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Mix and Bake Chicken Taco Casserole. Our new weeknight staple! Chicken seasoned with taco spices, baked, and shredded. Then everything goes right into the pan — dry rice, onions, peppers, corn, a can of tomatoes, and beans. Cheese on top and bake until bubbling. No need to cook the rice separately. Just mix, bake, eat, and finish with all your favorite taco toppings. It’s so simple and so delicious.
I always get excited to share these mix-and-bake recipes. They’re perfect for nights when you just want to toss everything together, bake, and forget about it until dinner. Zero fuss, maximum comfort.
When I had the idea for a taco casserole, I knew my family would love it, we all love tacos! And after making this a few times now, we’ve all agreed it’s best with shredded chicken and rice. So flavorful, so cozy.
Even my brother Kai got in on it. He made this the other night for game night and said it was the perfect dish. He swapped the beans for extra bell peppers and topped it with spicy cheddar and pepper jack – he loved it. Kai is a casserole guy through and through (chicken noodle is still his favorite #1)!
The Quick Details
Ingredients
- boneless chicken tenders or strips
- taco seasoning
- olive oil
- salted butter
- dry rice
- a yellow onion
- poblano peppers
- fresh or frozen corn – I use fresh summer corn when available
- Rotel tomatoes
- black beans
- mixed Mexican cheeses – I love a cheddar, colby jack, and pepper jack blend
Ingredients – for topping
- plain Greek yogurt – sour cream is good too
- shredded lettuce
- bcilantro and green onions
- cubed or sliced avocado
- lime zest and lime juice
- tortilla strips
Special Tools
You’ll need a large oven-safe casserole dish with a lid. No lid? Foil works too!
Steps
Step 1: Season and cook the chicken
In a casserole dish, toss the chicken with taco seasoning, olive oil, and butter. Bake until the chicken is fully cooked through.
Shred the chicken right in the dish using two forks. It should pull apart easily — shred into bigger or smaller pieces depending on what you like best.
Step 2: Add everything else
Stir in the dry rice, onions, peppers, corn, tomatoes, and beans — everything except the cheese. Pour over water to help the rice cook as the casserole bakes.
Step 3: Add cheese and bake
Sprinkle cheese over the top, then cover and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the rice is tender. Uncover and bake a few more minutes until the cheese is bubbling and just turning golden. The rice will finish cooking and the edges will get a little crispy — so delish!
Top it and serve
Finish with shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream, sliced avocado, lime zest and juice, and green onions. Add a pinch of flaked sea salt for extra flavor.
Serve with tortilla strips or chips for crunch. Yum!
Looking for other easy chicken and rice dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Pan Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken and Rice
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Spicy Sesame Chicken and Ginger Rice
One Pan Chipotle Honey Chicken and Rice
Lastly, if you make this Mix and Bake Chicken Taco Casserole, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Mix and Bake Chicken Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken tenders/strips
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cups dry rice
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, chopped
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 can (10 ounce) Rotel tomatoes
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.2. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, toss the chicken with taco seasoning, olive oil, and butter. Bake 15 minutes, until fully cooked. Reduce the oven to 400°F.3. Shred the chicken in the casserole dish using 2 forks. 4. Add the rice, onions, peppers, corn, tomatoes, and black beans. Pour over 1 1/2 cups of water. Mix it up. Top with cheese. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 10 minutes. If the rice is hard, add 1/3 cup more water and cook for an additional 10 minutes.5. Serve the casserole topped as desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Well, super frustrated with this recipe. We have cooked it for an extra 40 min so far and the rice is still crunchy. I would not bake it in a 9×13 pan again. Must be baked in something that can be covered. Aluminum foil does not work! And I made 2 pans for a big family gathering.
Usually have great outcomes with Tieghan’s recipes.
Next time I will not add the rice. I’ll do it separately for greater success.
Hi Diana,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you!
We are lower carb – if we leave the rice out is there something to replace it with?
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Hi Susan,
I’m so sorry, I haven’t made this recipe without the rice. You could certainly give it a try, but I would reduce the liquid. Let me know how it turns out!
I’m allergic to tomatoes, can i replace with a certain amount of chicken stock so the rice cooks?
Hey Beth,
Sure, that should work nicely for you! I would do 1/4 cup of broth. I hope you love this dish!
Looks good and easy, but the Tortilla’s look like baked in the dish? Did I miss something.
thanks. Been a fan for a long long time.
Thanks so much, Leslie! Nope, there are no tortillas baked in the dish:) You can follow the recipe as written.
Please let me know if you give this recipe a try!
I made this few weeks ago for Sunday Family Dinner. We all LOVED it!! It’s def on the rotation.
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes 🙂
Hey Ginny,
So kind of you to try this recipe and leave feedback, I’m glad it was a hit!
Have a nice week!
Recipe was delicious and my family loved it. I cooked in a cast iron dutch oven and after covering and cooking for 25 min, rice was still uncooked and soupy so I removed the lid and cooked it for an additional 30-40 min, taking it out to stir every 10 min. Sprinkled the cheese towards the end.
Hey Bridget,
Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl—so glad it turned out nicely. Have a great day!
What type of rice do you use? Mine came out underdone – though it smelled delicious!
Hi Renee,
I like to use basmati rice for this recipe. So sorry to hear yours was not fully cooked. Thanks for giving this dish a try!
Do you think this recipe would freeze well? I was planning to make it into two smaller square casserole dishes, and freezing one for later but wanted to get your thoughts on that. Thanks!
Hey Diane,
Yes, I think this dish would freeze nicely for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe!
Would you recommend freezing before or after baking?
Hi Ann,
I would freeze after baking. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish!
Would using chicken stock instead of water, add more flavor or would it be too much?
Hey Laura,
That would be perfectly okay for you to use! I hope you love this recipe!
My family and I love this recipe, including my 2 year old. We make it all the time! The only thing I do differently is cook my rice in my instant pot and make cilantro lime rice. We make quesadillas out of the leftovers as well.
Hey Christina,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks so much for making it!
Have a wonderful week!
Do you think this could work in a crockpot?
Hey Katie! You could definitely try it. I’d cook it on low for about 4 hours, then shred the chicken and add the cheese on top at the end. I’d also serve the chips on the side so they don’t get soggy. Let me know how it turns out — I hope you love the dish!
this is absolutely a winner! If I need to make a small batch of vegetarian – would I leave the chicken out, or substitute a vegetable??
Hey Mary Ann,
Awesome! I appreciate your feedback, so glad to hear this recipe was a hit!
Sure, you could leave the chicken out, use a veggie like mushrooms, or just do beans:)
I love most of HBH recipes but this one wasn’t our favorite. Turned out super soupy and not really full of flavor, very OK. For us, it’s hard to find really good weekday dinner casseroles, they never hit the mark!
Hi Brit,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear you didn’t love it!
We have made this multiple times and LOVE it!! Every time we have made very minor tweaks- such as using GOYA Mexican Rice and diced bell peppers to adjust to our personal preferences. We appreciate you sharing your kitchen and recipes with us! Delicious!
Hey Kristen,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad to hear it was a winner!
I made this for dinner tonight. It was great! I did add a bit more taco seasoning and cooked everything in low sodium chicken broth instead of water. I seasoned with salt and pepper before baking and served with sliced avocado, cilantro and Greek yogurt, like you always suggest. It was a huge hit in our house!
Hey Anne,
Thanks so much! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it! Have a great day!