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Ground Beef Doritos Casserole is an easy family dinner everyone will love. This easy cheesy dinner is made with seasoned ground beef, beans, corn and tomatoes layered with melted cheese and nacho cheese Doritos chips.

If you prefer chicken then try this Cheesy Chicken Dorito Casserole. It has a creamier base made with a can of cream of chicken soup and shredded chicken.

Close up view of the baked Doritos casserole

Ground Beef Nacho Cheese Doritos Casserole Recipe

When I need a dinner that’s guaranteed to disappear fast, this ground beef Doritos casserole is always one of my first choices. It’s one of those favorite recipes that’s cheesy, crunchy, and packed with taco-inspired flavor – all layered together into one irresistible casserole the whole family will love.

The crunchy Doritos add the perfect texture while seasoned ground beef, beans, tomatoes, corn, sour cream, and plenty of melty cheese create a hearty casserole that bot kids and adults love with tex-mex Mexican flavors.

The best part? It comes together with simple canned pantry ingredients, and on the dinner table in under 1 hour- making it perfect for busy weeknights, game day gatherings, family get-togethers, or when you want to switch up taco Tuesday.

Side view of the casserole pan with a serving spoon inside of it

Why You’ll love This Dorito Casserole Recipe

🧀 Easy Quick Dinner
🧀 Made with Budget-Friendly Pantry Staples
🧀 Kid-Approved and Picky Eaters Approved Dinner
🧀 Can Be Customized With Your Favorite Toppings
🧀 Make It No Spice, Mild, Medium, or Spicy! Lots of Options

A spoon scooping up some casserole from the Doritos casserole with ground beef.

Favorite Taco Ingredients Needed

Lean Ground Beef : I use lean 93/7 ground beef.
Onion : Use a yellow onion or sweet onion for a mild onion flavor, or a white onion if you prefer a more zesty onion flavor.
Minced Garlic : Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed (about 3 garlic cloves), use chopped minced garlic from a jar, or garlic paste.
Taco Seasoning Packet : I prefer a mild taco seasoning packet, but you can use what you prefer; spicy, cheesy, chicken taco, low-sodium, regular, etc.
Water
Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies : This is a can of Rotel or a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Rotel comes in mild, medium, and hot varieties so use what you prefer. Even the mild version of Rotel can be spicy, but the canned diced tomatoes with green chilies seem to be much more mild compared to the mild Rotel.
Black Beans : Drained and rinsed. Pinto beans are another alternative if you don’t like black beans.
Whole Kernel Corn : Drained
Sour Cream
Nacho Cheese Doritos Chips : An entire 9.5 ounce bag of Doritos.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese : Other cheese options include Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack cheese. Or use any variety of cheddar cheese; mild, medium, or sharp.
Favorite Taco Toppings For Serving (optional) : Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, taco sauce, sour cream, olives, sliced jalapeños, avocado slices or guacamole, etc.

How To Make Easy Dorito Casserole with Ground Beef (Printable Recipe Card)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are softened. Drain or soak up any excess grease from the skillet.

Stir in the taco seasoning and water and continue cooking for a few minutes until the mixture thickens and most the water is gone.

Stir in the diced tomatoes with green chilies, black beans, corn, and sour cream until well combined.

Pour half of the Doritos chips into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with half of the ground beef mixture, then repeat with the remaining Doritos chips and ground beef mixture. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.

Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving and serve warm!

How To Store and Reheat Leftovers

Any leftover ground beef dorito casserole should be stored covered or inside an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

To reheat, microwave individual leftovers until heated through or cook in the oven at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. The Dorito chips will get soft as they sit in the fridge and are reheated.

It is not recommended to freeze the casserole after it has been assembled, as the chips will get soggy once frozen and thawed.

Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen

Use Cool Ranch Doritos, Spicy Nacho, or Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos instead of Nacho Cheese Doritos for a flavor or spicy twist.
Serve this casserole with your favorite taco toppings such as taco sauce, sour cream, guacamole, avocado slices, black olives, sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, pico de gallo, or jalapeños for some spice.
You can keep the Doritos tortilla chips whole or slightly crush them into smaller pieces. I like to keep the chips in pretty large pieces (rather than crushed chips) so they don’t disintegrate into the meat mixture while baking, which can create a softer texture rather than crunchy.
For no spice use petite diced tomatoes and a packet of mild taco seasoning. For mild spice use a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies or a can of mild Rotel. For more spice use shredded pepper jack cheese, medium or spicy rotel, and a packet of spicy taco seasoning if wanted. Even the mild Rotel can have some zesty spice to it, so if your family is more sensitive to spice, I would recommend using a can of petite diced tomatoes with green chilies rather than Rotel. The diced tomatoes with green chillies are 14.5 ounces while the Rotel is 10 ounces; which if fine, either size can be used in the recipe.
I don’t recommend making the casserole ahead of time because the chips will get softer and soggy in texture if it sits for too long before baking. Especially if you refrigerate it.