Easy Chicken Taco Casserole with Doritos (Gluten-Free Option)

An easy weeknight meal with Mexican inspired flavors, this chicken taco casserole recipe is sure to become a family favorite! This delicious recipe is quick to whip up and makes a great freezer meal! A simple ingredient swap makes this casserole gluten-free.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to Make Taco Chicken Casserole Gluten-Free
• Other Special Dietary Needs
• How to Make Chicken Taco Casserole
• What to Serve with Mexican Chicken Casserole
• More Mexican-Inspired Dinners
• Make Ahead Instructions
• How to Store Leftovers
• How to Make a Smaller Batch
• FAQ
• Recipe
• Comments and Ratings

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I love a good ground chicken recipe, this wholesome meal is no exception! This Mexican chicken taco casserole with rice has the classic flavors of tacos and burritos but without all the mess... unless you let your kids stir it together for you. Well, then you'll be sweeping the floor... learned that one the hard way!

Here's what else you'll love about this loaded chicken taco casserole:

• Make it ahead. You can refrigerate or freeze this casserole to get a head start on dinner.
• Easy to make with convenient ingredients, like canned beans, tomatoes, and corn and pre-cooked chicken.
• Stir it up and have a hearty meal on the dinner table in less than an hour.
• Flavors and textures the whole family will love like taco seasoning and crunchy tortilla chips.
• Great for leftovers or meal prep! Simply reheat in the oven or microwave.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Ground Chicken: You can substitute diced grilled chicken breasts, baked chicken, or shredded rotisserie chicken. Ground turkey will also work! You could also use an extra can of beans to make this a meatless meal.
• Minute Rice: For pretty much everything else, I typically cook with long-grain rice, but for this casserole, 5-Minute Rice is the way to go. It's convenient and always cooks through. If you would rather use long-grain rice or brown rice, you'll need to par-cook it first.
• Cream of Chicken Soup: If, like me, you must avoid gluten, substitute gluten-free cream of chicken soup, see below for brand suggestions.
• Diced tomatoes and Green Chilies: If you're making this for kids or others who don't like spicy foods, be sure to get Mild Ro*Tel. Otherwise, any can of diced tomatoes and green chilies is fine.
• Crushed Doritos or Tortilla Chips: To me the best part of this casserole is the crunchy tortilla chip topping! Taco Doritos are the best if you can find them. Nacho Cheese Doritos or any kind of plain tortilla chips will also work.
• Canned Black beans and Corn: Use canned beans and corn, be sure to drain and rinse first. Frozen corn would also work. You could also throw in some diced black olives if you like them.
• Shredded Cheese: I love using Mexican blend cheese, but cheddar cheese, a cheddar blend, or Colby-jack blend will also work.
• Taco Seasoning Mix: Any taco seasoning mix will work, whether homemade taco seasoning or store-bought.

How to Make Taco Chicken Casserole Gluten-Free

I always make this casserole gluten-free, because I have celiac disease. It's very simple to do and no one notices a difference. Here's what you'll need to modify or check the ingredients list for:

• Check your tortilla chips. Most Doritos don't contain gluten ingredients, but are not specifically labeled gluten-free. Use gluten-free Doritos or plain tortilla chips.
• Use gluten-free condensed soup. It's pretty easy to find a gluten-free cream of chicken soup these days. Walmart and Hy-Vee have a store-brand option. Pacific Foods is another brand I see frequently. You can also make an easy 5-minute homemade version.
• Check your rice. Minute brand rice is labeled gluten-free. Most varieties should be gluten-free, but you should double-check the labels to be sure.
• Check your taco seasoning: Most taco seasoning does not contain gluten, but you should be sure to check the labels. I use Spice Islands, which I get it from costco and it's labeled gluten-free.
• The other ingredients should all be naturally gluten-free, including the shredded cheese.

Other Special Dietary Needs

• Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free milk, cheese, and cream soup. You can also omit the cheese if you prefer. Use plain tortilla chips.
• Low carb: To make this casserole lower in carbs, use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.

How to Make Chicken Taco Casserole

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, beans, corn, shredded cheddar cheese, and remaining ingredients, except the chips. Be sure to cook your chicken first, if needed.
2. Pour the chicken mixture into a prepared baking dish greased with cooking spray.
3. Crunch up the tortilla chips with a rolling pin or wooden spoon.
4. Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips over the casserole.
5. Bake until golden and bubbly.

What to Serve with Mexican Chicken Casserole

For us, this casserole is a complete meal all in of itself, but if you'd like to add something to round out the meal, you might consider making:

• Jiffy-Style Cornbread.
• A small salad with cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
• Chips and fresh salsa or guacamole.
• Serve the casserole with your favorite taco fixings such as shredded lettuce, sliced green onions, or sour cream.

More Mexican-Inspired Dinners

If you enjoy this chicken taco casserole recipe and need some more easy recipes with Mexican flavors, I've got you covered!

• These ground chicken tacos are a family favorite on regular rotation here.
• This citrus marinade is perfect for flavorful fajitas.
• Chicken tinga tostadas are a 15-minute instant pot meal.
• These chicken enchiladas verdes are made with an easy homemade green enchilada sauce.

Make Ahead Instructions

How to Refrigerate this Casserole

• The casserole can be made 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated.
• Mix the casserole, pour into greased casserole dish, and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil until you're ready to bake.
• Reserve the tortilla chips to sprinkle on top just before baking.
• Pull the casserole out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before preheating the oven. This will help prevent any issues with your casserole dish cracking from thermal shock.

How to Freeze this Casserole

This chicken taco bake recipe makes a great freezer meal! It's actually one of my favorite recipes to freeze because it turns out just as good as fresh. I've perfected the way to freeze this casserole to make it as easy as possible for later.

• Follow the recipe up until the point of pouring the casserole into the greased dish.
• Instead, place the combined casserole (excluding the chips) in a large ziploc bag.
• Then place the bag inside of the dish you'll eventually cook it in.
• Flatten the mixture down to fill the casserole dish.
• Freeze the casserole in the dish until solid.
• Once solid, you can remove the bag, retrieve your dish, and place the bag with the casserole back in the freezer.
• When you're ready to eat the casserole, you can pop the frozen mixture out of the bag and place it right back in the that same casserole dish. It's best to thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight, but you can use the microwave to thaw if you're in a hurry.
• Bake as directed. If the casserole looks dry, you can stir in a little extra milk before topping with tortilla chips and baking

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or an oven at 350°F until heated through.

How to Make a Smaller Batch

This recipe makes quite a large amount of food, it will comfortably serve about 6-8 people. Or a family of 4-5 with leftovers.

If you're making this dish for a family of 2-3, or 4 smaller appetites, it is best to make the entire recipe and then freeze half for later.

After mixing the casserole, pour half of the chicken mixture into a 9-inch or 1.5 quart casserole dish. Place the rest of the mixture in a freezer bag and freeze using the instructions above. Reserve half of the crushed chips and freeze those for later as well.

FAQ

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