Dorito chicken is a flavorful way to pair your favorite snack chips with chicken–an affordable protein. Dorito crusted chicken is crispy and crunchy, and the kids (and adults) will love this delicious meal.
Doritos Chicken is made with juicy chicken breasts coated in crushed Doritos or tortilla chips then oven baked until hot and crispy. This super tasty Doritos crusted chicken recipe is one of the most requested recipes in my house.
Like this Baked Ranch Chicken and this Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast, this can be paired with your favorite sides and a few dipping sauces for an incredible meal the whole family will love.
Your family will ask for Dorito chicken over and over again, and you won’t mind! Cool Ranch Doritos, Nacho Cheese Doritos, or even plain tortilla chips are perfect for making this.
You can buy chips just for this recipe, but it’s the perfect way to use up leftover chips or chips that aren’t quite as fresh as when you first opened the bag.
Simply crush Doritos into a fine crumb before coating the chicken, and you will have delicious and crunchy Doritos crusted chicken.
Why Make This Recipe
- They’re Incredibly Crunchy – It’s hard to beat the crunch of this crispy chicken. Plus, the flavor the Doritos brings is on point.
- Kid-friendly – Happy kids make dinnertime an excellent time for the whole family. Both kids and adults love Doritos chicken.
- Only 5 Ingredients – Simple chicken recipes are always my favorite. This is made with just five simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand!
- Leftovers – eat again the next day in a taco salad or over pasta.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – We’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts for Dorito chicken, but you could use chicken tenders, chicken thighs, or even bone-in chicken wings or drumsticks. Just adjust the cooking time.
- Salt & Pepper – A bit of salt and pepper helps to season the chicken, but go easy, as the seasoned chips bring lots of flavor.
- Egg – Egg wash (or a light spritz of oil) helps the crushed chips to adhere to the chicken.
- Doritos – Cool Ranch Doritos are our favorite, but you can use any Doritos flavor or even plain tortilla chips. Spicy nacho cheese Doritos are also a lot of fun. If using plain chips, you will want to bump up the seasoning. Powdered ranch flavoring is a great option.
How To Make Doritos Chicken
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C.
- Finely crush tortilla chips in a bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. I like leaving some bigger pieces too.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place beaten egg in one bowl and tortilla crumb in another shallow bowl.
- Dip the chicken in the egg mixture. (Alternately, you can spray the chicken with a light coating of oil).
- Coat the chicken breasts in tortilla crumbs and place in a prepared baking dish or on a large baking sheet.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake the chicken for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil, then bake for another 10-15 minutes till the Dorito chicken is fully cooked.
Note: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Tips For Success
- Make sure some of the crushed Doritos are crushed fine (not a powder, just smaller). The smaller the pieces, the easier they will stick to the chicken.
- Gently press the crushed Doritos into the chicken to ensure an even coating.
- If doing large amounts, then make the coated chicken in batches; only put some of the crushed chips in a bowl to coat at any one time. As if the chips get wet /soggy they won’t stick on properly.
- Make sure the meat is well covered in chips for maximum crunch effect.
- Place the chicken on an oven-safe rack on a prepared baking sheet for the crispiest coating.
- Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 – 10 minutes before slicing.
- The meat will cook more evenly if the chicken is an even thickness. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the chicken, so it is even across the piece. This also helps to keep the chicken moist.
- For thicker breasts, you can slice them in half lengthwise.
- Cooking times can vary based on the size and thickness of the chicken.
- Be sure to cook the meat covered with foil for the first 30 minutes of the cooking time. This will prevent the chips from burning.
- Don’t forget to add your favorite dipping sauce. You can use ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or seasoned sour cream.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C before serving.
- Please note this can be fried on the stovetop or air fried as well. Just be careful the Doritos don’t burn when frying.
- Serve immediately for the best flavor.
Variations
- Swap the Doritos – We used ranch Doritos, but you could use nacho flavor or even plain tortilla chips. If you like spicy, try one of the hot Dorito flavors.
- Make Tenders or Nuggets – Use chicken tenders or cut the chicken into bite-sized nuggets. Be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly to account for the smaller pieces of chicken.
- Use Bone In Chicken – Kids love drumsticks and wings, and this recipe is perfect for bone in chicken. Adjust cooking times accordingly.
- Add More Flavor – Soak the chicken in buttermilk or dredge in mayo, sour cream, or Greek yogurt before coating it in crushed tortillas. You can even add extra seasoning to flavor.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Buy Chicken in Bulk – Stock up on chicken when it is on sale or buy it in bulk quantities. Separate into single servings and store it in the freezer.
