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Cool Ranch Dorito Chicken Casserole

Name: Cool Ranch Dorito Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken; 1 ½ cups shredded Colby Jack, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese, divided; 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted; ½ cup milk; ½ cup sour cream; 1 (10 ounce) can Ro-tel tomatoes with green chilies, drained ((or substitute with a can of regular petite-diced tomatoes)); ½ of a 1-ounce packet (about 4 teaspoons) dry Ranch seasoning mix ((just the dry seasoning)); 1 (9.25 ounce) bag Doritos Cool Ranch chips, coarsely crushed ((about 4 cups crushed))

Published: Mar 28, 2022 by Blair Lonergan

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There's no prep work necessary for this easy dinner recipe! Just dump-and-bake a few simple ingredients for a cozy, comforting, and flavorful Cool Ranch Dorito Chicken Casserole. With layers of ranch flavored tortilla chips, tender diced chicken, zesty tomatoes and green chilies, and a flavorful sour cream sauce, it's the best chicken casserole recipe yet! Serve the dish with salad, broccoli, cornbread, or biscuits for a quick weeknight meal!

Cheesy Chicken Dorito Casserole

This Cool Ranch Dorito Chicken Casserole is another dump-and-bake winner that your family is going to devour...and who doesn't love that?! Last summer I made a Doritos Nacho Cheese Taco Bake (using a packet taco seasoning) that you guys continue to rave about. One reader even said that she used Cool Ranch Doritos in that dish, which I thought sounded like a great idea!

Since chicken, cheese, and Ranch is always a great combo, this new casserole was born. And if you use a rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken from another meal, or pre-cooked chicken from the store (such as Tyson Grilled & Ready strips), the entire meal comes together in about 10 minutes!

Stirring together chicken casserole filling.

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for a chicken and doritos casserole. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

Chicken: you'll need about 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken. I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for great flavor and quick-prep, but you can boil your own chicken at home, if you prefer.
Cheese: we like a Colby Jack blend, but just about any good melting cheese will work here. Try grated cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, or Pepper Jack cheese, for example.
Condensed cream of chicken soup: forms the base of the creamy sauce that binds the casserole together.
Milk: to thin the sauce.
Sour cream: adds a bit of rich, tangy flavor to the sauce, which pairs nicely with the zesty tomatoes and ranch seasoning.
Rotel tomatoes with green chilies: add a little bit of "kick" to the casserole. You can substitute with regular petite diced tomatoes for a mild option.
Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix: half of a packet of this dry seasoning blend adds bright, flavorful herbs and spices to the dish.
Cool Ranch Doritos: crunchy, zesty corn tortilla chips that give the casserole great crunch.

How to Cook Chicken for a Casserole

While it's possible to cook a casserole with raw chicken, you'll need cooked chicken for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:

Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken. You'll need a total of about 2 cups shredded. I find that 1 lb. of chicken breasts yields about 2 cups of pulled chicken, but there's some flexibility here -- it doesn't need to be exact.
Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed.
Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken from a previous meal, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
Canned Chicken: Yep, even canned chicken from the pantry will work in this recipe.

Sprinkling cheese on top of a baking dish

How to Make Dorito Chicken Casserole

Just mix the ingredients in a bowl, crush a bag of Doritos into coarse crumbs, and dump it all in a dish. The bottom layer of chips forms a great, flavorful crust, while the other half of the chips and cheese create a crispy, melty topping. This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that kids and adults can all agree on!

In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, 1 cup of the cheese, condensed soup, milk, sour cream, tomatoes and green chiles, and dry Ranch seasoning.
Arrange half of the crushed Doritos in the bottom of a greased 2-quart baking dish.
Spoon the chicken mixture on top, and spread in an even layer.
Cover with foil.
Bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken filling is hot and bubbly.
Remove the cover, sprinkle the remaining cheese and dorito chips over top, and return the pan to the oven (uncovered) until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a dollop of salsa, if desired. Serve!

Overhead shot of a pan of cool ranch dorito chicken casserole

What to Serve with Cool Ranch Chicken Casserole

Pair the ranch chicken casserole with any of these easy sides:

Overhead shot of a plate of doritos chicken casserole on a wooden table

Make Ahead

This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. The bottom chips will get a little bit soggy as it sits, but they still taste great! When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes before it goes into the oven.

Overhead shot of hands holding a white baking dish full of cool ranch dorito chicken casserole

Storage

Leftover chicken casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
I do not recommend freezing these leftovers. Creamy sauces have a tendency to "break" or separate when thawed, giving the dish an undesirable texture.
To reheat the casserole: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 15-20 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Recipe Variations

Add extra veggies like frozen peas, frozen mixed vegetables, sauteed onion, or parboiled broccoli or green beans. Black beans would also be a great addition!
Instead of Cool Ranch Doritos, top the casserole with Nacho Cheese Doritos, potato chips, or regular tortilla chips.
Stir some additional herbs or other seasonings into the sauce. Try dried or fresh parsley, thyme, cilantro, or basil.
Any good melting cheese will work in this dish. Instead of Colby Jack, use cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, Pepper Jack, Swiss, or a Mexican cheese blend.
Instead of the cream of chicken soup, try a different flavor condensed soup (such as cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup).

Hands holding a plate of dorito chicken casserole

Tips for the Best Dorito Chicken Casserole Recipe

Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut.
If you prefer to cook your chicken at home, use about 1 lb. of raw boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs. Boil the chicken for about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, chop or shred with forks and use in the recipe.
Cooking Just for Two? Cut the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in a small 1-quart casserole dish. The assembly instructions remain the same, but you may need to reduce the baking time to about 15 minutes.
To serve a larger crowd, double all of the ingredients and prepare the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. You may need to increase the total baking time to about 25-30 minutes.

Overhead shot of a spoon in a dish of ranch chicken casserole

More Chicken Casserole Recipes to Try

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