Southwest Chicken Casserole

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Easy, cheesy, family-friendly dinner coming in hot! This Southwest Chicken Casserole is loaded with tender chicken, black beans, corn, salsa, rice, and plenty of melty cheese.

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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!

Ingredients

• 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!

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.

Can I use regular brown rice instead of instant rice?

Yes! You can use regular uncooked brown rice, but it will need more liquid and a longer cooking time than instant rice.

For this recipe, substitute 1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice for the instant rice and increase the chicken broth to 2 cups.

Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for about 60 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Start checking around 50 minutes. If the rice is still firm, add a splash of warm chicken broth, cover, and continue baking until tender.

Once the rice is cooked, fluff it gently with a fork, stir the casserole together, add the cheese, and return it to the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Keep in mind: Regular brown rice will make this casserole take longer to cook than the instant-rice version, so it won’t be a 30-minute dinner when made this way.

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

Southwest Chicken Casserole

Steph Gigliotti

Southwest Chicken Casserole is a quick, easy, and comforting rice and chicken casserole made with pantry staples you probably already have on hand.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Servings 6 servings

Calories 496 kcal

Equipment

• 9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 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!

Nutrition

Calories: 496kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 40gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 1567mgPotassium: 633mgFiber: 8gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 903IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 306mgIron: 3mg

Keyword casserole, chicken, chicken and rice casserole, one dish dinner, southwest chicken

Tried this recipe?Post a pic and mention @StephGigliotti, I’d love to see it!