- Freeze Leftover Doritos – Don’t waste your leftover tortilla chips! Place unused Doritos into a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. They will keep well for about 6 months, so you can make this recipe again and again.
- Use Leftovers – Leftover chicken can be sliced and served over a salad or wrap for a flavorful lunch.
- Make it a Meal – Along with your favorite dipping sauce, serve the chicken with your favorite side dishes such as rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies, or a fresh green salad to make it a complete meal.
Prep Ahead And Storage
- Prep Ahead – Prepare the Doritos in advance. Store them in the freezer until ready to use.
- Store – Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze – This Dorito crusted chicken recipe freezes well before and after baking. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and flash freeze for 1-2 hours. Put the frozen breasts into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. Note: If you freeze pre-baked chicken, it may not be as crispy when reheated.
- Reheat – Thaw out as many pieces of chicken as you need. Bake uncooked chicken according to the recipe. To reheat previously cooked chicken, bake at 400 degrees F / 204 degrees C for 5 minutes or until heated through.
Meal Prep
- Enjoy tonight, then eat the leftovers for four more days.
- Dorito chicken tastes great cold. Enjoy the leftovers sliced over a Caesar salad or sandwich (my kids love this in a wrap) for an easy lunch.
FAQs
We love the Ranch Doritos, but this recipe is perfect for experimenting. Any flavor of Doritos will work, from Nacho Cheese to Spicy Sweet Chili, from plain tortilla chips to the hot varieties.
You can even customize this recipe and dip everyone’s chicken into their favorite flavor of Doritos.
This recipe works with any cut of chicken, from nuggets to whole chicken breasts and from bone-in to boneless. You will need to adjust cooking times accordingly and check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
Yes! Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket and spray with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
Cook whole breasts for 10-12 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.
If your air fryer is small, cook in batches and keep the extra Dorito chicken tenders in a warm oven while you cook the remaining chicken strips. Adjust cooking times for thinner chicken breasts or other cuts of chicken.
You can totally double it (double the ingredients) up or halve it (halve the ingredients), depending on what you need.
You totally can. Bake these till done. Remove from the oven, top with cheese, and broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted. Then top with your favorites such as sour cream, green onions, cooked black beans, salsa, and guacamole.
More Recipes You May Like
Serving Suggestions
This is fantastic served with some crispy roast potatoes, a simple salad, dump and start buttery Instant Pot Red Potatoes, or this Pico De Gallo – Chipotle Copycat recipe.
You can also serve them alongside this Instant Pot Fajita Rice and these Mexican S’Mores.
Feel free to serve with dipping sauces such as Ranch sauce, blue cheese dressing, etc.
Did you make this recipe? Then I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and star rating below. And I really appreciate you sharing this recipe with your family and friends. Enjoy every mouthful 😊🍲 – Bintu
Get The Doritos Chicken Recipe:
Doritos Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 30 ounces (870g) chicken breast 5 medium size chicken breasts
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg beaten, to use as egg wash
- 3 cups (300g) Cool Ranch Doritos chips or other flavored tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C.
- Finely crush tortilla chips in a bag or in a food processor.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place beaten egg in one bowl and tortilla crumb in another shallow bowl.
- Dip the chicken in the egg mixture. (Alternately, you can spray the chicken with a light coating of oil)
- Coat the chicken breasts in tortilla crumbs and place in a prepared baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake the chicken for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil then bake for another 10-15 minutes till the Dorito chicken is fully cooked.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the crushed Doritos are crushed fine. The smaller the pieces, the easier they will stick to the chicken.
- Gently press the crushed Doritos into the chicken to ensure an even coating.
- Place the chicken on an oven-safe rack on a prepared baking sheet for the crispiest coating.
- Let the Dorito chicken rest for 5 – 10 minutes before slicing.
- The chicken breast will cook more evenly if the chicken is of even thickness. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the chicken, so it is even across the piece. This also helps to keep the chicken moist.
- For thicker breasts, you can slice them in half lengthwise.
- Cooking times for Doritos chicken can vary based on the size and thickness of the chicken.
- Be sure to cook the chicken covered with foil for the first 30 minutes of the cooking time. This will prevent the Doritos from burning.
- Don’t forget to add your favorite dipping sauce. You can use ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or seasoned sour cream.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C before serving.
- Storage – keep in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 4 days.
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