Flavorful Tex Mex Chicken Casserole
This Tex Mex Chicken Casserole is the dish I turn to when I just need a reliable win on the table. Instead of layering a dozen different ingredients, everything, from the instant rice and chicken broth to the canned tomatoes and spices, cooks together right in the pan so the rice absorbs all that savory flavor from scratch!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Flavorful Tex Mex Chicken Casserole
- Ready In: 35 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Main 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
- Why You'll Love It: Enjoy this Mexican Chicken Casserole with deep rich flavors to get your taste buds dancing! The combination of tender chicken and fluffy rice, complemented by the creamy blend of sour cream and cream of chicken soup, is a flavor explosion that will keep you coming back for more.
The Best Combination of Cuisines, Period.
If you’re looking for your next weeknight meal that 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 stuff 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, but if you’re in the mood for something with pasta, you’ll absolutely love my Easy Oven-Baked Tex-Mex Lasagna!
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
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 .
How To Make Tex Mex Chicken Casserole
1. Combine Your Ingredients
Start off by dumping all of the first nine ingredients in a large bowl and stirring to combine. Then, add half of the cheddar cheese and stir to combine again.
2. Get Your Tex Mex Mix Into a Pan
Next, turn the chicken mixture out into a greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
3. Bake and Serve!
Bake your casserole 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, or 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.
What To Serve With 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, or a classic side like guacamole and corn chips.
Recipe FAQs
Frozen diced onion and frozen diced green pepper are great things to have in the freezer in a pinch, and they cook through faster. Using raw onions throws the casserole texture way off. Trust me, I have ruined a casserole or two before I figured this out.
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.
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.
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.
Here are more marvelous Mexican-inspired dishes:
- Mexican Cornbread Recipe by Mama
- Taco Soup
- Chicken Enchilada Pie
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats, Tex-Mex Style
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
- Chicken Fajitas in Crock Pot
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.
- Turn out into a greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
I didn’t drain the rotel, was I supposed to? It’s watery, what do I do?
I wanted to know same thing do I cook the instant rice first or add all together
Hey Lashawn! You add it uncooked. Hope this helps!
Just made it ohh my goodness , its delicious, my picky eater kids love it, thanks Christy!!
I am so glad to hear that everyone liked it Lashawn!!!
This may be a silly question, but I may have missed it in the directions somewhere. Is the instant rice precooked before mixing everything together, or do you add uncooked instant rice?
What side dish would u suggest for this recipe?
Julie I usually serve it with a salad and some bread. I have also served it with green beans. It is good just the way it is too! I have made this SO many times over the past two months. It is a budget friendly delicious meal. Chicken is cheap and I usually buy the cheese when it goes on sale BOGO to cut down a little on the expense. Everything else is stuff I usually already have.
I am not a big casserole person but my husband is – he grew up on them so I decided to try this a few weeks ago. It was AWESOME! The first time I made it I followed the instructions exactly and then added some crushed potato chips to the top (my husband asked for them). It was SO good. Tonight I sauteed some onions because I didnt have frozen and left off the chips because I am out – it smells so good. This is going to quickly become a staple in our house. Even my picky daughter devoured it
Made this last night followed recipe exactly except used Rotel with Green Chilis. It came out very runny and was not a hit in our house. Will not make it again.
I am so sorry it didn’t turn out well for you Tara.
Made this last weekend for dinner with friends and it was great. I made a spanish rice so I did not add rice to the casserole therefore, I used less broth, about a cup. Make sure to drain the rotel and use less broth if you are not adding the instant rice.
This was delicious and perfect for a church potluck. I sauteed an onion and a green pepper instead of using frozen but everything else I did the same.
I am so glad it was a hit Vicki!!