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Cheesy Mexican casserole is flavorful and filling, packed with layers of chicken, Spanish rice, and a creamy sauce!
Similar to our Chicken Enchilada Casserole, this Mexican casserole is filled with layers of goodness and perfect for any night of the week.
We Love Casseroles!
Casseroles are on repeat for dinner at our house, and if it’s a Mexican Casserole Recipe – even better!
This Mexican casserole happens to be a favorite, filled with our popular Spanish Rice, Homemade Salsa, and Taco Seasoning.
Why we love it:
- Use up leftovers. This is a perfect dish to use up any leftover Spanish rice or chicken. We love to repurpose leftovers!
- Great for company! Because it makes a 9×13 pan-full, it can easily feed a crowd. Pair it with some Mexican side dishes to stretch the meal even further.
- Freezer friendly. This casserole recipe freezes beautifully and is ideal for meal prepping or delivering to friends in need.
Ingredients
- Mexican rice – Make a fresh batch, cook up a store-bought box, or use leftover Spanish Rice.
- chicken breasts – or cubed chicken thighs. Replace the chicken with ground turkey or brown ground beef, just omit the added vegetable oil and drain any excess grease.
- taco seasoning – store-bought packet or 2 tablespoons of Taco Seasoning Mix
- vegetable oil – or olive oil
- minced garlic
- Mexican cheese – or use your favorite combination of Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, Colby Cheese, or Mozzarella cheese.
- cream of chicken soup
- green chiles – or use diced jalapeno or poblano peppers for extra spice.
- salsa – store-bought or your favorite Homemade Salsa.
- fresh cilantro
Make it Vegetarian
Replace the chicken with an equal amount of black beans or pinto beans and use cream of mushroom soup.
Layer + Enjoy!
- PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 9×13 dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- CHICKEN. Add cubed chicken to a large skillet with vegetable oil and cook with taco seasoning and minced garlic cloves.
- SOUP MIXTURE. Stir together cream of chicken soup, green chiles, and salsa.
- ASSEMBLE. Layer ½ the rice, ½ the chicken, and ½ the soup and salsa mixture in the baking dish. Add 2 cups of cheese on top. Repeat layers once more ending with the cheese.
- BAKE. Bake for 40 minutes and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Topping Ideas
Add any of the following to individual servings of your Mexican casserole:
- Add a dollop of sour cream, Guacamole, or Pico De Gallo
- Sprinkle on some black olives, diced tomatoes, or green onion
- Roll up a spoon of the casserole in Flour Tortillas or corn tortillas or scoop it with Tortilla Chips.
perfect for freezing!
- Making ahead of time. Prepare the casserole but do not bake. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Freezer meal. Assemble it in a freezer-safe container, do not bake. Allow it to cool a bit before wrapping it tightly with plastic and again with aluminum foil. Label and freeze it for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
- STORE. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Heat it up in the microwave when you’re ready to eat it.
For More Mexican Recipes:
Mexican Casserole
Cheesy Mexican casserole is flavorful and filling, packed with layers of chicken, Spanish rice, and a creamy sauce!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Mexican Rice
- 4 chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups Mexican cheese
- 1 (10-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can green chiles
- 1½ cups salsa
- cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 9×13 dish.
- Add cubed chicken to a large saucepan with vegetable oil and cook with taco seasoning and minced garlic.
- Combine cream of chicken soup, green chiles, and salsa.
- Layer ½ the rice, ½ the chicken, and ½ the soup and salsa mixture in your baking dish. Add 2 cups of cheese on top. Repeat layers once more ending with the cheese.
- Bake for 40 minutes and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Notes
Making ahead of time. Prepare the casserole but do not bake. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Freezer meal. Assemble it in a freezer-safe container, do not bake. Allow it to cool a bit before wrapping it tightly with plastic and again with aluminum foil. Label and freeze it for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
STORE. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Heat it up in the microwave when you’re ready to eat it.
Nutrition
Calories: 276kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 847mg, Potassium: 406mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 698IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 263mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Is the rice supposed to be pre-cooked?
Yes, the rice is cooked first 🙂 Enjoy!!
If you like mexican food casserole style, thiS is the one to try! It has everything you need in one. feeds many!
Mexican food is a must for me. It’s my all time favorite cuisine. This was very simple and fed a lot of people.
Delicious! I always make your mexican rice when we Have MEXICAN food then freeze the LEFTOVERS specifically to make this casserole!
Total comfort food. And love how easy it was to make!
This will be a family favorite for sure!
I know what I will be having for dinner tonight! This looks amazing; so excited to give this a try!
This is so perfect for a quick and tasty weeknight meal!
This casserole is so easy to make and is already being requested by the littles for an encore! Back on the weekly menu this week!!
This was amazing!! It had so much flavor & was very simple to make. We love Mexican food, so having it in a casserole form is a great idea! Perfect for feeding a crowd.