Easy One Pan Dorito Casserole

10 ingredients and 30 minutes are all it takes to get this quick and easy Dorito casserole on the dinner table! This one-pot dinner combines your favorite flavors of taco night into a crunchy, cheesy, flavor-packed meal that you can top any way you like.

 

You Will Love This

• Just throw it all together! I love this recipe because, like most casserole recipes, it only uses 1 pan and everything is cooked, mixed, and then baked together. This makes for an incredibly easy dinner that saves you time and tastes delicious.
• It’s made with real ingredients! Most Dorito taco casserole recipes use cream of chicken soup. But this Dorito bake relies on sour cream, cheddar cheese, and salsa to give it that signature creaminess without condensed soup or Velveeta.
• If you loved this Dorito casserole recipe, be sure to check out my easy baked black bean tacos, easy walking taco casserole, and Taco Bell crunchwrap supreme recipe.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Ground Beef – I like to use 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef to make sure there is plenty of flavor. Anything leaner than that (or meats like ground turkey or ground chicken) and you’ll be sacrificing some flavor.
• Black Beans – I use black beans because they add a little more substance to make this a hearty casserole. You can leave them out completely, or substitute them with pinto or kidney beans if you prefer.
• Taco Seasoning – Taco seasoning gives this Dorito casserole its signature flavor. Use your favorite brand or make it right at home – here’s an easy recipe!
• Olive Oil – I use olive oil most often in my kitchen but you can use avocado oil or grapeseed oil as well.
• Onion & Bell Pepper – Onion and bell pepper help to layer in flavor and add a variety of textures to this cheesy casserole. I recommend using a yellow or white onion and your favorite color of bell pepper. If you’re not into fresh peppers you can sub with Rotel tomatoes which are seasoned diced tomatoes with green chiles.
• Garlic – I prefer to use fresh garlic, minced or thinly sliced, but if you don’t have cloves of garlic on hand, you can substitute with 3/4 of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Sour Cream – Full-fat sour cream has the best texture and flavor, so I don’t recommend the low or no-fat options.
• Restaurant Style Salsa – My homemade restaurant style salsa is SO easy and SO delicious. It literally uses just a handful of simple ingredients and takes 5 minutes in a blender. You can also use store-bought salsa.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Sharp cheddar adds the best flavor in my opinion, but you can also use the Mexican four cheese blend that you find at the grocery store.
• Nacho Cheese Doritos – Nacho cheese Doritos are what make this recipe! If you like it spicy, try making this casserole with spicy nacho cheese Doritos. If you’re a cool ranch Doritos fan, try using those.

Instructions

Brown ground beef in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add black beans and 2/3 of the taco seasoning along with a few splashes of water until the seasoning coats the beef and beans well.

Transfer the meat mixture to a plate and set aside. Heat olive oil in the same large pan and saute onion, red pepper, and green pepper, along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.

Add garlic and remaining taco seasoning and cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.

Add ground beef and beans back to the pan and stir in sour cream, salsa, and half the shredded cheese.

Sprinkle the ground beef mixture with the remaining cheddar cheese. 

Bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through. Add a hearty layer of smashed Doritos. 

Then top with lettuce, tomatoes, a drizzle of sour cream, sliced green onion, cilantro, and sliced jalapeno. Enjoy!

Tips

• For this recipe, I like to use a large skillet or a Dutch oven so that I can go right from the stovetop to the oven. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, just cook the casserole ingredients on the stove and then transfer it to a 9×13 baking dish greased with cooking spray. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar, bake, and then add the smashed Doritos and toppings!
• Don’t crush the Dorito chips too much! You aren’t looking for Doritos crumbs – you want the chips to be smashed into bite-size pieces or slightly smaller for ease of eating.
• Get creative with your favorite taco toppings! You can serve this Dorito casserole recipe with all of the toppings you’d normally serve on tacos like lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, green onion, avocados, and cilantro. Or you can use whatever your family enjoys – sliced olives, diced onions, or creamy avocado sauce are some of our family’s other favorites!
• You can also switch up the filling ingredients as well! Replace the ground beef with shredded rotisserie chicken and create a chicken Dorito casserole. Omit the meat altogether and add another can of beans or a can of corn along with canned green chilies for a vegetarian twist on this casserole recipe. The possibilities are literally endless with this casserole!!

FAQ

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: This Dorito casserole is the perfect make-ahead dish! Follow the recipe instructions and just before baking, cover it with foil and pop it in the fridge! It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to bake, let it sit out on the counter for 30-60 minutes so it can come to room temperature. Then plan to add an additional 10 minutes or so of baking time to account for the cooler temp. Once baked, top with Doritos, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and other fixings, and enjoy!
• Storage: Store the leftover Dorito casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Reheating: The best way to reheat this Dorito casserole is in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until warmed through. If you know you’ll be reheating it later, I recommend either removing the lettuce, tomato, and other toppings or just topping each portion of the Dorito casserole as you serve it. This way the toppings will be fresh and flavorful – no one wants warm lettuce on their casserole!

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