An easy twist on Mexican food for dinner, this Doritos Nacho Cheese Taco Bake is a fun casserole that will make your family smile! Lean ground taco meat and veggies are topped with shredded cheese and crumbled Doritos tortilla chips for a delicious, flavorful, and simple one dish meal!
The Easy Way To Feed A Crowd
You guys, this Taco Bake is the easiest way to serve tacos to a crowd! Plus, with little kids, there's no need to worry about the taco shells breaking, the contents falling out of the tortilla, or messy toppings all over the floor (moms out there, I know that you can relate)!
Instead, I've just assembled all of our favorite taco ingredients -- plus a few added veggies -- in one casserole dish. It's an awesome prep-ahead option for busy weeknights, it's a meal that your husband and kids will LOVE, and it eliminates the stress of last-minute dinners.
Imagine how happy my kids were when they realized that I was serving their favorite chips for dinner?! While this isn't a common occurrence, it's a nice change of pace every once in awhile!
The Doritos take the place of a traditional taco shell or soft flour tortilla and add so much zesty flavor to the dish. Plus, the first layer of chips forms a great little crust at the bottom of the taco bake. So, so good!
Cook's Tips - Doritos Taco Bake
- Cooking for a Smaller Family? You can easily cut the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish.
- Want to Prep Ahead? I often cook the beef mixture in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a few days until I'm ready to assemble the casserole!
More Taco Recipes You Might Like;
Doritos Nacho Cheese Taco Bake
Ingredients
- 1 9.75 ounce bag Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos, coarsely crushed (about 4 cups crushed)
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 1 ounce packet taco seasoning mix
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 ½ cups salsa or taco sauce
- 1 15 ounce can corn, drained
- 2 cups shredded Mexican-blend or Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (180C). Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink (about 5 to 7 minutes). Drain. Return beef to skillet and stir in taco seasoning mix, water and bell pepper. Simmer until thickened (about 3 to 4 minutes), stirring frequently. Stir in salsa and corn.
- Place half of the crushed Doritos in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the cheese. Spread beef mixture on top.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 25-30 minutes (or until hot and bubbly).
- Sprinkle top of the casserole with remaining crushed Doritos and remaining shredded cheese. Put the dish back in the oven for about 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
Taco bakes are one of my favorite meals to make for my husband! I just love throwing everything together and having it come out ready to eat. I've never tried Doritos on top of a bake before, so I'm loving the sound of this! What a perfect weeknight meal!
Blair
Exactly! They're so boy-friendly, and so darn easy. 🙂
Kristy from Southern In Law
This looks like the perfect Taco Tuesday treat!
Lynn
This looks great, definitely something I will try. Many years ao I made something similar , no crust but I threw in my extra cooked rice, no peppers, and served it with dippers or mini taco shells. The kids loved serving themslves so there was never any leftovers.
Blair
Hi, Lynn! Your version sounds delicious too! 🙂 Kids love anything that involves dipping!
Helen Fritzie
This came out really yummy! I added about a half can of black beans and used Mexican corn and was able to get the red and green peppers from that!
Also, used Garden Salsa Sun Chips instead of the Doritos to get a little extra kick of flavor!
Turned out great and will definitely try this again...maybe cutting the amount in half since it was just me!
Blessings and thanks for all the recipes you send out to us! Definitely will need to try the salmon recipe I received today! ;-}
Helen Fritzie
Blair
Hi, Helen! That's great! Your changes sound really good! I have those sun chips in our pantry right now, so I'll have to try that topping next time. 🙂
Melody Gardner
I added black beans as well --- great add. My version came out fantastic with green onions and sour cream served on top.
Blair
Sounds like a great addition, Melody! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Ginger
Can I use refried beans instead of corn?
Blair
Sure! The refried beans will thicken up the mixture, so you might need to thin it out with some additional salsa. It will have a slightly different texture, but the flavor will be good!
Karla
Have this in the oven right now; I used Cool Ranch Doritos because we love the Cool Ranch shells @ Taco Bell. The filling smells so amazing! I bet it would be good wrapped in flour tortillas to speed things up; honestly I might try it again once it gets cool, but just thin the filling and call it soup! Nothing beats a versatile taco base. Mmmmm!
Blair
The Cool Ranch Doritos will work perfectly, Karla! And I love the idea of thinning it for "taco soup." So smart! Enjoy the meal! 🙂
Michelle
So I would like to make this with 2lbs of meat but would i use 5 cups of taco sauce because that seems both expensive and like too much luquid
Blair
Hi, Michelle! That's what I would do, since you're doubling all of the other ingredients as well. Those ratios of ingredients worked perfectly for me when testing the recipe, but if you prepare it and it seems like too much liquid for your taste, you can certainly start with less and then just add more, as needed. Feel free to experiment! 🙂
Eugenia ROYER
I made this with 2lb. Beef because it was not enough to fill my 13-9. I didn't double the salsa, I figured I could add more on top. I did add can pinto beans. Just taste it to see if you want to add more or less seasoning.
Lynn
Absolutely amazing but I added cheese salsa in with the taco seasoning and meat turned out amazing
Blair
Perfect! So glad that you enjoyed it, Lynn! 🙂
Emily
What a fun taco bake, seriously how can this not taste good!?
Carla
Can this be frozen?
Blair
Yes! It should work in the freezer -- either before or after baking!