Taco Rice Casserole

You are just 4 steps and mere minutes away from a big delicious pan of Chicken Taco Rice Casserole! Stir the ingredients together, spread in a 9×13 baking dish, bake, and serve – it’s THAT easy.

Taco Rice Casserole Recipe

HOWDY! CHEF ALLI HERE. LET’S GET YOU COOKIN’…. SHALL WE?? 

So who’s up for a tasty taco casserole that can be made in a flat minute?? I know I am. We love all things Mexican in this household, trust me. From Big Bold Beef Carnitas (made in my Instant Pot) to Low-Carb Taco Pie, to Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas, we are huge fans!

AN EASY MEXICAN CASSEROLE TO MAKE

This casserole is simple and quick to make because it’s just a few steps. Combine all the ingredients, spread them into a baking dish and bake. Poof!! You’ve got dinner ready in a flash and your family will be all over it.

WHAT TO LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE

1. It’s fast, furious, and oh-so-easy.
2. Everybody loves a good Mexican casserole.
3. I bet you’ll already have all the ingredients on hand.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THIS EASY CASSEROLE RECIPE

• Cooked, shredded chicken meat
• Instant rice
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Salsa
• Chipotle sauce, totally optional
• Sour cream
• Taco seasoning
• Pinto beans
• Sweet corn
• Your favorite Mexican food garnishes, such as cilantro, diced tomatoes, etc.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING CHICKEN TACO RICE CASSEROLE

**PRINT THE FULL RECIPE FROM THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray; reserve.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, rice, 1 1/2 cups grated cheese, salsa, chipotles, sour cream, taco seasoning, beans, and corn, stirring to combine.

Place this mixture into the prepared baking dish, gently spreading it out; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover the casserole tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes on the center oven rack; remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of the baking time.

Serve casserole topped with your favorite garnishes. Enjoy!

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS FAST WEEKNIGHT MEAL THE BEST IT CAN BE

• To keep the casserole ingredients super moist, cover the casserole while its baking. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of the baking time to let the top crisp up a bit.
• Substitute different types of cooked meats in this casserole in place of the chicken – cooked pulled pork is a good substitute and so is cooked shredded roast beef. This is a great way to use up leftover meats from other meals.
• A hot and safe internal temperature for a casserole is 165 degrees F. at the very center.
• For cheese that melts and get super creamy, grate your own from a block. Prepackaged shredded cheeses usually have additives that keep the cheese from clumping together.
• Substitute other types of beans for the pinto beans in this recipe, such as chili beans or black beans. Or, if you want more fiber or need to “stretch” this casserole to make it feed more peeps, add an extra can of beans.

ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT THIS RECIPE

WHICH TOOLS ARE HELPFUL FOR MAKING CASSEROLES?

Silicone Spatula Spoons – Of all the tools in my kitchen, silicone spatula spoons are what I use the most. They make stirring and sautéing a breeze and I love all the pretty silicone colors available. Silicone spatula spoons are completely heat-proof so they won’t melt, even when used over high temperatures. I like to have different sizes on hand for different kitchen tasks – soooo handy!

I like mixing bowls that nest inside of each other and have a silicone bottom so they are slip-resistant when I’m working in them. I also really appreciate what’s called “gorilla grip” handles that are on the side so they are each to hold in place when I’m mixing.

9×13 baking dish – I prefer glass 9×13 baking pans, but you can also use a metal 9×13 baking pan, if you prefer…either type works great.

If you like to grate your own cheese, a good, sturdy box grater is a must. I love grating my own cheese with this style of box grater.

Can I substitute other types of meat for the chicken in this casserole recipe?

You sure can! I’ve made this recipe using cooked pulled pork, shredded roast beef, and even cubed up leftover pork tenderloin – all are delicious. You can use any type of meat in this casserole that is already cooked.

Is rotisserie chicken meat good in this recipe?

Totally!!!! And an average size rotisserie chicken yields about 3 cups of meat after it’s pulled from the carcass (the bones) of the chicken.

How do I know when the casserole is hot at the center?

Great question! This is important to know since we always want to cook casseroles to a hot and safe internal temperature. After the casserole has baked in the oven for 25-30 minutes, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the center to check the temp. The internal temperature at the center should be 165 degrees F.

Can I make this taco casserole using white meat chicken instead of chicken thighs like the recipe calls for?

Surely. I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs because the dark meat is so much more flavorful and juicy, but if you enjoy the chicken breast meat (white meat), that works just fine, too.

What are chipotles?

So a chipotle is a smoked jalapeno pepper.  Now, I don’t have time to be smokin’ any jalapenos, do you? I didn’t think so.  Thankfully for both of us, there’s such a thing as canned chipotles in adobo sauce.

You’ll find these in the Hispanic section of your local grocer and I always keep a couple cans of these in my pantry so I can pull them out and throw those suckers into my food processer and blend them until smooth.  Then, I spoon the chipotle/adobo puree into a mason jar and store it in my fridge. 

You’ll use it just like any other condiment for all kinds of recipes! It will add not only spiciness to your recipe, but also a lot of smoky goodness, as well. But be careful! Chipotles are HOT. A little goes a long way.

Can I double this recipe?

Sure can. Double the recipe and make two 9×13 pans of casserole.

More favorite recipes to enjoy –

• INSTANT POT BARBACOA SHREDDED BEEF WITH CORN SALSA
• TEX MEX CHICKEN CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
• SHREDDED CHICKEN PASTA SALAD WITH GOUDA CHEESE
• CUBAN PORK TENDERLOIN WITH BLACK BEANS AND RICE
• CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP {MADE WITH REFRIED BEANS}

Printable Chicken Taco Rice Casserole Recipe

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LET’S GET YOU COOKIN’,
CHEF ALLI

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