Crispy Doritos Casserole

By Roger Rizzo 15 October, 2025 5 mins read 3 Views

Doritos casserole is everything you love about taco night, just with a crunchy, cheesy twist! It’s crispy, crunchy, creamy, flavorful, and so easy to throw together. Who can say no to chips for dinner?

Side shot of a portion of Doritos casserole on a plate toped with sour cream, tomatoes and cilantro.

What Makes This Dish a Total Winner

Crunchy & Cheesy Magic: Layers of cheesy goodness and crispy Doritos make every bite an irresistible flavor explosion.
One-Dish Wonder: Everything bakes together in one pan for easy cleanup!
Make it Your Own: Swap Doritos flavors, add extra spice, or throw in your favorite toppings to make it just how you like!
Family Favorite! Perfect for game day, potlucks, or family dinners, and trust me, everyone will love this! Love this? Try my Crunchwrap Casserole!

Dorito Casserole Ingredients

Overhead shot of labeled Doritos casserole ingredients.

Doritos: I used classic Nacho Cheese, but you can use any flavor you like! Keep the chips in larger pieces so they don’t get soggy.
Spicy Kick! Turn up the heat with a spicy taco seasoning packet, diced chiles, or a bold Doritos flavor like Flamin’ Hot or Spicy Nacho.
Protein Swap: Ground beef works great, but you can also use ground turkey, pork, or rotisserie chicken.
Cheese Tip: Shred cheese from a block. The pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can keep it from melting smoothly.

How to Make Doritos Casserole

This Doritos Casserole comes together in layers, making it as fun to assemble as it is to eat. For a full meal, pair it with a simple side salad, Mexican rice, or some black beans.

Cook the Meat: Add ground beef to a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Break it apart as it cooks until no pink remains. Drain off any grease. Add diced onion and diced red bell pepper to the skillet and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Add: Stir beef broth, diced tomatoes and chiles, taco seasoning, and sour cream into the meat mixture in the skillet. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until it begins to thicken slightly.
Chips: With the bag still sealed, lightly crush Nacho Cheese Doritos. Then layer half of the chips in the prepared casserole dish. Top with half of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
Meat: Layer the meat mixture on top of the chips and cheese.
Layer & Bake: Then layer the remaining chips and cheese on top. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
Top & Serve: For extra crunch, sprinkle freshly crushed Doritos on top before serving. Allow the Doritos casserole to sit for 5 minutes before serving with your choice of taco toppings.

Ground beef, onions and bell pepper cooking in a skillet.

Tomatoes, sour cream, broth, and seasonings added to the meat mixture in the skillet.

Alyssa’s Pro Tip

Topping Ideas: Pile on sour cream, tomatoes, jalapeños, olives, green onions, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, or shredded lettuce. Mix sour cream or Mexican crema with lime juice for a fresh Lime Crema finish!

Doritos Casserole

Cheesy, crunchy, and loaded with flavor, this Doritos Casserole is the ultimate easy weeknight dinner.

Course Dinner, entree, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine American, Mexican American

Keyword casserole recipe, Dorito Casserole, Dorito Casserole Recipe, Doritos Casserole, doritos casserole with ground beef, Doritos Chips casserole, easy doritos casserole, easy weeknight dinner, Kid-friendly, taco casserole, Taco Casserole with Doritos

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 38

resting time 5

Total Time 53

Servings servings

Calories 511kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Equipment

1 3-quart baking dish or 9 x 13-inch baking dish

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 cup finely diced onion about half a large onion
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper about ⅓ a large pepper
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and chiles
1 cup beef broth
1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese divided
1 (9.25-ounce) bag Nacho Cheese Doritos

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 3-quart or 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Add 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef to a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks until no pink remains. Drain off any grease, then add 1 cup finely diced onion and ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper to the skillet and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Stir 1 cup beef broth, 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and chiles, 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning, and 1 cup sour cream into the meat mixture in the skillet and simmer for 2-3 mintues until it begins to thicken slightly.
With the bag still sealed, lightly crush 1 (9.25-ounce) bag Nacho Cheese Doritos, then layer half of the chips in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle half of the 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top of the chips, then add the meat mixture on top. Add the remaining chips evenly over the top of the meat mixture, followed by the remaining cheese.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
Allow the casserole to sit for 5 minutes before serving with your choice of taco toppings.

Notes

Leftover & Reheating Instructions

In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container or tightly covered for 4–5 days. Note that the chips will soften over time.
In the Freezer: Not recommended! The chips become soggy. Avoid assembling more than 2 hours ahead of baking for the same reason.
How to Reheat: Warm the whole casserole in a 350ºF oven for 10–15 minutes, or until it reaches 165ºF. For single servings, heat in the microwave in 30-second bursts or in a toaster oven until hot.