Southwestern Chicken Casserole

4.63 from 51 votes
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This Southwestern Chicken Casserole calls for simple, flavorful ingredients and is made completely in a casserole dish. A perfect weeknight dinner idea!

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You guys are going to love this southwestern chicken casserole recipe. It reminds me of a GIANT Chipotle burrito bowl. I am a huge Chipotle fan and order the same thing every time I go. Can you guess what it is? A chicken burrito bowl.

And when it comes to casseroles, we love making them a well-rounded meal. That usually means pairing a grain, with veggies, and a source of protein. Chicken is such a great protein to cook inside of a casserole because it’s juicy, lean and can be flavored so many ways.

why you’ll love it!

  • You only need to dirty one dish.
  • It’s a great weeknight meal that packs a ton of flavor.
  • This casserole leaves great leftovers, making it a great meal prep recipe for the week.

What You Need for this Southwestern Chicken Casserole

The base of this flavorful chicken casserole recipe is quick-cooking brown rice, black beans, and chicken breast. And when it comes to adding that flavor punch, we went big! Here’s what really gives this casserole its robust flavor:

  • 1 jar of salsa
  • paprika
  • chili powder
  • ground cumin
  • garlic powder
  • fresh cilantro
  • shredded cheese
ingredients for chicken casserole in casserole dish

Ingredient Substitutions

Beans: Black beans pair well with this dish, but feel free to substitute 1:1 for another canned bean like great northern beans or pinto beans.

Chicken: We’re using diced chicken breast, but boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 in. chunks will also work.

Rice: We’ve tested this recipe with minute brown rice and minute white rice. Either will work!

Top Tips

Don’t substitute the minute rice: Only use brown or white minute rice for this casserole! The rice won’t have enough time to completely cook if substituting for any other variety of rice.

Spice to your liking: This casserole calls for an entire jar of salsa, so feel free to use your favorite variety, whether that’s a mild or super hot salsa.

Get creative with the toppings: We love topping this casserole with green onions, tortilla chips, and a dollop of Greek yogurt and homemade guacamole.

White casserole dish.

Our Favorite

Casserole Dish

We love this le creuset casserole dish because it is oven safe AND has a cover. It is the perfect casserole dish for this baked one pot pasta dish!

chicken casserole with cheese

Storage

Store this casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer Instructions: we recommend making your casserole in a disposable casserole tin. Once cooked, let the casserole cool completely and then cover with tin foil and remove as much air as possible. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

southwestern chicken casserole with Greek yogurt and salsa

Serving Suggestions

Serve this southwestern chicken casserole with our homemade guacamole, salsa and our ultimate margarita.

4.63 from 51 votes

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

This Southwestern Chicken Casserole calls for chicken breast, salsa, beans, and amazing southwestern spices. It's made 100% in a casserole dish in under an hour.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8
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Ingredients 

  • 1.5 cups minute brown rice, uncooked (white or brown minute rice will work)
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 10 oz. frozen corn, thawed
  • 15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks (raw)
  • 16 oz. jar salsa, any spice level works!
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup Colby Jack cheese
  • optional toppings: shredded Colby Jack cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa, and green onions.

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Add all of the ingredients (minus the shredded cheese) into the casserole dish and mix together with a wooden spoon making sure that everything is well mixed and submerged in liquid.
    a chicken casserole with beans, corn and other ingredients in a red baking dish.
  • Then, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375ºF for about 50 minutes.
  • Uncover and top with shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes.
    a chicken casserole topped with cheese and green onions.
  • Once fully cooked, let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Top with Greek yogurt, more shredded cheese, salsa, and green onions.
    chicken casserole

Tips & Notes

  • Nutrition information is for a serving of 8 people and includes the 1/2 cup of Colby Jack cheese
  • This recipe was updated slightly on 1/29/2024 to reduce the amount of chicken broth as some had reported issues with the casserole consistency being too soupy. The original recipe is HERE.

