the cheese.
- Repeat with the remaining chips, chicken mixture, and then cheese.
- Bake until hot and cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- Feel free to broil for a moment or two to brown the cheese as much as you like!
- Serve with sour cream, if desired.
See? Nothing to it. The cooking involved is minimal, and the flavor is absolutely maxed out. That’s the perfect combination if you ask me!
Variations
This is where the magic really happens. I highly recommend making this simple tortilla casserole as is at least once to get a feel for the process but after that, it’s all about creativity. There is so much you can do with this recipe to change it up a little or a lot. Change one ingredient or all of them. It’s up to you, really. That’s the beauty of casseroles, in general, and this one, in particular.
Use Different Tortilla Chips
This simple tortilla casserole uses corn chips, but I love using Doritos to kick up the flavor. That’s just one variation, however. There are literally hundreds of different types of tortilla chips out there, and all of them will work well in this casserole. Here are just a few ideas, but there are so many more than these!
- Fritos
- BBQ Fritos
- Tortilla Chips
- Tortilla Strips
- Doritos
- Cool Ranch Doritos
- Flaming Hot Doritos
- Black Bean Corn Chips
Those were just a few of the options you could choose. With so many different varieties available, the sky’s the limit when it comes to your creative corn chip uses.
Use Different Meat
I used rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but you could just as easily use any sort of meat you like. I wouldn’t recommend fish, but if you want to give it a try, have at it. Great meat options for this casserole include:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Shredded Beef
- Shredded Pork
Use Different Cheese
Again, it’s all up to your creativity. I love cheddar with this casserole, but any shredded cheese works. I tend to stick to yellow cheeses for this Mexican chicken casserole with Doritos, but it’s totally up to you. Some great cheese options for this fiesta chicken casserole are:
- Cheddar
- Colby
- Monterey Jack
- Colby Jack
- Mexican Cheese Blend
- Taco Cheese Blend
Add Some Heat
The only thing better than fiesta chicken casserole is fiesta chicken casserole with a kick. I didn’t add any heat to this recipe, but it works really well with it. You can add as little or as much spice as you want, but here are some ways to get it in there.
- Add sliced jalapenos
- Add hot sauce
- Add red pepper flakes
- Add a combination of all of them!
Serving Mexican Chicken Casserole with Doritos
Like all casseroles, this one is an entire meal in one baking dish, so there’s no need to serve it with a side. In fact, I don’t recommend it. This is a very filling casserole. The only thing I like to serve mine with is a dollop of sour cream on top.
Storing Mexican Chicken Casserole with Doritos
This simple tortilla casserole will keep well in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze this casserole for up to 3 months. Simply allow it to chill in the refrigerator, and then wrap the entire casserole dish tightly to keep out the air.
That being said, I advise only making as much as you need for a meal or potluck event. While the casserole will still taste good after being refrigerated or frozen, the tortilla chips will become soft with no hint of crispness whatsoever. It won’t affect the taste, but it will change the texture of the casserole.
Try This Mexican Chicken Casserole with Doritos Today
And I do mean today. It’s such an easy recipe to make, and it’s so filled with flavor, there’s no reason not to give it a whirl. You’ll love how easy it is to make, and your family will love how delicious it is. Everyone wins! And because it’s so versatile, you’ll find yourself toying with this recipe every time you make it.
Even More Casseroles
We love casseroles, or all in one meals, around here and I have listed some of our favorites below! I am hoping you find at least one other you would like to try! I can’t wait to hear what you think or did differently!
Chili Cheese Tater Tot Hot Dog Casserole
Supreme Layered Beef Casserole
Cheesy Potato Sausage Casserole
Easy Creamy Potato Pork Chop Casserole
Simple Tortilla Casserole Video
Simple Mexican Chicken Casserole with Doritos
Equipment
- Casserole dish approximately 9 inches long and 6 inches wide or equivalent
Ingredients
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive or another vegetable oil
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, fresh, chopped
- 8 cups corn/tortilla chips
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend or your favorite variety)
- 1 cup sour cream , for serving
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Pull out and measure all of the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add oil and wait until it shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it dances. Add tomatoes, onions and garlic.
- Add chicken, broth and cilantro. Stir until mixture is well-blended. Simmer between 7 to 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle approximately half of the corn chips across the bottom of casserole dish.
- Next, add half of the chicken mixture on top of the chips.
- and then half of the cheese.
- Repeat with the remaining chips.
- chicken mixture,
- and then cheese.
- Bake until hot and cheese is melted and starting to brown; about 15 minutes.
- Feel free to broil for a moment or two to brown the cheese as much as you like!
- Allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes; if not 10.
- Serve with sour cream, if desired, Enjoy every bite.
Can this dish be put together, then frozen and cooked later?
You know in all these years I have never done that but I don’t see why not. I am going to try that myself but I do think it will work. Thank you for the idea. Hopefully we can compare notes after we try it? Regardless, take care and enjoy your day. Karin