Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice
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Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice combines bold spices, tender chicken and gooey cheese for the ultimate crowd pleaser. It's a Mexican-inspired casserole loaded with irresistible flavor your whole family will get excited about!
Looking for more Mexican-style recipes? Try making Dutch Oven Carnitas for tacos, quesadillas and burritos, or enjoy my Salsa Verde Burritos filled with cheesy chicken and salsa.
Why You'll Love This Meal
- Versatile: substitute ingredients to suit your taste.
- Dump and Bake: prep in a skillet, dump in a casserole dish and bake.
- Party Pleaser: perfect for Cinco de Mayo or weekend fiestas!
This Mexican rice and chicken recipe blends an entire meal into one pan, which makes prep easier, and also creates the perfect comfort food with just the right amount of spice!
Plus, how could anyone resist this epic cheese pull?
Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of this page for quantities and further instructions.
- Protein: cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)
- Spices: chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, garlic cloves, salt, black pepper
- Grain: long-grain white rice or brown rice
- Veggies: bell pepper, onion, Rotel tomatoes, frozen corn, black beans
- Stir-Ins: chicken broth, sour cream
- Cheese: shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
- Oil: extra virgin olive oil
- Optional toppings: cilantro, salsa verde, green onions, sour cream
Instructions
1: Prep Ingredients - Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Chop veggies, measure spices, and shred chicken.
2: Cook Veggies - In a large skillet, sauté onion and red bell peppers with olive oil over medium heat until transparent. Add garlic.
3: Stir in Veggies and Spices - Stir in chicken, rice, black beans, tomatoes, frozen corn and sautéed vegetables. Mix in chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
4: Add Liquids - Stir in chicken broth and sour cream until well combined.
5: Dump and Bake - Transfer mixture to baking dish and bake for 30 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
6: Add Cheese - Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake uncovered until cheese is melted and bubbly.
7: Rest - Let rest until set before serving.
8: Garnish - Add fresh cilantro and various toppings if desired and dig in!
Variations
Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice is perfect just like it is, but if you want to switch things up, try these ideas:
- Vegetarian: Swap chicken for beans or tofu, or leave out the poultry all together.
- Spicy: Add jalapeños, cayenne pepper, sriracha or hot sauce.
- Low-Carb: Substitute cauliflower rice.
- Toppings: Top with avocado slices, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro, or crushed tortilla chips.
- Chicken: Use diced boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or any type of cooked protein such as Mexican Shredded Beef.
Serving Suggestions
If you'd like to serve a meal that's as good as your favorite Mexican restaurant, you can't go wrong with these options:
Soup: serve a cup of Mexican bean soup to go along with your entree.
Appetizers: loaded nachos and cream cheese corn dip are the perfect pre-meal snacks.
Sides: try tortilla chips, a side salad, charro beans, or refried beans. Don't forget the margaritas!
Recipe FAQs
Assemble casserole a day in advance and store it in the fridge until it's ready to bake. Just add extra time to bake to allow for the temperature change.
Yes, but keep in mind that brown rice will take longer to cook. You may need to adjust the cooking time and add a bit more liquid.
You can use pre-cooked rice. Just reduce the amount of chicken broth to about ½ cup since the rice won't need as much liquid to cook. Add the pre-cooked rice when you combine the other ingredients, and follow the rest of the instructions as usual.
Tips for Success
- Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil to trap the steam and ensure the rice cooks evenly.
- Provide several different toppings for even more flavor.
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken for faster prep time.
Storage and Freezing
Leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
To Freeze: Wrap leftovers lightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating or baking.
More Mexican-Style Recipes
Mexican food is truly a favorite in our family which is why I love to make recipes like Taco Pasta Salad and Baja Chicken Tacos that are inspired by Mexican cuisine.
You might also like this Walking Taco Casserole which is ready in a flash, or Chicken Fajita Pasta that's the perfect date-night meal!
Recipe Card
Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- baking dish (9 x 13 inch)
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken is recommended)
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (make sure rice is not cooked)
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 10.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (I use Rotel brand)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Fresh cilantro for garnish, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.1 red bell pepper, 1 medium onion, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
- In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, rice, black beans, diced tomatoes with chilies, corn, and sautéed onions and pepper.3 cups cooked, shredded chicken, 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed, 10.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained, 1 cup frozen corn
- Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well.2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Stir in chicken broth and sour cream until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup sour cream
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take the foil off. Stir, and bake for another 10-15 minutes without the foil cover, until the liquid is absorbed.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.Fresh cilantro for garnish, chopped
Notes
-
- Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil to trap the steam and ensure the rice cooks evenly during the first 30 minutes.
- Provide several different types of toppings for your family to choose from.
- Leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
- To Freeze: Wrap leftovers lightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating or baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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Clarification? "Stir, and bake for another 10-15 minutes without the foil cover, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove foil, sprinkle with shredded cheese."
Bake without foil and then remove foil? Is all baking after the initial 30 minutes to be uncovered? Or do we cover it again after stirring?
Hi Jan. Sorry about the confusion. You stir and bake for another 10-15 minutes, and leave it uncovered. Then sprinkle with shredded cheese and keep it uncovered. I made a mistake and I'll fix it in the recipe card. Thanks for letting me know!
Is the rice cooked or raw in the beginning please answer
Hi Jacqueline. The rice is uncooked (or raw) and cooks in the sauce.
Love this recipe! The rotel tomatoes give it a nice kick, but not too much.
Hi Debi. I see diced tomatoes with chiles in the directions but not in the ingredients. Should it be like a can of Rotel? I have everything and would love to try this! Thanks
Hi Melissa! Thanks for the heads up. I'll fix that on the recipe card.