This Frito Chicken Casserole is like giving yourself permission to eat a hearty chicken dip for dinner! The chicken, cheese, peppers, and salty chips melt together and feel like a treat, but it’s really an easy casserole recipe for a great dinner idea! This walking taco casserole recipe is a similar version, using ground beef.
Anytime we can use corn chips in a recipe, like in this Frito Chili Pie or in this Buffalo Chicken Soup, it’s a win! So count this Frito casserole in with our other favorite comfort foods, for sure!
Sometimes people see the word “casserole” and groan. Well, this Frito chicken recipe isn’t your mom’s casserole dish! Much like my favorite Doritos chicken casserole, the flavors are elevated here. I also enjoy using new carb combinations in my casserole, so check out a fun stuffing chicken casserole, too.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fun to eat: If you scoop corn chips, you can eat them like a dip! Otherwise, use smaller chips or crush them to eat with a fork.
- Convenient: Use pantry items to make this when you’re in a rush.
- Adjust the heat: Make this Frito casserole as mild or spicy as you like, either with mix-ins or toppings.
Ingredients for Frito Chicken Casserole
I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients below with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.
- Chicken – Make sure and cook your chicken so it is easy to shred, such as in your slow cooker. This is also a great recipe to use up leftovers!
- Canned soup – I use one can of cream of mushroom and one cream of chicken. You can always swap in other cans of cream soup if that’s what you have on hand.
- Sour cream – Will help thin out the soup to a creamy consistency.
- Cheese – Colby Jack is my favorite for a Mexican-inspired dish but reach for anything you have or any combo, including taco-seasoned cheese or sharp cheddar.
- Corn – Pick up canned or frozen kernels.
- Black beans – Use about half a can here and save the rest to add to quick lunch salads.
Substitutions
Sometimes substitutions are necessary because of ingredients that are unavailable or needed for dietary restrictions. Here are some suggestions that can help:
- Chicken – short on time? Bring home a rotisserie chicken and shred it up while the oven preheats. You can also dice up leftover Thanksgiving turkey here or use slow cooker shredded chicken that you made in advance!
- Corn – if you don’t like the taste of canned corn, you can easily use frozen instead. Or go the other way and cook corn on the cob and cut the corn kernels off.
- Beans – often cook beans from dried? Use those instead of a can.
How to Make Chicken Frito Pie
Frito casserole with cream of chicken soup couldn’t be easier. We use one bowl to mix everything up before spreading it in a baking dish.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
STEP 1. Begin combining. Add soup, chicken, sour cream, tomatoes, and seasoning to a large bowl (Image 1).
STEP 2. Add color. Stir corn and black beans into the bowl (Image 2). Make sure everything is well combined.
Tip: If using canned corn and beans, be sure and drain very well so the mixture isn’t watery.
STEP 3. Fill the dish. Spread the chicken mixture evenly into a casserole or baking dish (Image 3). Top with large scooping corn chips (Image 4).
STEP 5. Say cheese! Spread shredded cheese evenly over the entire casserole and bake until hot and bubbly!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Use scooping corn chips. Look for name brand “Scoops” for a great dipping experience. It’s so fun to eat this casserole like a dip! If you prefer, you can use regular corn chips whole or crushed.
- Heat things up. If you like spicy food, you can stir in jalapeños, hot sauce, or cayenne pepper to the mixing bowl. These can also be added on top of individual servings.
Recipe FAQs
I think the reigning classic casserole side dish is a fresh green salad. Having this nice cool dish (maybe this jalapeno ranch dressing?) is a great contrast to the hot casserole. I also love to add any green veggie on the side if you prefer something warm, such as peas or roasted broccoli.
Did you know that a casserole consists of 5 main parts? Protein, starch, vegetable, sauce, and cheese. The sauce holds the protein, starch, and veggies together, and then cheese is the finishing touch.
I aim for heat, seasoning, and crunch. A big mistake that is made is combining a bunch of bland ingredients and cooking until they are mush. This is what makes people groan about casseroles! But if you level it up with great flavors and a nice crunchy topping, it will become a family favorite.
Storage
Leftovers of this Frito Chicken casserole will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or oven, keeping in mind that the chips will lose their crunch. You can also reheat the filling and add fresh chips for scooping when you serve.
More Casserole Recipes You’ll Love
If you love similar casserole recipes, don’t skip this taquito chicken casserole too! It’s 5 ingredients, and ready in under 30 minutes!
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Recipe
Frito Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies drained
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned corn drained
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups dipping corn chips
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cream of mushroom, soup, cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes and green chilies, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Add the corn, and black beans to the chicken mixture. Mix well.
- Transfer the chicken mixture to prepared baking dish. Spread it evenly.
- Place the corn chips on top of the chicken mixture, covering it evenly.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the corn chips.
- Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- To save time, you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken for this recipe. Simply shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using your hands or a fork.
- If you like your casserole a little bit spicy, you can add some jalapeños, hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the chicken mixture.
- We prefer using the larger-sized corn chips, commonly used for dipping, as a topping for this casserole. This way, we can easily grab a chip and use it to scoop up the delicious chicken mixture for a satisfying bite.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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