Watch It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”xFSQudfR” upload-date=”2024-01-29T19:53:54.000Z” name=”Southwestern Chicken Casserole” description=”This Southwestern Chicken Casserole calls for simple, flavorful ingredients and is made completely in a casserole dish. A perfect weeknight dinner idea!” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]

Nutrition

Calories: 270 kcal, Carbohydrates: 36 g, Protein: 21 g, Fat: 5 g, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 3 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Kenzie
Kenzie
August 7, 2023 9:29 pm

5 stars
Super easy dinner and tastes great!

B6618A35-ED64-44D7-829D-A3DF99145D4D.jpeg
Emily Richter
August 14, 2023 1:26 pm
Reply to  Kenzie

Yum!

Nutra Gesture
May 6, 2023 1:32 am

5 stars
woohoo! loved it!

Bethanie
April 16, 2023 12:49 am

5 stars
This was SO yummy!! I omitted the chicken broth because I used cauliflower rice. I also added green chilis. I’ll definitely be making this again! Thanks!

Emily Richter
April 17, 2023 10:12 am
Reply to  Bethanie

Such fun additions, Bethanie!

Elizabeth
Elizabeth
March 29, 2023 7:46 pm

5 stars
This is the OG Pinterest recipe! I can’t tell you how many times I have made this. It’s a hit EVERY time. I make it for my family, when company comes over, take it to a neighbor after a surgery, etc. Its just the best!

C938D77B-14A8-4FD2-8071-173BD8C59442.jpeg
Emily Richter
March 30, 2023 12:12 pm
Reply to  Elizabeth

Aw thank you so much for sharing this, Elizabeth! So glad you love this casserole <3

Art
Art
January 18, 2023 3:06 pm

5 stars
This recipe is ON POINT! I followed the ingredients and instructions as provided, I used a medium spice salsa, which adds a nice heat to the dish. The next time I will skip adding the cheese, as I clearly won’t have the patience to wait the extra 10 min to finish, and just add it as one of the toppings. This will make a great meal prep option.

Kris
Kris
December 9, 2022 10:09 pm

5 stars
This was delicious! Mine wasn’t soupy at all, I used regular rice and let it sit for 10 min and it was amazing!

Rose
Rose
March 3, 2023 6:59 am
Reply to  Kris

How did you use regular rice?? Was it still able to be cooked in the oven?

Shelby
Shelby
November 14, 2022 8:21 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

4 stars
Great recipe! Lots of flavor, great seasoning. I saw in the reviews to add some spice so I add green chilies and did a spicy salsa. Someone said they did regular rice and it was fine, but when I did, it was still a bit crunchy so I’d recommend probably sticking with the minute rice. Very tasty and super easy to make!

Last edited 1 year ago by Shelby
Carole Anne Piccinin
Carole Anne Piccinin
September 21, 2022 6:26 am
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
Wow! This was fast, easy and delish one pan meal! Upped each of the spice amounts at bit b/c our family likes a flavourful burrito bowl. I used ground chicken and it worked perfectly.

Emily Richter
September 23, 2022 10:37 am

So glad you and your fam loved this casserole, Carole!

Kelly
Kelly
July 31, 2022 11:10 am
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This turns out perfect every time and my family loves it! I have made a couple of small changes, my daughter does not like corn but my husband does so I comprises by using a small can of corn and substitute the rest with a can of green chilies which just adds to the depth of flavor. And instead of bothering with all the spices listed I just use a pack of taco seasoning. Its delish every time, I love the way the chicken and rice soak up all the salsa and chili juice. No bland boring baked chicken here!

Emily Richter
August 1, 2022 1:53 pm
Reply to  Kelly

Love how you made this recipe your own, Kelly! And you’re so right — never bland boring baked chicken 🙂

Molly
Molly
June 7, 2022 7:43 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This was super easy. I used regular rice instead of minute rice and mine wasn’t watery at all. Maybe add a little more spice to it or jalapeños!