I love throwing this Southwestern Chicken Casserole together on busy weeknights! I just mix up chicken, tomatoes and bake with lime rice, tortilla chips and melty cheese. It’s spiced just right too, and so easy to make! Everybody at the table is gonna want seconds.
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How to make Southwestern Chicken Casserole
Step 1: bake the rice
- Place rice, salt, stock, and lime juice in a baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Step 2: cook the casserole mixture
- Add oil, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno to a large nonstick skillet. Season with the remaining salt.
- Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are translucent and softened. Add garlic and spices and continue cooking for a minute.
- Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Let it cook until just a little liquid remains.
- Remove from heat. Fold in corn, black beans, chicken, cilantro, and tortilla chips.
Step 3: add the mixture to the baking dish, top it with cheese, and bake
- Remove the rice from the oven once it’s par-cooked, and pull back the foil.
- Add the chicken mixture to the rice. Recover with foil and bake.
- Take out the casserole from the oven once the rice is fully cooked, and remove the foil. Switch the oven to broil, and top the casserole with the remaining tortilla chips and cheese.
- Place the casserole under the broiler and broil until the cheese melts. Let it sit for a few minutes, garnish with the remaining cilantro, and serve.
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Southwestern Chicken Casserole Recipe
This Southwestern-Style Chicken Casserole is made with rotisserie chicken, lots of spices and of course cheese! This ain't your lack luster, flavorless chicken casserole that's for sure!
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Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup long grain white rice
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ jalapeno pepper minced (seeds and pith removed)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes fire roasted
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ cup sweet corn canned or frozen, drained
- ¾ cup canned black beans drained
- ½ rotisserie chicken shredded
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro divided
- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips divided
- 4 ounces shredded fiesta/Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Set rack in middle position. Prepare an 8×8 baking dish by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place rice, ¾ teaspoon salt, stock, and lime juice in dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, add oil, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Season with remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are translucent and softened about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and spices and continue cooking for 1 minute.
- Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Let cook for 2-3 minutes and until just a little liquid remains.
- Remove from heat. Fold in corn, black beans, chicken, 2 tablespoons cilantro, ½ cup tortilla chips.
- Once rice is par-cooked, remove from oven and pull back foil. Add mixture to rice. Recover with foil and bake for an additional 25-28 minutes.
- Once rice is fully cooked, remove from oven and remove the foil. Switch oven to broil. Top casserole with remaining tortilla chips and cheese. Place under broiler, until cheese is melted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with remaining tablespoon of cilantro and serve. Great served with a dollop of sour cream or sliced avocados.
Notes
How to store & reheat Southwestern Chicken Casserole
After your casserole has cooled down, cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap (or transfer it to an airtight container) and place it in the fridge. This will keep everything nice and moist! To bring that Southwestern casserole back to life, you can warm it in the oven at 350°F until it’s heated through, which usually takes about 20 minutes. If you’re just reheating an individual portion, a couple of minutes in the microwave will do the trick. EHow long will Southwestern Chicken Casserole last in the fridge?
Safely tucked away in the fridge, your casserole will stay fresh and tasty for up to 3 to 4 days. Just make sure it’s cooled completely before you pack it away to keep things safe and sound.Can I freeze southwest chicken casserole?
Of course, boo! Just wrap it well in foil or transfer to a freezer-safe container, and it’ll keep for up to 2 months. Then, thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it using the instructions above to get that “just-baked” taste.Nutrition
Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1171IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Tips
- Layer It Evenly: When you’re scooping that spicy, savory mix onto your rice, take a moment to smooth it out. An even layer means every bite’s got a bit of everything, which is just how you want it.
- Be Patient, Darlin’: I know boo, it’s tempting to dig right in when that casserole comes bubbling out of the oven (I’ve done it myself a few times), but give it a few minutes to cool down. This lets everything settle nicely, so when you scoop it out, it doesn’t just fall apart.
- Eye on the Broil: When you pop that casserole under the broiler, don’t wander off! Those tortilla chips and cheese can go from just right to overdone quicker than you can say “bless ya heart”.
- Crunchier Top: If you love a bit more crunch and texture on top of your southwest chicken casserole, don’t be shy with the tortilla chips. Add an extra handful just before it goes under the broiler!
Recipe Help
Can I make this casserole ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can assemble the entire casserole a day in advance and store it in the fridge, covered. When you’re ready to eat, just pop it in the oven and add a few extra minutes to the baking time since you’re starting from cold.
What can I use instead of tortilla chips for the topping?
Crushed cornflakes or even a sprinkle of breadcrumb mixed with a bit of melted butter can create a delicious, crunchy topping!
What can I do if the casserole comes out too dry?
Make sure you cover it tightly with foil while it bakes to lock in moisture. If it still seems dry, you can stir in a little extra chicken stock before adding your cheese and chips. Easy fix!
More casserole recipes
- Dorito Casserole
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Lemon Chicken And Rice Casserole
- Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
- Biscuits And Gravy Casserole
- Pork chop casserole
- Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe (With How To Video)
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I have got to admit, I was a little intimidated when I saw how long the ingredients list was. Turns out, I had all of the ingredients! Thank you so much for sharing, it is a new family favorite 🙂
This Southwestern Chicken Casserole is fantastic ! it is full of flavor and texture plus so hearty . This is the type of dish my family loves and they have already asked me to make it again . It looks like this will be in the regular rotation .
Thanks so much, doll!
Okay, this recipe is going to be on constant rotation in our house. We LOVE Tex-Mex flavors and this casserole hit all the marks: easy (thank you rotisserie chicken), minimal dishes (hello, easy clean-up), and one-pan meal (hallelujah for not having to come up with a side dish). Thanks for another great recipe!