Gluten-Free Chicken Taco Casserole with Doritos

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I love a good gluten-free ground chicken recipe, this wholesome meal is no exception! This easy taco casserole with white rice, ro-tel tomatoes, black beans, and corn has the taco flavors the entire family will enjoy. It's a great way to switch up your usual ground beef taco night.

Need more to love about this Mexican casserole?

• You can make it ahead. Refrigerate or freeze to get a head start on dinner.
• Convenient ingredients.
• Perfect for those nights you just don't feel like cooking.
• Great for leftovers. Simply reheat in the oven or microwave.

If you want another great Mexican inspired meal, try these easy Chicken Tinga Tostadas! This stuffed bell pepper casserole is another great casserole for busy weeknights! As well as this easy cowboy casserole topped with tater tots!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Ground Chicken: Find this in the meat case near the chicken or ground turkey.
• Minute Rice: I typically cook with long-grain white rice, but for this casserole, 5-Minute Rice is the way to go because it's convenient and always cooks through. If you would rather use long-grain rice or brown rice, you'll want to par-cook it first to ensure it cooks in time. We have done this, but in the end prefer the Minute Rice.
• Gluten-Free Cream of Chicken Soup: With plenty of options available, feel free to use your favorite brand, or make your own gluten-free cream of chicken substitute in about five minutes.
• Rotel 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.
• Canned Black beans and Corn: Use canned beans and canned 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 typically use Mexican blend cheese, but cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or Colby-jack will also work. Yes, shredded cheese is gluten-free.
• Taco Seasoning Mix: Any taco seasoning mix will work, whether you make a homemade taco seasoning with chili powder and garlic poder, or use store-bought. I like the Spice Islands taco seasoning from Costco, but I've also used McCormick in the past.
• 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 corn tortilla chips, like Tostitos, will also work. Regular Doritos do not contain gluten ingredients, but are not labeled gluten-free. While many generic or other brands are available with gluten-free labels. Choose whichever you prefer or are comfortable with. Personally, I've had regular Doritos many times without an issue.

*The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Can I use a different meat?

Yes, you can use pretty much any meat you prefer in this dish. Whether that be lean ground beef, ground turkey, or shredded rotisserie chicken. It's a great way to use up leftover baked or grilled chicken as well. For ground meats, follow the instructions as outlined in the recipe card below. For pre-cooked meats, just mix the casserole together, no need to reheat first.

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. Prepare your taco meat. Brown the ground chicken over medium-high heat in a skillet and stir in the taco seasoning. Add the taco meat mixture to a large bowl. Then add in the remaining ingredients, except for the chips, and stir to combine.
2. Pour the casserole mixture into a greased baking dish.
3. Crunch up the tortilla chips with a rolling pin.
4. Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips over the casserole.
5. Bake until golden and bubbly.

How long do I bake gluten-free taco casserole?

Generally, this casserole bakes at 350°F for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bake times can vary depending on the size of your casserole dish and how cold the casserole is when you place it in the oven.

How to Serve Chicken Taco Casserole

Serve this casserole with your favorite taco toppings; such as sour cream, pico de Gallo, shredded lettuce, or a sprinkle of sliced green onions.

If you'd like to add something to round out the meal, you might consider making:

• Gluten-free Jiffy-Style Cornbread; add some cheddar cheese and diced jalapeño to the batter for a Mexican twist.
• A small side salad with cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
• Some chips and fresh blender salsa or easy guacamole.

Is this casserole good for meal prep or freezing?

Yes! Below I've outlined the instructions for refrigerating, freezing, or reheating the leftovers from this casserole.

How to make this casserole ahead:

• 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.
• The casserole may take longer to bake if it's cold, so plan for 1 hour of baking time.

How to freeze this casserole:

This chicken taco casserole 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 reheat the 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.

Can I 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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