Chicken Taco Rice Casserole
This Chicken Taco Rice Casserole is a delicious one-pan dinner that’s so simple to make!
Filled with protein and veggies, this is an easy dinner option that can be customized for the whole family to enjoy!
What you’ll love about this recipe
- Time-Saver: You can prep this dish the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven. You can even store it in the freezer as a quick and healthy alternative to a pre-packaged freezer meal.
- Family Friendly: The whole family will enjoy this meal and it’s a great way to get your kids in the kitchen with you. They can help measure, add ingredients to the dish, and stir!
- Great for large groups: This is the perfect meal for a party or large group. It’s also perfect for leftovers – I love being able to make dinner and lunch for the next day at the same time.
- Customizable: this recipe can be easily changed to fit the preferences of even the pickiest eaters and can easily be adjusted for those that have food allergies or sensitivities.
Ingredients
- Chicken
- Brown rice
- Salsa
- Water
- Frozen corn
- Diced zucchini
- Diced bell pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Salt and black pepper
- Shredded Cheese
Tips to Save More Time
- This recipe calls for salsa, you can feel free to make your own but I like to use jarred salsa to save time. You can use mild, medium, or hot salsa to meet your spice preferences.
- This recipe is a great way to use up frozen chicken that you have or leftover chicken from the night before. To save you even more time, you could grab a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store.
- You can also use frozen zucchini or peppers that you have, especially if they are already chopped. I have a stockpile in my freezer of produce that I grew in my garden this summer and I love making this recipe to use up some of those veggies.
Storage
Store this Chicken Taco Rice Casserole in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can store this in the freezer for 2-3 months for a quick and easy meal. Just pop it in the oven until it’s fully thawed and warmed up.
Variations and substitutions
- Don’t have or like chicken? Swap out the chicken for any other protein of choice like beef or bison.
- Don’t have all the veggies you need? Feel free to add or swap out any of the veggies based on what you have at home or what your family prefers.
- Want to make it dairy-free? Substitute the shredded cheese for your favorite non-dairy cheese or leave it out and top it with your favorite crushed-up tortilla chips.
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Chicken Taco Rice Casserole
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken, cooked and diced
- 1 cup brown rice
- 16 oz. salsa
- 2 cups water
- 10 oz. frozen corn
- 1 zucchini, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mist a 9x13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Directly to the baking dish, add the diced or shredded chicken, seasonings, rice, salsa, water, corn, zucchini, bell pepper, spices, and 1 cup of cheese. Stir the ingredients until combined.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the rice has softened.
- Remove the foil from the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the casserole. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes. (Note: The casserole will appear slightly soupy when it comes out of the oven. But it does thicken up nicely during the 15 minutes of stand time.)
- Serve with fresh cilantro, diced avocado, Greek yogurt, tortilla chips, and/or lime wedges.
Notes
Calories: 296
Protein: 26.6 grams
Carbohydrates: 32.9 grams
Fat: 7 grams
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