Chicken Taco Casserole

This chicken taco casserole recipe is packed full of all your favorite flavors.

From taco seasoned chicken, brown rice, and pinto beans to crunchy tortilla chips and gooey cheese, it has it all!

Plus, it's healthy, easy, and takes less than 30 to 40 minutes to come together.

There's truly no better family dinner than a warm, comforting, cheesy baked casserole, and this delicious dish is sure to check all the boxes!

About the Recipe

Perfect as a quick and easy weeknight meal, this chicken taco casserole is ready in around 30 minutes or less, which means it's absolute dinner perfection stuffed in an adorable casserole dish.

It also makes enough to feed your whole family or for leftovers the next day. So it's basically like a deliciously cheesy gift that keeps on giving.

This taco chicken bake is also packed full of great flavors from the green chiles, jalapeños, salsa verde, and homemade taco seasoning.

Plus, the juicy chicken and brown rice help turn it into a balanced meal, keeping you full for hours.

Bonus: this recipe is also a great way for you to use up any leftover chicken from previous meals.

Just try to remove any sauces or seasonings already on the chicken, toss it with some of the taco seasoning, and add it along with the other ingredients.

You can also use a rotisserie chicken with the meat pulled off the bone for the ultimate easy meal!

And we also can't forget about the perfectly salty, crispy tortilla chips, which truly transform this taco chicken bake from delicious to absolutely scrumptious.

They add the perfect crunch and texture to all the other saucy, cheesy ingredients.

Then, when topped with cheese, cilantro, avocado, and Greek yogurt, you'll have a complete meal from top to bottom.

Ingredients

1. Olive oil, taco seasoning, boneless chicken breasts: the ingredients needed to make juicy, flavorful taco chicken.
   • See the chef's tip or the note at the bottom of the recipe for a homemade taco seasoning with less sodium than the store-bought kinds.
2. Brown rice, pinto beans, mexi-corn, bell peppers: each adds nutrients, like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as texture and flavor to the overall casserole.
   • The rice and beans together make this a filling dish.
   • When paired with the corn and bell peppers, you sneak in some delicious vegetables without even knowing they're hidden in there!
3. Canned tomatoes and green chiles, green chiles, jalapeños, salsa verde: these are the flavor elements of the casserole. Each brings a subtle smokey, heat to the dish.
   • For more or less heat, adjust accordingly by adding a bit more or less than the recipe calls for.
   • I usually prefer to make homemade salsa verde, since it's so easy to throw together, but if you're short on time, you can definitely use a canned version instead!
4. Sharp cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese: these bring the elements of the casserole together, providing a rich creaminess to the acidic tomatoes and chiles.
   • They both have different cheesy flavors that pair well with one another, as well as the rest of the ingredients in the dish.
   • You can also use a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend instead.
5. Tortilla chips: the perfect crunch factor!
   • Top the casserole with your favorite tortilla chips to add a nice crispy, crunch to the casserole.
   • All the other ingredients include sauces or softer textures, while the chips incorporate a salty, crisp bite.
6. Cilantro, green onion, avocado, plain greek yogurt: all are perfect as a garnish or topping for the casserole.
   • Cilantro and green onion add a bit more flavor, while avocado and greek yogurt provide a creaminess to balance it all out.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium heat.
3. Season chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon taco seasoning.
4. Place chicken in the hot skillet and saute 4-5 minutes on each side, until chicken is browned and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each breast reads 165 degrees F. 
5. Remove from the pan and allow to rest 5-10 minutes. Chop chicken into small pieces.
6. In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces, brown rice, pinto beans, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, green chilies, jalapenos (if using), salsa verde, remaining taco seasoning, salt and pepper.
7. Place mixture into a greased baking dish and top with half of both cheeses. Line the top with the tortilla chips and remaining cheeses.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
9. Top casserole with cilantro, green onion, avocado and/or Greek yogurt.

Substitutions and Alternatives

Substitutes for the boneless chicken breasts: ground beef, chicken, or turkey, rotisserie or leftover chicken.

For a vegetarian alternative: swap in crumbled tofu, sofritas tofu, or simply use another can of beans instead of the chicken.

Instead of brown rice, you can use quinoa instead.

If you can't find canned tomatoes with green chiles, you can use fire roasted tomatoes instead.

If you don't like spice, nix the jalapeño.

Fun Facts

Chef’s Tip

Making your own homemade taco seasoning is easy, healthier, and keeps you in complete control of the spice level and overall flavor of the chicken taco casserole.

My favorite recipe for taco seasoning:

• 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves.

*If you don't make homemade seasoning, you will need to adjust the amount of salt and pepper you add to the casserole.

Store-bought taco seasoning often has lots of salt added to it.

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Chicken Taco Casserole

Print Recipe

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Easy chicken taco casserole with brown rice, green chilies, pinto beans, mexi-corn and bell peppers, topped with cheesy tortilla chips.

• Author: Julie Andrews
• Prep Time: 10-15 mins
• Cook Time: 20-25 mins
• Total Time: 30-40 mins
• Yield: Serves 10 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove-Top, Baking
• Cuisine: Mexican-style

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided (see recipe in notes)
• 1-pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup canned or frozen mexi-corn
• 2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced or diced
• 2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 4-ounce can diced green chilies
• 4-ounce can diced jalapenos (optional)
• 10-ounce can salsa verde
• Dash coarse salt and ground black pepper*
• 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
• ½ bag tortilla chips
• Cilantro, green onion, avocado, plain Greek yogurt for garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium heat. Season chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. Place chicken in the hot skillet and saute 4-5 minutes on each side, until chicken is browned and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each breast reads 165 degrees F. Remove from the pan and allow to rest 5-10 minutes. Chop chicken into small pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces, brown rice, pinto beans, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, green chilies, jalapenos (if using), salsa verde, remaining taco seasoning, salt and pepper.
4. Place mixture into a greased baking dish and top with half of both cheeses. Line the top with the tortilla chips and remaining cheeses. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Top casserole with cilantro, green onion, avocado and/or Greek yogurt.

Notes

Cooking Tip: Recipe for homemade taco seasoning: 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves. *You will need to adjust the amount of salt and pepper you add to the casserole based on the taco seasoning you use, as store-bought taco seasoning often has lots of salt added to it.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/10 of recipe
• Calories: 365
• Sugar: 12g
• Sodium: 681mg
• Fat: 10g
• Saturated Fat: 4g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Fiber: 9g
• Protein: 20g
• Cholesterol: 46mg