This Doritos Crusted Chicken recipe is an easy, 4 ingredient dinner. It’s full of flavor, crispy and the kids will love it. Plus, they’re good with so many different condiments and dips.
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Why this Doritos Crusted Chicken Recipe is a Keeper
I love this chicken recipe because it’s a quick and easy meal that’s also super delicious.
- The Built-In Seasoning: You don’t need a spice rack. The chips already contain salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and MSG, which provides an instant “umami” bomb.
- Extreme Crunch: Unlike breadcrumbs, which can get soggy, the corn-based chip creates a jagged, crispy shell that holds up beautifully in the oven.
- Versatility: You can turn these into nuggets, tenders, or full breasts depending on how much time you have.
How Do I Get the Chips to Actually Stick to the Chicken?
If you find that the crumbs are falling off, pat them onto the chicken to help them stick.
Pro Tip for Baked Chicken
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to help the breading stick.
Ingredient Notes for Dorito Chicken Tenders
You only need a few simple ingredients and most are pantry staples for this easy to follow recipe with a fun twist for everyone who love doritos.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: Make this recipe with chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Slice them into nugget size or into strips.
- Doritos: I like to make cheesy, juicy chicken fingers with nacho cheese Doritos.
Variations and Substitutions – Cool Ranch Doritos Chicken
Doritos chicken tenders are super easy to customize. I like to take it to the next level by using different ingredients or trying different flavors.
- The Flavor: Switch from Nacho Cheese to Cool Ranch Doritos for a zesty, herby vibe, or Spicy Sweet Chili for a kick.
- The Binder: If you’re out of eggs, use mayonnaise or heavy cream. Mayo actually keeps the chicken incredibly moist and creates a very thick crust.
- Gluten-Free: Use Gluten-Free flour for the dredging step (Doritos themselves are often considered gluten-free, but always check the specific bag for “GF” certification/cross-contamination).
Special Equipment Needed to Make Dorito Chicken
A specific piece of equipment can sometimes make all the difference in a recipe. For this recipe, just a couple of things are helpful.
- Wire Cooling Rack: Placing a wire rack on top of your baking sheet allows hot air to circulate under the chicken, preventing a “soggy bottom.”
How to Make Dorito Crusted Chicken
In just 3 steps, you can have your very own homemade chicken tenders. This recipe takes just a little effort but the results are well worth it.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Preheat Oven & Prep Pan: Preheat the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place an oven-safe rack on top.
- Prep Chicken & Breading: Pulse the chips in a blender or place the Doritos in a large zip-lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet and place the Doritos chips in a shallow dish. In another dish, whisk the egg and milk together. Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch strips.
- Coat the Chicken & Bake: Dredge each chicken strip in the egg mixture, then in the Dorito crumbs. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake chicken until done.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Crusted Chicken Tenders
Get dinner on the table even faster with a few make-ahead steps.
- Slice and Season the Chicken: Cut chicken into even strips for consistent cooking. Pat dry and season lightly with salt, pepper, and any spices you’re using. Store chicken pieces in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Crushed Tortilla Chips: Use a food processor or a zip‑top bag and rolling pin. Store the crumbs in an airtight container or jar. They stay crisp for days and make coating a breeze.
Alternate Cooking Methods – Air Fryer Chicken
Baking moist and juicy chicken tenders is the best way to go, but you can also fry the chicken a couple different ways. You can make this comfort food several different ways.
- Air Fry: This is actually the preferred method. Cook at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. It yields a crunch that rivals deep-frying with 90% less oil. You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket.
- Pan-Fry: Fry in a shallow layer of neutral oil (like canola) over medium heat. Be careful: the sugar in the chip seasoning can burn quickly, so keep an eye on the temp.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftovers
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Avoid the microwave, it will make the crust chewy. Use an air fryer (350°F for 4 mins) for crispy chicken or the oven (375°F for 10 mins) to restore the crunch.
- Use Leftovers: Slice cold or reheated tender chicken strips and put them on a large salad with ranch dressing, or wrap them in a tortilla with lettuce and lime crema.
Common Questions About This Crushed Doritos Recipe
Tortilla chips, barbeque chips, pretzels and fritos corn chips all work great in the place of the doritos mixture.
If the outside burnt but the inside was still raw, your oven was probably too hot. Be sure to bake at the correct temperature for the recommended cooking time.
Try these chicken tenders with ranch, chipotle mayo, honey mustard or queso‑style dip.
Tips for Making Baked Doritos Chicken Recipe
- Don’t Over-Crush: If you pulverize the chips into a fine powder, you lose the crunchy texture. Aim for a mix of “sand” and “small pebbles.”
- The “Wet Hand/Dry Hand” Rule: Use one hand for the egg wash and the other for the flour/chips. This prevents your fingers from becoming breaded “club hands.”
- Internal Temp: Chicken breast dries out fast. Pull it out of the oven exactly when the internal temperature hits 165°F (74°C).
- Serve With: Serve with Copycat Chick Fil A Sauce, Crispy Spiced Potato Wedges or Red Robin Campfire Sauce.
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Doritos Crusted Chicken
Video
Equipment
- Tin Foil
- Shallow Dish
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Ingredients
- 1 Egg
- ¼ cup Milk
- 235 grams Doritos, 1 bag
- 1 pound Chicken breasts, or Chicken Tenders
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and place an oven-safe rack overtop. Set aside.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk. Set aside.
- Place the Doritos in a food processor and blitz until chips resemble breadcrumbs. Empty into a second shallow dish.
- Cut the chicken breasts into strips about 1″ thick.
- Dredge the chicken tenders in the egg-milk mixture, and then coat completely in the Dorito crumbs.
- Place the coated chicken tenders on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until an inserted meat thermometer reads 165℉.
Christina’s Notes
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great finger food to bring to a party and not to mention but they will fly off the table. To double this recipe, proportionally increase ingredients and bake in batches.
- Air Fryer: You can also make these in an air fryer, cook at 400 degrees f for about 15-18 minutes checking to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Mexican Chicken Casserole with Doritos: To make a Mexican chicken casserole, bake these in casserole dish. After they come out the oven top with your favorite nacho toppings.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.