Easy Doritos Casserole with Ground Beef

This Easy Doritos Casserole with Ground Beef is a hearty weeknight dinner full of ground beef and black beans. It’s topped with your favorite taco toppings and is made with ground beef and topped with traditional taco toppings for the perfect weeknight dinner.

Table of Contents

• What goes into this recipe
• Variations and Topping Ideas
• How to make Easy Doritos Casserole with Ground Beef
• Expert Tips
• Storing and Freezing
• Frequently Asked Questions:
• Do you love easy dinners?  Try these recipes…
• Easy Doritos Casserole with Ground Beef

You know that when you are making a casserole recipe over and over again that it has to be good.  In fact, this might just be the BEST Dorito Taco Casserole I have ever tasted.

With layers of crunchy Doritos chips, cheese and the hamburger mixture that is loaded with flavor… every single bite is totally delicious.

The addition of items like black beans and corn really take this hearty casserole to the next level.  

What goes into this recipe

• Ground Beef -I prefer to use a lean ground beef that is 93% lean {or more} so that you don’t have to mess with added grease but whatever you have on hand will do.  Just be sure to drain any excess grease.
• Taco Seasoning -A wonderful shortcut ingredient, taco seasoning already has spices like cumin and chili powder in it. If you have a homemade taco seasoning recipe you love, use it.
• Black Beans -Added for body and texture, black beans are always a welcome ingredient in any kind of taco dish. Pinto beans would make a great substitute.
• Corn– Frozen or canned corn both work great.  The bite and added sweetness is awesome in this casserole.
• Salsa– Another fabulous shortcut ingredient, salsa already has onions and green chilies.
• Cheese– Shredded cheese is added in layers, the cheese melts into the casserole and creates a wonderful texture and taste. Pepper jack cheese, Monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese are all great options.
• Doritos– I prefer the nacho cheese Doritos but you could use a different flavor if you prefer. Cool Ranch Doritos would also be wonderful.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations and Topping Ideas

When it comes to topping your Doritos Casserole the options are endless.  Think about what you would put on a taco and that is exactly what will work.

Some of our favorite toppings for Ground Beef Doritos Casserole are shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, sour cream, avocado, fresh cilantro, red or green onions and jalapeños.

You can also swap out the ground beef for ground chicken, ground turkey or even shredded chicken for a leaner option.

How to make Easy Doritos Casserole with Ground Beef

1. Open the top of the bag of Doritos chips and crush with your hands.  Make sure to not crush them too small or your casserole could be soggy.
2. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through.  Add the taco seasoning, black beans, corn and salsa to the ground beef and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Remove from heat.

3. Add 1/3 of the crushed chips to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
4. To the top of the crushed Doritos, add 1/2 of the ground beef mixture in an even layer.

5. Top the ground beef mixture with 1/3 of the shredded cheese in an even layer. For the next layer, start with 1/3 of the crushed Doritos tortilla chips over the shredded cheese, followed by the remaining meat mixture.
6. Finally, top with the remaining crunchy Dorito chips and the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese.  Cover with foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the casserole is heated through. Add your favorite toppings and serve.

Expert Tips

• Use ground beef with 93% fat.  If you use ground beef with more fat be sure to remove it.
• Don’t crush the Dorito chips too small.  If the pieces are too small they will get soggy easier.
• Grate your own cheese for the best melting.  I am all about time saving and using prepackaged shredded cheese but not if I want the ultimate melt.  Prepackaged shredded cheese has a substance on the cheese that keeps it from sticking together.  That substance can mess with cheeses melting superpowers.
• Change up the flavor of Doritos you use.  There are so many varieties of Doritos corn chips.  Don’t feel like you have to only use cheese flavored. Try this Chicken Taco Casserole with traditional corn chips.
• Be sure to remove the foil from the Doritos casserole after 20 minutes and then allow the casserole to continue cooking.  This will allow the casserole to brown slightly and finish baking perfectly.

Storing and Freezing

Store

Allow any leftover casserole to cool to room temperature before refrigerating it. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight container. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

To reheat, place individual servings in the microwave or reheat the entire casserole in the oven at a low temperature (around 325°F or 163°C) until heated through.

Freeze

If you intend to freeze the Mexican ground beef casserole, it’s best to assemble it but not bake it. Follow all the steps up to baking but stop before placing it in the oven.

Cover the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Alternatively, you can transfer it to a freezer-safe, airtight container.

When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the casserole in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Once thawed, follow the baking instructions from the recipe (remove the foil cover, of course) to warm it through. This may take a bit longer than the original bake time since it’s starting from a chilled state.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do you love easy dinners?  Try these recipes…

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