Flavorful Tex Mex Chicken Casserole

Name: Flavorful Tex Mex Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
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)

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 bell pepper.
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 Mexican cheese blend (either store-bought or homemade), or Pepper Jack cheese for some extra heat.
For more flavor, substitute the cumin for a packet of taco seasoning. Bonus if you use homemade taco seasoning!
Serve your casserole with a sprinkle of cilantro and diced tomato.

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.

Mixing the ingredients for Mexican casserole in bowl and stirring to combine

Adding cheese to the mixing bowl and stirring with the other Mexican casserole ingredients to combine

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.

Adding the Mexican casserole mixture to casserole dish

Topping the Mexican casserole mixture with shredded 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!

Top down view of a forkful of Mexican chicken casserole in a bowl

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, refried beans, green onions, or a classic side like guacamole and corn chips.

Recipe FAQs

Why do you use frozen onions in this recipe?

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.

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.

Here are more marvelous Mexican-inspired dishes: