This is a retro casserole dream straight out of a 1970s church cookbook and your childhood snack drawer. Creamy, cheesy, and full of Tex-Mex comfort, it starts with cooked chicken (leftovers or rotisserie if you’re fancy—or just tired). Toss in Fritos, bake for 30 minutes, and boom: nostalgia on a plate. It’s weeknight easy, potluck perfect, and kid-approved—even if they never heard the Frito Bandito jingle some of us can still sing by heart.
🎧 Listen to the audio version of Frito chicken casserole
Hear all about this crunchy, cheesy throwback recipe with tips, tricks, and shortcuts. Then kick off your shoes and take a quick detour to Picklefork, Texas—where casseroles rule the supper table and small-town drama simmers hotter than a church potluck. Just hit play and let the story (and the snacks) begin.
Table of Contents
🎥 See how easy Frito casserole is to make
Watch how easy it is to turn a bag of Fritos and some chicken into the kind of cheesy, crunchy comfort food people will fight you for at the potluck. No fancy steps, no secret techniques—just real-deal weeknight dinner magic in a casserole dish.
🗝️Why this recipe is basically dinner therapy
- Budget-friendly – Chicken thighs, canned beans, and pantry staples keep it cheap without tasting cheap.
- Built-in crunch – Forget bread crumbs. Fritos are the crown jewel here and they’re not shy about it.
- Crowd-pleaser – Everyone loves a crunchy, cheesy, chicken situation. No complaints, just empty plates.
- Freezer-ready – Assemble ahead (minus the Fritos) and bake when you need a weeknight win.
🧾 Ingredient notes for Frito chicken Casserole
There are so many ways to change this easy casserole up! Change up the cheese and use pepper jack or colby. Try using the chili cheese Fritos - SO GOOD.
- Fritos – The crunchy star of the show. Don’t you dare leave them out—they’re the whole point.
- Shredded (or diced) cooked chicken – White meat, dark meat, rotisserie, leftover Sunday dinner—whatever’s hanging around the fridge lookin’ helpful.
- Cream of chicken soup – The glue that holds this Southern casserole together like church gossip.
- Diced bell peppers – A pop of color and a little veggie virtue so we can pretend this is balanced.
- Chopped onions – For that “mmm what’s cooking?” smell when your neighbor starts snooping.
- Rotel (tomatoes + green chiles) – Brings the drama. And a little kick in the casserole pants.
- Black beans – Protein, fiber, and sass. Optional, but they show up and do the work.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – The melt factor. The comfort. The whole dang reason you came here.
- Sweet corn – Adds just the right pop of sweetness and says “hey, I’m from Texas.”
- Chopped green chiles – For when you want a whisper of heat, not a full-blown jalapeño tantrum.
- Fresh cilantro – Totally optional but adds a bright little “bless your heart” at the end.
- Butter – Because obviously.
- Cream cheese – This is why everyone asks for the recipe. It’s creamy. It’s dreamy. It’s scandalously good.
This free, printable kitchen cheat sheet includes everything you need for last-minute comfort food cravings— variations, make-ahead tips, freezer instructions, and a little extra sass (you know… for flavor). Tape it inside your cabinet, toss it in your recipe binder, or hand it to your teenager with the words, “Don’t burn the house down.”
📖 Recipe
Frito Chicken Casserole Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- ½ cup bell pepper
- 15 ounces black beans
- 1 cup corn
- 7 ounces chiles
- 3 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes, or other canned tomatoes with chiles
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 9.25 ounces Fritos
- ¼ cup cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Grease a 8x11 inch baking dish (2 quart casserole) and set aside.
- Melt butter in a heavy skillet.
- Add the onion and bell peppers to the skillet and saute until onion is soft and starting to become transparent.
- Add the beans, corn, chiles, and chicken.
- Stir to combine.
- Add in the condensed cream of chicken soup, Rotel, and the cream cheese.
- Stir until the cream cheese is blended in smoothly.
- Stir in cilantro.
- Place ⅓ of the Fritos in the bottom of the greased baking dish.
- Top with half the chicken mixture.
- Top with ⅓ of the cheese.
- Add another layer of Fritos.
- Top with the remaining chicken mixture.
- Add a ⅓ of the cheese.
- Top with remaining Fritos.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese melts and the casserole is heated through.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a little more cilantro, and serve.
Notes
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- Save time by using rotisserie chicken or precooked chicken from the store.
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- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn't melt as well.
- If you use chili cheese Fritos, don’t blame me if you end up hiding the leftovers.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪How to make Frito chicken casserole step by step
Be sure to read how to cook chicken for casseroles or use a rotisserie chicken and save time!
- Melt the butter in a heavy skillet—cast iron if you’re feeling like your grandma’s watching. Toss in the onion and sauté until it’s soft, sweet, and looking a little see-through.
- Next, add the bell pepper and give it a few minutes to mingle.
- Dump in the tomatoes, beans, corn, and green chiles—basically the whole colorful cast of characters.
- Now stir in the cream of chicken soup, shredded chicken, Rotel, and that glorious block of cream cheese. Let it melt down into a creamy, cheesy mess of happiness.
- Grease up your favorite baking dish (the one that’s seen more casseroles than family arguments). Scatter about a third of the Fritos across the bottom—yes, we’re starting strong with the crunch.
- Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the chips, then sprinkle on a third of the cheese like you’re decorating a Christmas tree that melts.
- Repeat the layers so you’ve got chips, filling, and cheese stacked like a Tex-Mex lasagna your Aunt Linda wishes she thought of first.
- Slide it into a 350°F oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until it’s hot, bubbly, and the cheese is fully melted into gooey perfection.
Related recipes
- Dorito Chicken Casserole: Creamy chicken, loads of cheese, and a crunchy Dorito topping that tastes like every kid’s dream dinner. It’s the kind of casserole that makes you forget vegetables even exist.
- Dorito Ground Beef Casserole: Spiced ground beef, gooey cheese, and layers of nacho Doritos baked into a bubbling pan of comfort. Think taco night—but with less cleanup and way more crunch.
- Frito Pie:The Texas State Fair in a skillet: chili, cheese, onions, and a mountain of Fritos. Messy, bold, and unapologetically delicious.
Mexican beef and rice casserole is another easy recipe.
At the end of the day, Frito Chicken Casserole isn’t fancy—it’s just good, old-fashioned, crunchy comfort that hits the table fast and disappears even faster. Whether you’re feeding a hungry family, showing up at the potluck, or just needing a weeknight dinner that won’t make you cry into the sink, this recipe’s got you. Grab a bag of Fritos, toss it all together, and watch everyone fight for the corner pieces.
Missy Powell says
Tho was really good! I added a half packet of taco seasoning because some commented it needed more spices. Perfect!
Megan says
My family loved this. The hubby said he literally couldn’t stop putting it in his mouth. We will try it with some chili cheese Fritos in the future.
Martha Resar says
Delicious dinner and will definitely make it again!!
Brenda Schoffstall says
This was delicious!
Recipe doesn't state to use drained and rinse black beans. Also drained corn? I did both.
Marye says
drained and rinsed - yep. I need to fix it.