Chicken Fajita Casserole

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Chicken Fajita Casserole is everything you love about fajitas in a family friendly, one dish casserole. It’s a super easy dump-and-bake recipe with rice, bell peppers, onions, fajita seasoned chicken, and melty cheese.

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One Dish Wonder

This recipe went viral on my social media platforms so I had to make it a permanent post on the blog. I can see why it’s so popular, though! First and foremost, it’s delicious! The rice and chicken are so flavorful and there’s cheese…sooo. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

It’s easy! Everything is dumped into a casserole dish and baked in the oven. The most time consuming part is slicing the onions and peppers.

Chicken fajita casserole is filling and hearty. It’s a whole meal in a dish; you have your grains (use brown rice for extra fiber), protein from the chicken and cheese and your veggies. Boom! A well rounded meal without even trying.

Lastly, I love that everyone can add their favorite toppings, just like an individual order of fajitas. I think you’ll love it, too.

What You’ll Need

You can find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!

On the recipe card below, click “print recipe” and from there you can print out the page or screenshot it to save to your phone’s photo album.

Pin this recipe to save to Pinterest so you can make it later! You can Pin It from the recipe card below. Just click the “Pin Recipe” button. If you’d like to follow me on Pinterest , my page is Steph Gigliotti.

• 9×13 casserole dish
• Chicken- you can use breast, tenderloins or thighs. If using chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally or slice into strips so they cook evenly.
• Bell peppers– any color
• Onion– use a vidalia onion, yellow or red onion, or leave it out if your kids have an aversion to onions 😉
• 1 packet fajita seasoning mix– or taco seasoning works great, too!
• Olive oil– this coats the chicken and veggies so the seasoning sticks.
• Long grain rice (not instant)– I’ve tried it with instant and the rice never turns out great. If you want to try it and you like it, let me know your secret!
• Chicken or vegetable broth– to cook the rice and the broth adds flavor
• Shredded cheddar cheese– or your favorite cheese
•  Your favorite toppings such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, jalapeños

How To Make It

Preheat oven to 350° F. 

Prep the vegetables and chicken: Slice the peppers and onion. (or dice, if you like that better) If using chicken breasts, slice into strips or cut horizontally to ensure the chicken cooks evenly with the rice.

To a 9×13 baking dish add the rice and broth and mix together. Make sure the rice is completely submerged in the broth or it will not cook evenly. 

In a bowl, combine the olive oil, sliced chicken, onion, peppers and fajita seasoning. Stir everything together until well coated in the seasoning. Feel free to add your own additional seasoning, if you’d like.

Place the chicken and vegetables on top of the rice- do not mix.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Uncover, top with shredded cheddar cheese and put back in the oven 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve with your favorite toppings, such as salsa, avocado, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, and sour cream.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Take a picture and tag me @StephGigliotti on social media and #StephRealLife. I would absolutely love to see your finished dish! Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section.  

Homemade Fajita Seasoning

Don’t want to use a seasoning packet or maybe you don’t have it on hand? No problem! It’s easy to mix it up yourself with spices from your pantry.

Mix together:

• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• *add cayenne powder if you like a kick

Help! My Rice Didn’t Cook

If your rice came out crunchy in a chicken and rice casserole, don’t worry—it’s a common issue! Here are the most likely reasons and how to fix them:

• The dish wasn’t tightly covered – Steam is what cooks the rice in a casserole. Always cover the dish tightly with foil before baking to trap the steam inside. If the foil is loose, the liquid evaporates and leaves the rice undercooked.
• Oven temperature differences – Every oven runs a little differently. Begin checking the doneness of the chicken and rice at 45 minutes (mine is always cooked at 45 minutes). If the rice is still firm or the chicken isn’t fully cooked, keep baking in 10–15 minute increments until everything is tender.
• Wrong type of rice – Long grain rice and instant rice behave very differently. If you use instant rice, start checking for doneness at about 25 minutes to prevent overcooking—once tender, instant rice can turn mushy if baked too long.
• Not enough bake time – Sometimes the casserole just needs more time. Sometimes ovens do not run as hot as others. Sometimes elevation plays a factor. A few extra minutes in the oven can make all the difference in getting perfectly fluffy rice. I have made this recipe more than 20 times and it’s always perfectly cooked at 45 minutes. I have a 5 year old electric oven and live in a lower elevation, for reference.

Quick Fix for Undercooked Rice

Pulled your casserole out of the oven only to find the rice is still a little crunchy? Don’t panic—here’s how to save it:

• Add more liquid – Pour in ½ to 1 cup of warm chicken broth or water, then re-cover tightly with foil. The extra liquid will create more steam to soften the rice.
• Bake a little longer – Return the casserole to the oven and continue baking in 10–15 minute increments, checking the rice for tenderness each time.
• Microwave individual servings – If you’re short on time, scoop portions into microwave-safe bowls, add a splash of broth, cover, and heat in 2–3 minute bursts until the rice is tender.

Try These Next

• One Dish Cream of Mushroom Chicken and Rice
• Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
• Steak Bites and Potatoes
• Porcupine Meatballs

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