Enjoy the best parts of taco night with easy Mexican chicken rice casserole recipe. The whole family will love this hearty, flavorful dish combining tender chicken, rice, cheese, beans, and tortilla chips (or swap out some zesty Doritos). If that is not reason enough to dive in, the simple required ingredients makes this a gluten-free Mexican casserole all can enjoy!
Mexican Chicken Rice Casserole
Mexican chicken bake combines the essential flavors of chicken tacos, wrapped up in one easy-to-serve meal. To make this easy, weeknight gluten-free dinner, everything comes together in one pot on the stove and then layered with crunchy tortillas, lots of gooey cheese, and baked to crunchy perfection.
Similar to another community-favorite recipe for Mexican fish skillet, the recipe doesn’t require separate pans to cook the protein before infusing it with rich, Mexican-inspired spices. Peppers, onions, and bite-sized chicken pieces are sautéed together before adding the broth and uncooked rice to the pan.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes to finish cooking the chicken and rice together in a zesty sauce. Stir in the beans, cheese, and a little sour cream for tangy creaminess. Then layer in a casserole dish with tortilla chips or Doritos, top with cheese, and bake!
Like easy walking taco casserole or old school tamale pie with beef, this mostly hands-off dinner can easily be adapted to many different tastes and preferences. In fact, there are so many ways to change Mexican chicken casserole, I included a whole list of ideas below, from healthy, vegetarian, and more!
Read on to learn how to make Mexican chicken rice bake, including recipe modifications, ingredient notes for gluten-free Mexican casserole, and many more expert tips!
How to Make Mexican Chicken casserole with rice
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
If preparing this rice casserole for a weeknight dinner, it may be prepped in stages. Prepare the chicken rice filling ahead of time, and refrigerate, or even freeze, before layering with tortilla chips and baking.
- Sauté onions, peppers, and garlic until almost tender. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink on the outside. Stir in taco seasoning packet.
- Add the white rice, salsa, and chicken broth to skillet. Cover and simmer for 22 minutes.
- Once the rice is tender, add the black beans, cilantro, (optional) corn, and sour cream to chicken mixture. Stir to combine.
- Pour half the chicken rice layer in a 9X13 baking dish. Top with crushed tortilla chips or Doritos and half of cheese. Repeat with second layer. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated throughout.
Recipe modifications
This Mexican chicken rice bake is layered with chicken, rice, peppers, tortilla chips, and gooey cheese to get that authentic taco taste. However, this recipe is completely adaptable!
- Substitute one pound of lean ground beef or turkey for the chicken for a more traditional taco flavor.
- Make it healthier and lighten the calories by using light sour cream, reduced-fat cheese, and baked tortilla chips.
- Instead of salsa, stir in an equal amount of enchilada sauce. Any remaining sauce can even be drizzled over the chips and topped with cheese.
- Instead of tortilla chips use your favorite flavor of Doritos chips. For gluten-free Mexican casserole, use with caution. While they contain no gluten ingredients, they are not specifically labeled gluten-free on the packaging.
- Cut up flour or corn tortillas to replace the chips, which also makes the dish more healthy.
- For a vegetarian Mexican Casserole use an additional pepper and extra cup of corn to replace the meat.
- Kick up the spice level by adding a can of green chiles, hot sauce, or crushed red pepper to the rice filling.
Gluten-Free Mexican Casserole
If you follow a gluten-free diet, a lot of Mexican dishes are safe to enjoy. This gluten-free Mexican bake contains no processed foods, such as cream of chicken soup or mushroom soup so it is easy to adapt!
Read ingredient labels carefully, especially on the tortilla chips, chicken broth, and taco seasoning packet, although many brands are safe to use. Alternatively, refer to this easy 20-minute gluten-free taco salad recipe for a homemade seasoning blend to replace the taco seasoning with.
Making Mexican Casserole with Doritos
Another great way to add flavor to this Mexican-inspired dinner is swapping out the tortilla chips for your favorite flavor of Doritos. Choose from Cool Ranch, Nacho Cheese, or Taco flavored, or your favorite flavor!
For a gluten-free Mexican casserole, use the White Cheddar Organic Doritos, which are listed as gluten-free on the Frito-Lay website. Many other flavors don’t contain gluten ingredients, but aren’t tested by Frito-Lay.
Using shredded or rotisserie chicken
You may also swap in cooked rotisserie or shredded chicken instead of preparing the chicken with the rice. Use 2-3 cups of prepared chicken and follow these steps.
- Saute the onions, garlic, and peppers until tender.
- Add taco seasoning, rice, chicken broth, and salsa. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. It is fine if all the liquid hasn’t been absorbed yet.
- Add black beans, cilantro, sour cream, and shredded chicken. Stir to combine.
- Layer in casserole dish as directed and bake.
substituting homemade taco seasoning
This recipe uses a taco seasoning packet to add flavor easily and quickly. However, the store bought packet may also be replaced easily with pantry spices.
Homemade Taco Seasoning: 1 tbsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. smoked paprika, 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
make-ahead notes
This is the perfect make-ahead recipe. Prepare the skillet portion up to two days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. When ready to serve, for best results, let the chicken rice filling sit at room temperature or warm slightly before using.
Layer casserole as instructed with slightly warmed or room temp filling. Depending on the temperature of the filling you may have to bake for 10-15 minutes longer than recipe calls for.
Storing and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days. For the best reheating, I recommend using an oven so the chips become crunchy again. Loosely cover with foil and bake in an oven-safe dish in a 300ºF oven. You can also refer to these casserole reheating tips for more expert tips.
You may also microwave single-serving portions, but the chips will become a little soggy. For a shortcut, rewarm in the microwave, sprinkle on a little more cheese, and then transfer to an oven or toaster oven to broil and crisp!
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Mexican Chicken Casserole with Rice (Gluten-Free)
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts cut in bite sized pieces
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning read label for gluten-free
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup chicken broth read label for gluten-free
- ½ cup white rice uncooked
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 cups lightly crushed tortilla chips or Doritos (about 6 ounces) – read label for gluten-free
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese divided
- for serving: (optional) shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, green onion, avocado, sour cream, cilantro
Instructions
- In large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the peppers and onions until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer.1 tablespoon olive oil,1 red pepper,1 small onion,2 cloves garlic
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook 4-5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink on outside (it will finish cooking through later). Stir in taco seasoning.1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts,1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- Add the salsa, chicken broth, and rice to the skillet. Bring to boil, cover, turn heat down and simmer for 22 minutes, our until rice is tender. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF.1 cup salsa,1 cup chicken broth,½ cup white rice
- Remove lid (there may still be liquid on top, but once mixture is stirred the extra liquid will be absorbed). Stir in beans, sour cream, cilantro, and ½ cup shredded cheese. Remove from heat.15 ounce can black beans,½ cup sour cream,½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- In a 9X13 pan, greased with cooking spray, layer half of the chicken mixture and top with half of the chips. Repeat layer with second half of chicken and chips. Sprinkle remaining cheese over chips. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is hot throughout. Serve with desired toppings.3 cups lightly crushed tortilla chips or Doritos,2 cups shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese
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