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Easy Doritos Casserole recipe with ground beef and Doritos tortilla chips is a delicious dinner the whole family loves. This easy taco bake is hearty comfort food that is easy on the budget!
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This layered ground beef taco casserole with Doritos is the kind of easy dinner recipe you make when you’re craving comfort food and you happen to find an unopened bag of Doritos in your pantry.
Somehow, these cheesy tortilla chips found their way into our home. So, I used them to make a Mexican ground beef casserole– kind of like a taco tater tot casserole or Southwestern Lasagna.
My Dorito casserole recipe is loaded with layers of cheese, seasoned taco meat, tomato salsa, and crunchy Doritos. It’s an easy weeknight meal and a great recipe that’s perfect for Taco Tuesday.
This is such a family favorite that even my picky eaters love it! My Dorito taco salad is another favorite Doritos recipe around here.
Ingredients
This easy ground beef recipe is made with simple ingredients. You probably have most of them in your pantry or fridge right now. If not, you can find what you need in your grocery store.
- Lean ground beef — The leaner, the better so you don’t have to drain the grease
- Taco seasoning — I use homemade taco seasoning
- Cheese — Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack
- Sour cream — adds creaminess to the casserole
- Salsa — use hot or mild
- Nacho Cheese Doritos — or your favorite Dorito flavor
- Water — or beef broth
- Jalapeno peppers — optional but adds flavor and spice
How to Make Dorito Casserole Recipe with Ground Beef
First, start out by browning the ground beef and chopped jalapeño peppers in a large skillet over medium heat.
If you don’t have fresh jalapeño peppers, you can use a can of Rotel tomatoes, green chiles or a can of jalapeño peppers.
You can also leave the peppers out completely if you want a milder casserole. My kids love spice, but not everyone does.
I use my favorite spices for my own homemade taco seasoning. We love Mexican food and have tacos almost weekly, so it’s cheaper to make your own. But, you can use a package of your favorite taco seasoning here.
Just mix it into the beef and add some water or beef broth for extra flavor. Then, stir in your sour cream.
Crush up some Doritos, and add a layer of Doritos into a greased casserole dish. You want them crushed into smaller pieces, but don’t crush them up too fine — otherwise, they’ll turn to mush!
Next, layer part of the cooked ground beef mixture, a cup of cheese and some salsa over the Dorito chips. Add the remaining meat mixture, and repeat the layers until everything is used up.
You should end with a layer of crushed Doritos and shredded cheese on top. I usually add more cheese right before serving this ground beef Doritos casserole so that it’s nice and melty!
Nothing wrong with loads of cheese here!
Cook Time
Pop the taco casserole into the oven for about 15 minutes to 20 minutes or until it’s hot and bubbly. Add even more shredded cheese on the top if you want right before serving.
And that is it, my friends! This easy ground beef taco bake is perfect when you need comfort food in a hurry!
What Sides to Serve with Doritos Casserole
So, what to serve with this cheesy ground beef casserole? You can use your favorite taco toppings.
- Sour cream
- Diced tomatoes
- Guacamole
- Avocados
- Lettuce or simple green salad
- Easy Homemade Salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Green Onions
- Mexican street corn salad
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
This taco bake makes a lot of food. I love using the leftover Dorito taco casserole later in the week for easy dinners during the school year.
To store the cheesy casserole, cover it in plastic wrap, or transfer to a covered container or airtight container. It keeps well for 3 to 4 days.
For longer storage, place the casserole in a freezer safe container, and freeze. You can even make it ahead of time and freeze for later.
To reheat, pop it into the microwave until heated through.It’s almost better the next day since the tortilla chips are soft. Almost like beef enchiladas!
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Make this hearty casserole even heartier with beans and corn. Use black beans, pinto beans or refried beans. Just add to your meat mixture when cooking the beef.
You can make Dorito Chicken Casserole by using cooked chicken, ground chicken or rotisserie chicken. Cool Ranch Doritos go well with this version!
If you want a Dorito casserole with cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup, you can definitely add that in place of sour cream or along with sour cream. I don’t use it since you get creaminess from the sour cream and the shredded cheese.
Use your favorite tortilla chips and any flavor Doritos. You can sub Rotel for the salsa, as well.
I have tried using cream cheese in place of sour cream, but it wasn’t as creamy as I wanted. Sour cream blends much easier. Cream of chicken soup or
Recipe Tips
Use lean ground beef. You won’t have to drain the meat, and you can add the taco seasoning as the beef browns for maximum flavor.
Using beef broth instead of water will add even more flavor.
Don’t crush the Doritos up too fine or they will turn to mush. Small pieces work best.
Doritos Casserole Recipe with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
- taco seasoning 2 to 3 tablespoons homemade or 1 packet
- 1 cup water or beef broth
- ½ cup sour cream
- Doritos tortilla chips (about 4 cups crushed) use as much as you need
- 3 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- 2 cups salsa use your favorite here
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees f
- Brown the ground beef and jalapeno pepper in a large skillet
- Drain grease if necessary, and add taco seasoning and water, and simmer until most of water is absorbed
- Turn off heat, and stir in sour cream until well blended.
- Spray a medium casserole dish with cooking spray, then add enough crushed Doritos to cover the bottom of the dish
- Layer half of the ground beef mixture over the Doritos, then add 1 cup shredded cheese and 1 cup of salsa
- Repeat layers, ending with crushed Doritos, followed by shredded cheese on top
- Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Add more cheese to top before serving, if desired
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So simple to make and what a presentation! Looks like you worked for ever on it! Another family favorite!
I’d like to make this for my boyfriend but he doesn’t tolerate dairy too well. The cheese is fine but what would you substitute for the sour cream? Any ideas?
You can add a can of cream of chicken soup or a different flavor, which will add creaminess. Not sure if that would work for you with dairy restrictions. Another alternative would be dairy free sour cream or coconut cream. You could also omit this, and it would work, but it wouldn’t be as thick or creamy.