white, round plate with tex-mex chicken and rice casserole, topped with cilantro

I feel like I should start this off by saying that casseroles are one of the harder to photograph items for a food blog. In reality, we have to make the food look appetizing and yummy for y’all and casseroles and brown foods are the pits to take appetizing pictures of! All that to say, I’m hoping you guys give this recipe a shot because the pictures do not do it justice. It’s so good! This Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice Casserole brings a new flare to the standard chicken and rice. It includes black beans, corn, green chile, and hints of spice. It’s a fan favorite around here!

overhead shot of tex-mex chicken & rice casserole topped with cilantro

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR TEX-MEX CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE

shredded chicken, cooked (rotisserie or Instant Pot chicken both work well)
taco seasoning
cooked white rice (I prefer Basmati)
roasted green chiles, diced
sour cream
rotel
cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
corn (fresh, canned, or frozen [thaw first] all work well)
black beans
shredded Monterrey jack/cheddar cheese

up close shot of tex mex chicken and rice casserole on white plate

HOW TO MAKE TEX-MEX CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE

(full recipe card below)

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a mixing bowl, combine your shredded chicken and taco seasoning. Mix to coat all of chicken. Alternatively, you can cook your chicken with taco seasoning. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice, green chiles, sour cream, rotel, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, corn, and black beans. Mix to combine.
Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Layer half of the rice mixture, spreading evenly.
Layer all of the chicken on top of the rice mixture, spreading evenly.
Layer the remaining rice mixture on top of the chicken, spreading evenly.
Top with your shredded cheese.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. If the cheese starts to brown too early, cover with foil.

up close shot of tex-mex chicken and rice casserole with cilantro and cheese in a red casserole dish

TIPS AND NOTES FOR TEX-MEX CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE

You can use pre-cooked chicken or even rotisserie chicken in this recipe. If you’d prefer to cook your own, I recommend cooking it in the Instant Pot with the taco seasoning.

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Absolutely. I’d recommend assembling before freezing or refrigerating and then baking before serving.

tex-mex chicken and rice casserole with cilantro

INTERESTED IN SIMILAR RECIPES? TRY ONE OF THESE:

Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice Casserole

Author: Kara – Sweetly Splendid
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 12 1x

Scale

Ingredients

4 cups shredded chicken, cooked (rotisserie or Instant Pot chicken both work well)
1–2 tbsp taco seasoning
2 cups cooked white rice (I prefer Basmati)
1/4 cup roasted green chiles, diced
1 cup sour cream
1 can rotel
2 tbsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 cups corn (fresh, canned, or frozen [thaw first] all work well)
15oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack/cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a mixing bowl, combine your shredded chicken and taco seasoning. Mix to coat all of chicken. Alternatively, you can cook your chicken with taco seasoning. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice, green chiles, sour cream, rotel, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, corn, and black beans. Mix to combine.
Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Layer half of the rice mixture, spreading evenly.
Layer all of the chicken on top of the rice mixture, spreading evenly.
Layer the remaining rice mixture on top of the chicken, spreading evenly.
Top with your shredded cheese.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. If the cheese starts to brown too early, cover with foil.

Notes

If you’d like to cook your chicken with the taco seasoning, I recommend cooking it in the Instant Pot. It cooks quickly, evenly, and will stay moist.