Take your chicken tenders to a whole new level of flavor with this Cool Ranch Doritos Chicken recipe! The combination of tender chicken breasts and crunchy, tangy Doritos tortilla chips is an irresistible dish that’s easy to make and perfect for busy weeknight dinners and party appetizers.
These crunchy chicken tenders come together in about 15 minutes and are oven baked like my family’s favorite crispy potato chip chicken recipe.
Instead of potato chips, I decided to try using the same technique with cool ranch Doritos. It did not disappoint! It was easy to make with minimal prep, and that Doritos coating crisped up amazingly in the oven!
This baked Doritos chicken is unique and delicious, but also versatile. You can serve the tenders as an appetizer or snack, or with all of your favorite side dishes to make a hearty meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Family Friendly Flavor: People of all ages love the combination of tender chicken with crunchy Doritos coating.
Uniquely Delicious: Cool Ranch Doritos make the absolute best coating for chicken! The chips have plenty of crunch and flavor that will surprise you.
Easy to Make: This simple Dorito crusted chicken takes just 15 minutes to prepare and bakes in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients Notes
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
Boneless chicken tenders (1 1/4 pounds) – Chicken strips or chicken breasts work well here. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Egg – Acts as a binding agent to help the crushed Doritos stick to the chicken.
Milk (1/4 cup) – Combined with the egg, this helps coat the chicken evenly so that the crunchy coating is also more evenly distributed. You can use any kind of milk you have on hand!
Ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon) – For a touch of heat and added flavor. You don’t need to add any extra salt here, since the Doritos are quite salty.
Crushed cool ranch Doritos (1 1/2 cups) – The star of the show—these chips pack all the seasoning and crunch you need for a delicious crust.
Equipment Needed
You don’t need any specialized kitchen tools to prepare this recipe. You’ll need:
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Shallow Dish
- Rolling Pin
- Zip-lock Bag
- Metal Spatula
Step by Step Instructions
STEP ONE: Grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
STEP TWO: Beat the egg, milk and black pepper together in a shallow bowl.
STEP THREE: Put Doritos chips in a large zip lock bag and crush in small pieces with a rolling pin.
STEP FOUR: Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture and drop them one at a time in the bag, shaking gently to coat with the chips.
STEP FIVE: Arrange the coated chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet.
Take any leftover chips from the bag and sprinkle them over the top of the chicken pieces, pressing lightly so they stick.
STEP SIX: Bake the chicken for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to flip each of the tenders over.
STEP SEVEN: Return to the oven and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
Storing and Reheating
To store, place the leftover cool ranch Doritos chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To reheat, arrange the chicken on a greased baking sheet and reheat in a 375°F oven for 6-7 minutes, or until heated through. Avoid microwaving, as it can make the coating soggy. If you don’t want to turn on the oven, pop them in the air fryer instead!
Recipe Variations
- Tortilla chip chicken: If you don’t have cool ranch Doritos on hand, you can replace them with plain crushed tortilla chips instead!
- Make it spicy: Use Flamin’ Hot Doritos for a spicy variation!
- Nuggets: Instead of chicken tenders, you can make Doritos chicken nuggets. Simply cut up the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and follow the recipe. You may need to reduce the cooking time slightly.
What to Serve With Tortilla Crusted Chicken
Serve your Dorito breaded chicken tenders with your favorite dipping sauces and side dishes!
I love to serve these with ranch dressing, smoky barbecue sauce, or honey mustard sauce for dipping.
For a bit of a kick, serve them with a spicy sweet chili sauce!
As far as side dishes go, you can serve these crispy chicken tenders with simple sides like fries or a side salad. I like to serve mine with fried sweet corn with bacon or Southern macaroni salad!
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Cool Ranch Doritos Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- 1 shallow dish
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 zip-lock bag
- 1 Metal spatula
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pound boneless chicken tenders cut in 2-inch strips
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Cool Ranch Doritos (about 8 ounces whole chips)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Beat the egg, milk and black pepper together in a shallow bowl.
- Put Doritos chips in a large zip lock bag and crush in small pieces with a rolling pin.
- Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture and drop them one at a time in the bag, shaking gently to coat with the chips.
- Arrange the coated chicken pieces on the greased baking sheet. Take any leftover chips from the bag and sprinkle them over the top of the chicken pieces, pressing lightly so they stick.
- Bake the chicken for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to flip each of the tenders over.
- Return to the oven and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Eliza Cross is the creator of Happy Simple Living, where she shares ideas to help busy people simplify cooking, gardening, holidays, home, and money. She is also the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon.
