Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Name: Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 Cups Cooked Chicken (diced or shredded); 16 oz. Sour Cream; 1 Package Ranch Dressing Mix; 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Cooked Bacon; 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese; 28- 32 oz Package of Frozen Tater Tots; 1 Cup Heavy Cream; 1/4 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Pepper; 1/2 tsp Onion Powder

Chicken tater tot casserole is an easy and delicious dinner that your whole family will enjoy. Packed with creamy chicken, ranch flavoring, bacon, cheese, and of course crispy tater tots it is the perfect comfort food!

A close-up of a portion of chicken tater tot casserole being held on a spatula.

I love a tater tot casserole! Traditional easy tater tot casserole and breakfast tater tot casserole are two that I make often for my family, but I think this easy chicken tater tot casserole with it’s creamy sauce, chicken and bacon is our favorite! This is such an easy dinner that everyone loves!

We love this recipe because it is hearty and delicious, and full of all of our favorite flavors! The flavors in this casserole are a lot like “Crack Chicken” or my Million Dollar Chicken. There is something about the combination of creamy sauce, ranch, bacon, cheese and chicken that creates a taste combination that is to die for!

Other Recipes You’ll Love-
Easy Chicken Fajita Casserole– Easy Chicken Fajita Casserole is loaded with tender chicken, colorful bell peppers, and onions, but it also features a hint of spicy seasoning and melty cheese to bring it all together.
Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake– This creamy chicken and bacon pasta bake is a delicious and easy-to-make dinner recipe that will satisfy the whole family. This hearty dish combines tender chicken, crispy bacon, and al dente pasta, all smothered in a creamy ranch sauce and topped with melted cheese.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Burgers– These chicken bacon ranch burgers (also called crack chicken burgers) are a delicious blend of chicken, bacon, ranch flavor and cheddar cheese. They are full of so much flavor and make a great easy dinner that everyone loves!

An overhead view of a chicken tater tot casserole in a glass baking pan.

FAQ, Tips & Substitutions for Tater Tot Casserole With Chicken

Add Vegetables- I like to serve this casserole with a side of veggies, but you can also make this a one dish meal by mixing the veggies in! We like to add frozen mixed vegetables, green beans or peas. You could also use spinach or broccoli.

Can I use soup instead of heavy cream? Yes! There are several tater tot chicken casserole recipes that call for condensed soup. I personally like to make mine with heavy cream and additional spices but if you prefer the taste of cream of chicken soup you can use it. You can also make tater tot casserole with other cream soup flavors like cream of celery, cream of mushroom, or any other condensed cream soup.

Make your chicken ahead- This is a great recipe to use up leftover chicken, to cook chicken ahead of time and have ready to go, or you can even use rotisserie chicken. I like to use chicken that has been seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. This results in well seasoned chicken that blends well with the ranch flavor of the sauce. You can use diced chicken or shredded chicken for this recipe whatever you prefer. I like to use chicken breast, but you can use chicken thighs or a mixture of both.

A close-up of a white plate of chicken tater tot casserole with a side of green beans.

Can I freeze this casserole? Yes! You can make chicken tater tot casserole ahead of time and freeze it to have an easy grab and go meal in the freezer. Just follow the recipe but don’t bake the casserole. Wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil to keep it fresh. When you are ready to bake the casserole you can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or you can place the frozen casserole right in the oven and add 20-25 minutes to the cook time.

How to store this casserole– Store leftover tater tot chicken casserole refrigerated in an airtight container. To reheat the casserole you can place it in the oven, microwave or even the air fryer.

Here’s what you’ll need for this Chicken Tater Tot Casserole Recipe

An overhead view of several ingredients for chicken tater tot casserole on a marble countertop.

3 Cups Cooked Chicken (diced or shredded)

16 oz. Sour Cream

1 Package Ranch Dressing Mix

1 1/2 Cups Chopped Cooked Bacon

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

28- 32 oz Package of Frozen Tater Tots

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

An overhead view of a chicken tater tot casserole with a portion removed in a glass baking pan.

Here’s how to make Chicken Tater Tot Casserole-

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 13×9 baking or casserole dish.

Place sour cream, heavy cream, salt, pepper, onion powder and ranch dressing mix in a large bowl and stir until well combined.

Add in the chicken, bacon, and 1 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and continue to mix until everything is evenly coated.

A collage showing the making of a chicken tater tot casserole The first shows a glass bowl with seasonings and cream cheese in it. In the second shredded cheese, bacon and cooked chicken have been added. In the third picture the chicken mixture has been spread in a baking pan, in the final picture tater tots and shredded cheese have been added.

Spread the chicken mixture in the bottom of your prepared baking dish.

Arrange the frozen tater tots on top of the chicken mixture and then sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese across the top of the casserole.

Bake the casserole for 40-45 minutes or until the tater tots are golden brown and the cheese is melted.