Fiesta Chicken Casserole is one of the many easy casserole recipes on my site! This chicken casserole takes 5 minutes of prep time, it’s packed with cheesy Tex-Mex flavors, and is an easy weeknight dinner idea!
Cheesy, Easy & DELICIOUS Chicken Casserole!
I am a big believer in the casserole. Maybe because I grew up eating them, maybe because they are so efficient (everything in one place), maybe because you can pretty much top any casserole with cheese…whatever the reason is, I am onboard with a casserole recipe. AND if you can somehow get Tex-Mex flavors in there as well, it’s basically the perfect meal!
I have shared a bunch of casserole recipes here on my site, like Cornbread Chicken Casserole, Chicken Divan, and even Frito Pie Casserole. PLUS I have a deep rooted love for Fiesta Chicken. I’ve shared my Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken recipe as well as a Creamy Fiesta Chicken recipe, and they are both reader favorites. So when I had the idea to make a Fiesta Chicken CASSEROLE, I knew it was going to be good!
What You’ll Need
- Chicken: Any type of cooked chicken will work! You can buy a rotisserie chicken or you can make shredded chicken at home easily!
- Ro-Tel: This is a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. It’s a great ingredient to use in Tex-Mex food! BUT if you don’t have Ro-Tel, you can easily use a can of diced tomatoes and a can of green chiles!
- Rice: You will have to use Instant Rice in this recipe because you’re adding it in UNcooked, which is great because it absorbs all the flavors from the other ingredients. But to ensure that the rice gets cooked it needs to be instant. If you don’t have Instant Rice, you can cook regular rice until it is al dente, and then add it in to bake. This way it will finish baking with the other ingredients. But for ease, I really recommend Instant!
- Grated Cheese: I love using Colby Jack, but you can certainly use Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a blend!
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Sorry, it’s just necessary in this!
- Taco Seasoning: This is an easy “catch-all” seasoning.
- Milk: You have to add a few tablespoons of milk so there is enough liquid for the rice to absorb!
- Corn: I like using canned corn, but you can use frozen as well!
What Kind of Chicken To Use?
Like I said, any type of diced or shredded chicken will work in this recipe. It’s a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken or the rest of the roast chicken you may have sitting in the fridge!
How to Make this Chicken Casserole
The best thing about this casserole is it is essentially a “dump and bake” recipe. It’s an unfortunate turn of phrase, for sure, but it is pretty accurate. If you have leftover or rotisserie chicken, this will be in the oven in 5 minutes.
So how do you make this chicken casserole? Here’s how:
- Prep your tools. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Mix ingredients together. In a large bowl combine the chicken, Ro-Tel, rice, 1 1/2 cups grated Colby Jack cheese, Cream of Chicken soup, taco seasoning, milk, corn, and black beans if using. Stir to combine.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Let it cool. Uncover and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Variation Ideas!
There are so many things you can add into this recipe. I even included black beans in the recipe card below, because I make this with them quite often! Here are a few more ideas:
- Sautéed Onion
- Smoked Paprika
- Ground Beef or Pork (sub out the chicken!)
- Jalapenos
- Chives or Green Onions
- Garnishes like avocado, sour cream, or shredded lettuce
If you don’t have any plans for dinner tonight, I hope you give this Fiesta Chicken Casserole a try! It’s one of our go-to dinners!
How to Store and Reheat Extras
Let your casserole cool then transfer extras to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
When you’re ready to reheat leftovers simply scoop the desired amount into a microwave-safe bowl and zap it in the microwave until heated through. I recommend pausing halfway through the heating time to give everything a stir and make sure the food reheats evenly.
Looking for More Casserole Recipes? Try these:
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Fiesta Chicken Casserole
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
This is such an easy Tex-Mex inspired dinner idea. The prep time is 5 minutes if you have your chicken cooked!
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed or shredded chicken, cooked
- 1 (10- ounce) can Ro-Tel, undrained
- 1 cup instant rice, uncooked
- 2 cups grated Colby Jack cheese, divided
- 1 (10.75- ounce) can Cream of Chicken Soup
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup canned corn, drained
- optional – 1/2 cup black beans, drained
- optional garnish – sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the chicken, Ro-Tel, rice, 1 1/2 cups grated Colby Jack cheese, Cream of Chicken soup, taco seasoning, milk, corn, and black beans if using. Stir to combine.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan, sprinkle with remaining cheese and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 962 mg
- Fat: 20.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.2 g
- Protein: 27.2 g
- Cholesterol: 72.9 mg
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So delicious. The only thing different I did was add additional cheese cheddar cheese to the top layer. I also added an additional two tablespoons of milk to make sure that the rice was definitely cooked. It was an easy recipe and I would recommend it with a side of fried corn tortilla and a dollop of sour cream.
More cheese is always a good idea!! So glad you liked it!
Hi my daughter is dairy free…option for the cream of chicken soup?
How about Campbells tomato soup.
no
Question regular taco seasoning or can I use the taco seasoning mix ?
Regular taco seasoning 🙂
Do you think if the Rotel was left out, there would still be enough liquid to cook the rice? I’ve got a picky eater and if the Rotel goes in, it won’t be eaten.
Yes, it will be ok!
I made this on a Saturday afternoon and I had all the ingredients on hand so I thought “Why not try it”. It was very easy. On Sunday after it was in the refrigerator for almost 24 hours. I heated some up in the micro wave and ate that with Big Dipper corn chips. I enjoyed it both times and still have some left. It will definitely get made again most likely for a pot luck item. I followed the recipe as written except added some chipotle peppers diced real small in the dumping part. I thought the end result was real tasty.
Love the idea of adding chipotle peppers! And with chips this is SO good!!
Awesome dish! It was a huge hit with my family. My son loves it rolled in a flour tortilla, like a burrito. Topped with salsa, sour cream and Sriracha.
So glad you liked it!!
Could you assemble this the day before and refrigerate?
Yes sure!!
I have made it the day before for an Oscar Nite party and I think it was even better. And for immediate serving it is an outstanding quick meal. My favorite casserole!
Can this be frozen then heated from the frozen stage?
Yes absolutely!
I cook every night and in the summer especially I’m looking for quick and easy. This was was a big hit and so simple. I served it with sour cream and tortilla chips. The whole family loved it.
This is DELICIOUS! I used two 10 oz cans of Hormel chicken breast, drained, and a 11 oz can of corn, and it was amazing. This is definitely going in my regular recipe rotation. Comforting, tasty and super easy.
So glad you liked it! It’s one of our favorites 🙂