Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole (Dump-and-Bake)
Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole is an easy, one-dish, dump-and-bake recipe loaded with chicken, black beans, rice, and cheese cooked in a creamy, taco-seasoned sauce!
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If you enjoy one dish, dump-and-bake casseroles, you'll also love Chicken Orzo Bake and Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (with broccoli + alfredo sauce)!
There's nothing like a cozy dinner that you can mix up directly in the baking dish before popping in the oven. And that's exactly what this Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole entails!
I've previously shared a dump-and-bake chicken and rice casserole featuring alfredo sauce, broccoli, and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. So today's casserole takes the same concept and gives it a taco/Tex-Mex spin!
Ingredients
With just a few common ingredients, you can quickly be on your way to your very own tasty, cheesy, Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole!
- Salsa. Either store-bought or Homemade Salsa are great.
- Sour cream. Regular or low-fat will work. Or you can opt to substitute any kind of plain Greek yogurt (or even pureed cottage cheese!) for the sour cream.
- Chicken broth. Or chicken stock. Use low-sodium if you prefer to have more control over the ultimate saltiness of the recipe.
- Taco seasoning. Again, a store-bought packet will work or you can use your own Homemade Taco Seasoning.
- Cooked chicken. Diced or shredded.You can use leftover cooked chicken (or turkey) or pull the meat from a rotisserie chicken. Or you can freshly cook some chicken by poaching, grilling, baking, cooking it in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, etc.
- Canned black beans. Rinsed and drained.
- Uncooked rice. Basmati or jasmine are ideal, but any type of long grain white rice will work. However, this recipe has not been tested with brown rice, which has a longer cooking time and would likely require an adjusted amount of liquid and cooking time.
- Shredded cheese. I usually use a Mexican blend or colby jack in this recipe. But sharp (or regular) cheddar or pepper jack (for some heat!) would also be tasty.
How to Make Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
If you're already starting with pulled or diced chicken, this recipe takes mere minutes to assemble!
- Preheat the oven and generously grease a baking dish.
- Pour salsa, sour cream, and chicken broth into the bottom of the dish, and sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- Whisk until thoroughly combined to form a sauce.
- Add the chicken, black beans, rice, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
- Stir until all of the ingredients are combined and coated, and then smooth into an even layer in the baking dish.
- Tightly cover the dish with foil (or a lid) so that steam doesn’t escape. Bake for about an hour, or until the rice is completely tender.
- Remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and pop under the broiler. Broil for a couple minutes or until the cheese melts.
Top with your favorite taco toppings and serve hot!
Ensuring the Rice is Cooked
In my particular oven with the particular baking dish I use, I cook this Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole for 50 minutes, stir and re-cover, and then cook for 10 more minutes in order to get the rice tender and the liquid absorbed.
Then I sprinkle the cheese on top and cook (uncovered) for another couple of minutes until it’s melted.
However, your timing may vary slightly depending on your oven and the dish you use.
Leftovers
Storage: Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Reheating: To reheat leftovers, portion a serving onto a microwave-safe plate, add a splash of broth or milk (since the rice will have absorbed most of the liquid in the fridge), and then cover and microwave for 1 minute or until just heated through.
Garnishes
As with many Tex-Mex-inspired recipes, this Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole is fantastic as-is.
But it's even more delicious when you dress it up with some (or all) of your favorite taco toppings! A few ideas:
- Diced avocado.
- Diced tomato.
- Pico de gallo.
- Sour cream.
- Salsa.
- Queso.
- Creamy jalaepeño.
- Pickled jalapeños.
- Sliced black olives.
- Fresh cilantro.
- A squeeze of lime.
- Or whatever you like!
So there you have it! An easy, cheesy, creamy, flavorful, Tex-Mex-inspired dinner that you can dump and bake in the same dish!
It doesn't get any simpler -- or tastier -- than this Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole. 🙂
More Comforting Chicken Casseroles
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole (One-Dish Dump-and-Bake!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed + drained
- 1 cup uncooked basmati OR jasmine rice
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend OR colby jack cheese, DIVIDED
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to the center position and top position and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Generously grease a 9- by 13-inch (or 3-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour salsa, sour cream, and chicken broth into the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with taco seasoning, and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the chicken, black beans, rice, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese; stir until all ingredients are combined and coated. Smooth into an even layer in the baking dish.
- Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (or a lid) so that steam doesn’t escape. Bake for 50 minutes. (If the rice is not completely tender and the liquid is not mostly absorbed after that amount of time, stir the casserole well, scraping the bottom and edges and then redistributing the ingredients. Cover again and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes or until just done.)
- Remove the dish from the oven and turn on the broiler. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and pop under the broiler. Broil, watching carefully the entire time, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- You may substitute Greek yogurt or even pureed cottage cheese for the sour cream.
- You can use leftover cooked chicken (or turkey) or rotisserie chicken, or you can cook some chicken fresh by poaching, grilling, baking, cooking in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, etc.
- Any type of long grain white rice will work if you don’t have basmati or jasmine. However, this recipe has not been tested with brown rice, which has a longer cooking time and would likely require an adjusted amount of liquid and cooking time.
- In my particular oven with the particular baking dish I use, I cook this casserole for 50 minutes, stir and re-cover, and then cook for 10 more minutes in order to get the rice tender and the liquid absorbed. Then I sprinkle the cheese on top and cook (uncovered) for another couple of minutes until it’s melted. However, your timing may vary slightly depending on your oven and the dish you use.
- Leftover Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- To reheat leftovers, portion a serving onto a microwave-safe plate, add a splash of broth or milk (since the rice will have absorbed most of the liquid in the fridge), and then cover and microwave for 1 minute or until just heated through.
