Tex Mex Chicken Casserole
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This flavorful Tex Mex chicken casserole is a firm family favorite! With tasty seasoning, chicken, rice, and lots of melted cheese, it’s perfection in a pan.
Looking for your next weeknight meal the whole family will love? You need this quick and easy chicken casserole in your life. When I say quick and easy, I mean it. It takes just 5 minutes to prep this recipe, as you literally dump the ingredients in a bowl, stir, and then bake! 30 minutes later, dinner is served.
This casserole is overflowing with staple ingredients you probably already have at home too, like cheese, tomatoes, instant rice, and chicken broth. The combination of the chicken and rice with the sour cream and cream of chicken soup is basically a flavor explosion. This TEx Mex chicken casserole is creamy, cheesy, and delicious!
Here are some other casseroles my family love and I bet yours will too: crunchy beef casserole, deep-dish pizza casserole, stuffed pepper casserole, cornbread casserole, and sloppy joes casserole.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cooked chicken
- Instant rice (or to keep it lower-carb you can use my cauliflower rice recipe here)
- Cream of chicken soup
- Sour cream
- Frozen diced onion
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Rotel tomatoes
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Chicken broth
Dump all of the first nine ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Add half of the cheddar cheese and stir to combine again.
Next, turn the chicken mixture out into a greased casserole dish (9X13).
Then top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Then serve! I guarantee the flavors in this dish will have your taste buds dancing! YUM!
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- You can also store casserole leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When it’s time, thaw leftovers in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
- You can use any cooked chicken you like in this Mexican chicken and rice casserole, whether that’s rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken breast, or chicken thighs.
- If you’d like to add even more to this casserole, add in a can each of black or pinto beans, green chile, and corn kernels. Another option is a cup of diced .
- For extra crunch, top your casserole with tortilla strips or your favorite crushed tortilla chips, like Doritos.
- If your family prefers, you could substitute the chicken for ground beef.
- You can also add whichever cheese you prefer, whether that’s melty mozzarella cheese, a or Pepper Jack cheese for some extra heat.
- For more flavor, substitute the for a packet of . Bonus if you use homemade taco seasoning!
- Serve your with a sprinkle of and .
Recipe FAQs
Why do you use frozen onion in this recipe?
There are several reasons why I recommend using frozen onion in this Mexican chicken casserole recipe. First, frozen diced onion and frozen diced green pepper are great things to have in the freezer in a pinch. And second, use frozen because it cooks through faster and with this relatively short cooking time you’ll need them to cook faster. Using raw onions throws the casserole texture way off. Trust me, I have ruined a casserole or two before I figured this out.
Can chicken casserole be made ahead of time?
You can definitely assemble this chicken casserole recipe and store it tightly covered in the fridge for up to three days. It might just need another 5 to 10 minutes of baking time when it comes straight from the cold fridge.
Is this chicken casserole gluten-free?
Yes, this Mexican chicken casserole is gluten-free. Just make sure you double-check you’re using a gluten-free can of cream of chicken soup and that no other ingredients have sneaky gluten additions.
Can I make my chicken casserole in a crockpot?
Yes, you can definitely cook this Mexican casserole in the slow cooker. Mix all the ingredients together and cook in the slow cooker on low for 4 to 5 hours. I recommend adding the remaining shredded cheese about an hour before it’s done.
What do you serve with your Mexican chicken casserole?
While this is a substantial and hearty main meal in itself, you could also serve your casserole with your favorite taco toppings, like salsa, Pico de Gallo, salsa verde, , green onions, guacamole and corn chips, and jalapeños. Another option is a simple green salad or some fresh green beans.
Here are more marvelous Mexican-inspired dishes:
Mexican Cornbread Recipe by Mama
Taco Soup (The World’s Easiest Supper)
Chicken Enchilada Pie (A Hearty Supper Awaits)
Stuffed Zucchini Boats, Tex-Mex Style
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped, cooked, and shredded chicken (about 4 to 5 breasts halves)
- 2 cups instant rice
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup frozen diced onion
- 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and half of cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Mix well.4 cups chopped, cooked, and shredded chicken (about 4 to 5 breasts halves), 2 cups instant rice, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup frozen diced onion, 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- Turn out into a greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition
This post was originally a guest post from Stacey Little in 2011 at southernbite.com and updated in 2021. Check out his blog here.
“The smallest deed done is better than the greatest intention never carried out.”
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You know, if you don’t have anything nice to say, you don’t have to comment.
As long as you’re using the instant like the recipe calls for, you just dump it in uncooked. 🙂
I love the quote…the great thing about being a grandparent is being with the kids and living in the moment. I enjoy every precious moment with them because i remember how fast the time goes when you are raising children. I remember being frustrated with the house and then saying “the heck with it, it’s not going anywhere but the kids will grow and I’ll never have this moment again.” Needless to say I stayed up late at night to catch up, but it was well worth it.
Recipe looks yummy, will have to give it a try.
Thank you for sharing. 😉
I am so fortunate to have a wife and a little boy who make me realize that each day. Blowing bubbles with my little man beats washing dishes any day!
I have basically the same recipe. The only major difference is the addition of a 4oz can of diced green chilies or if you want just a bit more hear use a 4oz can of diced jalapenos. The addition of some crushed tortilla chips to the cheese on top adds a nice crunch to the topping.
Sounds delish! Thanks for the variation!
After reading the comments about chopping onions, peppers, etc. I thought i
should share information about the handiest tool in my kitchen. Its called
“Nicer Dicer.” My husband actually found it on the internet and ordered it for me. I LOVE IT and use it constantly. You can chop a truck load of onions, peppers, or anything that you chop in seconds…Its now a pleasure to make things I used to put off — like potato salad, Just order one, you’ll be glad you
did!
I’ll have to check that out! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Stacey, for the recipe & the inspirational story! I always enjoy your “guest posts” on Southern Plate!
Thanks, Sabrina! I always enjoy my guest posts over here too!
Love easy and fast recipes!!! This looks wonderful. Christy what did you eat with this? I’m so not use to having just a casserole without something else, hehe. Looking forward to making this great dish.
This dish has your protein, carbs, dairy and veggies, but like you, I felt like we needed something else. I think we had green beans with it. Not sure if it goes or not, but that’s what we did! LOL!