This Dorito casserole is layered with ground beef, onions, and garlic in a creamy cheese sauce, then topped with Doritos Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips. It is then topped with Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese and baked to perfection. Top with all your favorite taco toppings like chopped fresh cilantro, corn, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno rings, black olives, green onions, black beans, green chiles, and sour cream.
This casserole is made from scratch, without cream of chicken soup. My kids love this easy weeknight meal. This is a hearty casserole on its own, but if company is coming, I like to serve it with layered taco salad and Bloody Mary cocktails. It is always a hit with friends and family and a winning combination.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: Use ground beef with a bit of fat. Fat gives the beef flavor. Ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork are all great substitutions for ground beef.
- Butter: Unsalted or salted.
- Milk: Whole is best for a creamy sauce, but you can use 2% in a pinch.
- Chicken broth: Low-sodium is best.
- Taco seasoning: Store-bought or homemade.
- Cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack, or queso quesadilla.
- Doritos: You can use any flavor of Doritos for this recipe, like Cool Ranch Doritos. However, I like the nacho cheese flavor best.
- Tomatoes: Use any ripe variety. I used the grape tomatoes because they are so sweet and bright red.
How To Make Dorito Casserole
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Brown the ground beef over medium heat. When the ground beef is about halfway browned, add the onion. Cook until the meat is brown and the onion is soft.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Transfer the meat mixture to a plate or bowl.
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth.
- Whisk in the taco seasoning and shredded cheddar. Add the cooked hamburger mixture.
- Add crushed Doritos to the bottom of a casserole dish. Spoon half of the beef mixture over the chips and add another layer of crushed chips. Spoon the rest of the meat mixture over the chips. Top with one more layer of crushed chips. Then sprinkle with Monterey Jack Cheese.
- Bake and top with all your favorite toppings.
Preparation Tips
- If there is excess fat after browning your ground beef, drain it before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- Don’t risk dropping the ground beef in the sink to drain the fat. Tilt the pan and use a paper towel to absorb the grease.
- If the cheese sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a couple of tablespoons of milk or chicken broth.
More Casserole Recipes
Dorito Casserole Recipe
A fun and easy Dorito Casserole Recipe loaded with ground beef, onions, and garlic, all in a creamy cheese taco sauce and layered with nacho cheese Doritos. For an over-the-top taste sensation, top with more cheese, chopped cilantro, diced tomato, and jalapeno rings.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 334kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ medium sweet onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 family-size bag of Doritos nacho cheese
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1½ cups sliced grape tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno sliced in rings
- sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Start by browning your ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. After 3-4 minutes of browning, add your onions. Cook until the beef is browned, and the onions are tender. Drain any excess grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Plate the hamburger mixture.
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes while whisking. Add the milk and chicken broth alternating between the two. Simmer until thickened. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the taco seasoning and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. Continue whisking until melted and smooth. Add the cooked hamburger mixture to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
- Slightly crush a couple of handfuls of chips and place them in the prepared casserole dish. Spoon half of the beef mixture over the chips and add another layer of crushed chips. Spoon the rest of the beef mixture over the chips. Top with one more layer of crushed chips. Sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese.
- Cover the casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through. Finally, top with chopped cilantro, sliced tomatoes, and jalapeno rings. Serve with a heaping tablespoon of sour cream.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers wrapped in an aluminum foil tent in a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until warm.
- Cover tightly with 2 layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 411mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 958IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 342mg | Iron: 2mg
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Melanie E
We like to have topped nachos at home but don’t have them often. This Dorito casserole would be something both my daughters and husband would really enjoy.
Stephanie
My son, who is a huge fan of nachos with ground beef, absolutely loved this! He asked if we could make it next time with Cooler Ranch Doritos, but I told him we should stick to the nacho cheese ones!!
Beth Pierce
I agree with you!
Victoria Prasad
The thing that struck me the most about this dish was how colorful the final product is! It screams fresh and tasty and is certainly a crowd pleaser!!
Alex
Delicious!! I made this recipe with ground chicken and the casserole turned out so flavorful, my family loved it!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you and your family liked it!
Rebekah Winscott
I made this Doritos casserole last week, and my family honestly loved it. The directions were easy to follow, and it came together fast, which was a real help on a busy night.
Kat
That Doritos casserole recipe is delightfully quirky and crunchy cheesy comfort food that tastes totally delicious and fun.
Kelley
This was so good and came together really fast! Thanks for such a yummy dinner!
Elisa
Love this DORITOS CASSEROLE RECIPE, it was fun and delicious!! The family loved it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
dina and bruce miller
Growing up as last of 7 kids, we always had homemade, and rarely got store bought snacks. But when I got to pick, it was Doritos. So we just had to try this recipe, and we LOVED IT! This was gobbled up by all!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Dina and Bruce! So glad that everyone liked it!
dana
This was SO delicious! What a crowd pleaser. A few folks asked for the recipe, so I sent them on over!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Dana! I appreciate the support!