Easy Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole is the ultimate hearty weeknight dinner. Packed with zesty flavors, black beans and corn.
This Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole is easy to make and is full of flavorful goodness.
Made with zesty flavors, black beans and corn, this is a delicious dinner that the whole family will love.
What you will read about in this recipe.
Why this recipe works
Inspired by Mexican and Southwest flavors, this dish is loaded with tender chicken, earthy vegetables, and gooey cheese.
Here is what else you will like about this recipe.
- This recipe works great with rotisserie or leftover chicken.
- You can easily customize this recipe by adjusting the seasonings or swapping out the chicken with another protein such as beef or turkey.
- This casserole can be prepared in advance and refrigerate it for up to a day in advance.
- Serve this casserole to a crowd with tortilla chips and plenty of fresh cilantro on top!
Have you tried my Crockpot Enchilada Casserole Recipe?
Made with boneless chicken breasts slow cooked to perfection in enchilada ingredients, that tasty dish is both savory and hearty. Both this recipe for chicken and rice casserole and that recipe for enchilada casserole are great tasting Southwest inspired recipes made with chicken.
Fire roasted tomatoes are used to take this dish up a notch. You can find fire roasted tomatoes here.
What you need to make Southwest Chicken and Rice.
- Olive Oil Used for sautéing.
- Onion Diced.
- Red Bell Pepper Diced.
- Garlic Freshly minced.
- Chicken. Cooked and shredded.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes. Drained if liquidy.
- Black Beans Drained and Rinsed.
- Corn Drained.
- Cream of Chicken Soup Low sodium can be used.
- Rice. Use already cooked rice.
- Seasonings Ground Cumin, Ground Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, Salt, and Pepper.
- Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded
How to Make Southwestern Chicken Casserole
- Prep Time 10 minutes .
- Bake Time 25 minutes .
- Servings 6 .
- How to serve : Serve with your favorite taco toppings: cilantro, avocado, diced tomatoes, and Tortilla chips.
- Notes: You will need a 9x13” casserole/baking dish, large skillet, and wooden spoon or similar item.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350f. Prepare your casserole/baking dish for nonstick, nonstick cooking spray should work.
- Sauté Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat for one minute. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper to the skillet and sauté until the onion is translucent (about three to five minutes). Add the garlic to the skillet and continue to sauté for another minute.
- Combine. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chicken, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, cream of chicken soup, rice, and seasonings (cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper).
- Transfer. Carefully transfer the ingredients in the skillet to your prepared baking dish. Then top the ingredients with the shredded cheese.
- Bake. Bake the casserole uncovered for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
- Serve Let the casserole sit for a few minutes to set. Then add your topping and serve.
Tips for making the best Southwestern Chicken Casserole/
Using a rotisserie chicken is the perfect hack for making this recipe. Leftover chicken can also work. To shred the chicken, simply use two forks to pull the chicken apart.
More helpful tips for you.
- Using canned ingredients helps cut down on prep time and helps to make this an easy 'dump and go casserole'.
- If you are going to use your own rice that is not-precooked, stick to long-grain or Jasmine as unlike instant rice, they can hold up better to slow cooking.
- Allowing the casserole to set for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven allows the ingredients to settle into place the the cheese to set.
FAQ
- Can I prepare this casserole ahead of time. Simply cover the casserole after you have assembled the ingredients (step 4) and refrigerate it for up to a day. When you are ready to bake the casserole take it out of the refrigerator and preheat your oven.
- Can I use uncooked rice in the casserole?
In this recipe you would need additional liquid if you were to use uncooked rice as the rice would need the liquid to cook. Using already cooked rice in this recipe works best as it ensures an even texture in your casserole . - Do I have to shred my chicken? Cooked chicken that has been cut into small chunks could also work in this recipe. For the fastest prep, I like to use shredded rotisserie chicken.
Variations.
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- Not a fan of Fire Roasted Tomatoes? You can easily substitute in Rotel or the tomatoes of your choice.
- Make this dish vegetarian. Simply omit the chicken and add an extra can of beans (pinto or kidney can work). Use cream of vegetable or a similar kind of soup as well.
- Swap out the Cheese. Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese was used to make my casserole but, you can use the cheese or mixture of shredded cheeses of your choice (cheddar for example).
How to Store Chicken Casserole
Once your casserole has fully cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container. When properly stored, chicken casserole should keep for up to three days when refrigerated or up to a few months when frozen.
You may also be interested in these casserole recipes.
Print the recipe for Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole
Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole
Easy Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole is the ultimate hearty weeknight dinner. Packed with zesty flavors, black beans and corn.
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Red Bell Pepper --Diced.
- 1 Onion --Diced.
- 2 cloves Garlic --Freshly minced.
- 2 cups Chicken. -- Cooked and shredded.
- 15 oz Fire Roasted Tomatoes. --Drained if liquidy.
- 15.5 oz Black Beans --Drained and Rinsed.
- 15.5 oz Corn --Drained.
- 10.5 oz Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 cup Rice. --Use already cooked rice.
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper.
- 2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese --Shredded
Instructions
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350f. Prepare your casserole/baking dish for nonstick, nonstick cooking spray should work.
- Sauté Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat for one minute. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper to the skillet and sauté until the onion is translucent (about three to five minutes). Add the garlic to the skillet and continue to sauté for another minute.
- Combine. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chicken, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, cream of chicken soup, rice, and seasonings (cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper).
- Transfer. Carefully transfer the ingredients in the skillet to your prepared baking dish. Then top the ingredients with the shredded cheese.
- Bake. Bake the casserole uncovered for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
- Serve Let the casserole sit for a few minutes to set. Then add your topping and serve.
Recipe Notes
*Please check the nutritional labels to assure that you are sticking to your diet restrictions for any substitutions used.
Also, please see the actual recipe post for further details on this recipe. Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that are used. See theairfryingdiva.com for details on this recipe.
Also, please see the actual recipe post for further details on this recipe. Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that are used. See theairfryingdiva.com for details on this recipe.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that the links on this website, and specifically on this post, that lead to other sites may be affiliate links.
Nutrition
Calories: 841kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1774mg | Potassium: 1304mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1671IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 521mg | Iron: 5mg
Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!
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Easy Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole is the ultimate hearty weeknight dinner. Packed with zesty flavors, black beans and corn.
Please see recipe post for further details on this recipe.