Southwest Chicken Casserole
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
Contains affiliate links
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!
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 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.
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 around 1 hour. 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 the recipe calls for long grain rice, it will need more time. If you use instant rice, start checking for doneness at about 40 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. A few extra minutes in the oven can make all the difference in getting perfectly fluffy rice.
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.
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
Sign up for our newsletter to get new recipes sent right to your inbox! Follow along with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube , Pinterest, and TikTok.
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
This is oh oh so delicious that my husband asked me to make it again few days later. Thank you for this recipe as well as others.
Happy Cookin’ 💕
So happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing!
Can this be made in the InstaPot?
I haven’t tested it in an instapot, but I’m sure it could be converted. Let us know if you try and how it works out!