Give your Taco Tuesday a glorious makeover when you feast on this outrageously tasty chicken Taco Casserole Recipe! Filled with perfectly seasoned meat, beans and rice, and topped with delightfully crunchy tortilla strips and gooey cheese, you’ll be dreaming of dinner all day long! Just 10 minutes of prep, then you pop it in the oven!
When it comes to dinners I love the most, tacos always seem to top the charts.
I mean… what’s not to love about a crunchy taco shell, perfectly seasoned meat and a taco piled high with your favorite toppings, right?
That’s why I’m always looking for ways to infuse taco flavors into more Easy Dinner Recipes. We all know there is no such thing as too many tacos!
For example… who needs spaghetti when you can devour Taco Spaghetti?
And who needs a bland and flavorless casserole when you can savor a tantalizing taco bake casserole with tortillas instead?
Do you see my point? Tacos make everything better!
That’s why I know you’re going to adore this rich and savory chicken taco rice casserole as much as my family does.
It’s got all of your favorite Mexican flavors infused into one delightful dish, and the tasty leftovers are always something to look forward to! Just like you’ll get when you make these Crockpot Pulled Chicken Tacos, easy Crockpot Ground Beef Tacos, and my viral Frugal Girls Taco Soup Recipe, too!
This chicken Mexican rice casserole is also ridiculously simple to make. Just 10 minutes of prep, that’s all!
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s get this easy taco casserole recipe cooking in the oven, shall we?
With leftovers to spare, now you can live everyday like it’s Taco Tuesday!
Here’s what you’ll need to get started…
Ingredients
Thanks to several shortcuts, you won’t believe how quick and easy this chicken taco casserole recipe comes together!
Here’s what you need to add to your next Walmart grocery shopping list to make this recipe…
- Ground Beef or Chicken – You can even use Rotisserie Chicken to save time.
- White Rice – Just like I used with my flavor-packed cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole.
- Refried Beans
- Sour Cream
- Diced Tomatoes
- Diced Green Chiles
- Frozen Chopped White Onions – This will save so much time chopping and cooking.
- Mexican Shredded Cheese
- Taco Seasoning – Either store bought or Homemade Taco Seasoning will work great.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper (optional) – Only add if you like things on the spicier side.
- Tortilla Strips for topping – Or instead make your taco casserole with Doritos (the Nacho Cheese variety) or a taco casserole with Fritos, that are broken into little pieces.
Like most of my easy casserole recipes, you’ll also need a 9×13 baking dish to prepare this taco bake casserole.
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You won’t believe how easy it is to make this outrageous Mexican rice casserole!
Just follow these simple steps…
1. Preheat your oven, then spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Stir together the Chicken, Rice, Beans, Sour Cream, Tomatoes, Green Chiles, Onions, Taco Seasoning and 1 cup of Shredded Cheese in a large mixing bowl, until well combined.
3. Transfer the mixture to your casserole dish, and spread it out evenly.
4. Then cover your casserole dish with aluminum foil, and bake as specified.
5. After baking for 30 minutes, remove your foil, and sprinkle your chicken or beef taco casserole with the remaining Shredded Cheese and evenly top with Tortilla Strips.
6. Then continue baking as specified, uncovered, or until the cheese has melted.
See… I told you this taco casserole recipe was going to be EASY!!
Simple Mexican Food Recipes like this are the perfect solution for busy weeknights!
Scroll down for the printable taco casserole recipe card with detailed, step-by-step instructions.
What to Serve with Taco Rice Casserole
There are so many brilliant Side Dish Recipes you can serve along with this hearty Mexican rice casserole!
To start, I know you’ll love topping your casserole with some of this Simple Guacamole Recipe and sour cream, as well as some of this Chipotle Corn Salsa Recipe or Easy Pico de Gallo.
Then, I recommend adding a lovely side of black beans and Rice with Cilantro and Lime.
How to Store Leftovers
One of my favorite Easy Meal Prep Ideas is to make this casserole on the weekend, then enjoy the leftovers over the next few days for lunch or dinner.
Leftovers of this tasty taco and rice casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also store it for up to 1 month in the freezer.
How To Reheat Leftovers
When you’re ready to enjoy your Mexican chicken rice casserole leftovers, simply transfer individual servings to a microwave safe dish, cover with paper towels, and reheat for 30 seconds at a time (stirring each time) until hot.
