Southwest Chicken Casserole is a quick, easy, and comforting rice and chicken casserole made with pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
Recipe modified April 28, 2025
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This is one of my favorite kinds of recipes—it’s a “shop your pantry” dinner. On nights when I don’t feel like cooking much or just haven’t made a big grocery run, this is my go-to. It’s packed with black beans, canned corn, salsa, rice, and chicken. Best part? It’s pretty healthy, too. Bonus!
Just swing by the store to grab a rotisserie chicken on your way home and you’re all set.
This recipe is super forgiving and totally customizable. Don’t have rotisserie chicken? Use leftover chicken, cook up some breasts or thighs and chop them, or even use canned chicken in a pinch. You can swap black beans for pinto or navy beans, use Rotel with green chiles instead of salsa, and toss in whatever veggies you have—think bell peppers, spinach, or even broccoli florets.
My favorite part (aside from the five-minute prep time and being ready in under 30 minutes) is all the toppings. Creamy avocado, a dollop of sour cream, crisp shredded lettuce, juicy tomatoes, or spicy jalapeños—pile them on!
Save this recipe for those nights when you need dinner fast and want to use what’s already in your kitchen. It’s a lifesaver!
What You’ll Need
Find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!
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- 9×13 Baking Dish
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, cubed (or cooked chicken)
- 1 cup minute rice, uncooked (white or brown)- this is the instant rice. You can use long grain rice, but it will take up to 1 hour to cook through.
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth– you can also use vegetable broth or water. Chicken broth adds great flavor to the rice.
- 15oz can corn, drained – or frozen, but thawed, corn
- 15 Oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 16oz jar salsa– your favorite! Salsa Verde works as well
- Jalapeños– chopped, optional
- Seasonings– chili powder, cumin, onion powder
- 2 cups fiesta blend shredded cheese
How To Make It
Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly coat a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Combine: Add the rice and chicken broth to the baking dish and stir to combine.
Make the Filling: In a separate bowl, mix together the chicken, corn, black beans, salsa, jalapeños, and seasonings until well combined.
Put It Together: Spoon the chicken mixture evenly over the rice. Do not stir—make sure the rice remains submerged in the broth to cook properly.
Bake: Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Make It Cheesy: Remove the foil, gently fluff the rice with a fork, and mix in the chicken filling. Sprinkle the shredded fiesta cheese over the top and return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Finish It: Top with your favorite garnishes—green onions, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, or extra salsa—and enjoy!
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.
More 30 Minute Meals
- Sheet Pan Lemon Butter Shrimp
- Mississippi Burger Sliders
- Doritos Taco Casserole
- American Goulash
- Marry Me Chicken with Orzo
- Chicken a la King
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Southwest Chicken Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken cubed (or cooked chicken)
- 1 cup minute rice uncooked (white or brown)
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 15 oz canned sweet corn drained
- 15 Oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 16 oz jar salsa
- Jalapeños minced, optional
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 cups fiesta blend shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly coat a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Add the rice and chicken broth to the baking dish and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the chicken, corn, black beans, salsa, jalapeños, and seasonings until well combined.
- Spoon the chicken mixture evenly over the rice. Do not stir—make sure the rice remains submerged in the broth to cook properly.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
- Remove the foil, gently fluff the rice with a fork, and mix in the chicken filling. Sprinkle the shredded fiesta cheese over the top and return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with your favorite garnishes—green onions, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, or extra salsa—and enjoy!
So good! My family devoured an entire pan for dinner. No one complained… that’s a first for my picky crew! I guess I’ll need to double this recipe next time.
That’s a HUGE win! Thank you for sharing!
How did this recipe turn out when it called for 1 cup rice and two cups chicken broth ? I thought ratio was one to one on instant rice. Mine is like soup. So disappointed. Still have it in the oven trying to salvage it.
Hi Judy- I sent you an email on this