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Easy Mexican chicken and rice casserole is a flavorful, one-pan meal made with tender chicken, seasoned rice, melted cheese, and classic Mexican-inspired spices. Hearty, comforting, and simple to prepare, it’s a family-friendly dinner that delivers bold flavor with minimal effort. It’s one of our favorite easy weeknight dishes to make.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Mexican Chicken & Rice Casserole

You’ll love this easy Mexican chicken and rice casserole because it’s a simple, one-dish meal packed with bold, comforting flavors. It comes together quickly with pantry staples, feeds a crowd, and is endlessly customizable with your favorite toppings or add-ins. Best of all, it’s hearty, cheesy, and perfect for busy weeknights or make-ahead dinners.

Ingredients

2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts
2 packages Knorr Spanish Rice
4 cups chicken broth
2 T butter
1 can drained and rinsed black beans
1 can drained corn
16 oz jar spicy salsa
2 T taco seasoning
1/4 cup queso blanco sauce
2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
handful of sliced, tamed Jalapeño peppers.

How To Make This Easy Mexican Chicken & Rice Casserole

Cut chicken breast into small bite size pieces. Place in a bowl and add 1 package (or 2 Tablespoons) of your favorite taco seasoning. Set aside.

Grease a 9×13 casserole pan. Then combine Spanish rice, chicken broth, butter, black beans, corn, salsa and chicken.

Cover with foil and bake in a 375 degree F oven for 45-60 minutes or until water has been absorbed and rice is cooked.

Top with about 1/4 cup queso blanco sauce (found in local grocery store in Mexican section). Mix, then add 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese and jalapeno slices. Cook another 10 minutes uncovered, or until cheese is melted.

baked mexican chicken and rice casserole

Toppings

tomatoes
cilantro
sour cream
salsa
lime juice
avocado
black olives

Serve in a plate with a side salad or in a bowl to make it like a burrito bowl. Try squeezing a wedge of lime over the top and add tomatoes and cilantro. You can also put this in a tortilla shell and eat it that way too.

I love that this meal is so versatile. You can spice it up a bit more with spicy salsa or more jalapenos. Use chicken thighs instead of breast. You can use beef instead of chicken, or make it Vegetarian and don’t add any meat.

Storage

This dish can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just thaw it out in the fridge the night before you want to fix it.

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Adapted from Kyle Istook