You can even add a little extra cheese on top for the last few seconds of microwaving. The more cheese the merrier, right?
More Classic Mexican Food Recipes
Did You Enjoy This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leave a comment & review below!
Taco Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Browned Ground Beef or Cubed Cooked Chicken, (cubed Rotisserie Chicken can be substituted)
- 2 cups Cooked White Rice
- 16 oz. Refried Beans
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 14.5 oz. Diced Tomatoes
- 4 oz. Diced Green Chiles
- 1 cup Frozen Chopped White Onions, (completely thawed)
- 2 cups Mexican Shredded Cheese, (8 oz. bag)
- 2 oz. Taco Seasoning, (two 1 oz. packets) Homemade Taco Seasoning will work great
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Pepper
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper, (optional)
- 2 cups Tortilla Strips, (Fritos or Nacho Cheese Doritos broken into 1/2 inch sized pieces can be substituted)
Instructions
- Gather your taco casserole recipe ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray 9×13 casserole dish with Nonstick Cooking spray.
- Combine Rice, Beans, Sour Cream, Tomatoes, Green Chiles, Onions, Taco Seasoning and 1 cup of Shredded Cheese in large bowl, and stir well.
- Add cubed Chicken to mixture and continue stirring until well combined.
- Transfer mixture into casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove foil, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of Shredded Cheese, and evenly top with Tortilla Strips. Then bake UNCOVERED for 10 more minutes, or until cheese has melted.
- Serve with a side of Chips and Guacamole or Salsa and ENJOY!
Notes
- How to Store Leftovers: Leftovers of this chicken taco casserole recipecan be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- How To Reheat Leftovers: When you’re ready to enjoy, simply transfer to a microwave safe dish, cover with paper towels, and reheat for 30 seconds at a time (stirring each time) until hot. You can even add a little extra cheese on top for the last few seconds of microwaving. The more cheese the merrier, right?
- FAQ’s: For answers to Frequently Asked Questions or tips for common substitutions and variations, please refer to the detailed information above this recipe card.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Taco Tuesday never looked so good, Heidi! I love that this recipe is so simple to create and makes enough for lunch the next day as well. We need this kind of quick and easy in our lives. Can’t wait to try it! Hugs, CoCo
I totally agree CoCo. The leftovers are amazing for lunch the next day!
This looks incredible! I’m always down for tacos and I’m looking forward to trying this. Thanks for sharing!
I know you’ll love it. It’s crazy easy and oh so delicious!
This taco casserole is so original. It makes me want to try it.
Merci
I am so glad you like Delphine! The taco flavors make it a fun upgrade over a traditional dinner casserole.
Taco casserole added to the “must make” list! Anything I can make that saves me time in the evening and can last a few days in the fridge as something to quickly heat up on busier nights gets my vote! Cheers Heidi!
Thank you so much Neil! I hope you have a fabulous week!!
I’ve never tried a taco casserole before, but this one looks so inviting!
The colorful chips on top make it extra festive and fun.
Thanks for sharing such a great idea!
It really is such a flavorful and satisfying way to enjoy tacos. Plus, you can enjoy the leftovers for days to come!
This taco casserole just makes everything so easy on busy nights. And everyone loves the taco flavor, so that’s a guaranteed win. Thanks for sharing!
I totally agree Traci. Just add the taco flavor and you’ve got a winner of a dinner!
This taco c asserole is a fabulous prepare once and eat twice kind of weekday recipe. Perfect to make ahead and bake later too. We are all about that on those busy days!
I totally agree. Why not make all the effort of cooking dinner last for more than just one day? With this massively satisfying taco casserole it’s a cinch!
Casseroles are the way to go- they are easy to assemble, cook, and eat. I love tacos and this casserole makes it even easier. It looks delicious.
Thank you so much, you are so sweet Judee! I hope you have a beautiful week!!
Taco nights are always high on our list here, too, Heidi! No matter what form you serve ’em in, leftovers are rarely a problem. This casserole version sounds delicious, and I love how you used various colored tortilla chips on top for a fun appearance. Another great recipe!
I agree, the added splash of color on top really does make this casserole so much more visually appealing!
This looks so yummy! I can see this being a wonderful casserole to make for me and hubby. Since he’s gluten free, doing corn chips is an easy change. Thanks for sharing!
I am so glad you like it Kathrine. This taco casserole is such an easy win for busy weeknights!