Chicken Taco Rice Casserole (Freezer Meal!)
Chicken Taco Rice Casserole is an easy and delicious weeknight meal that the whole family will love! Best yet, it can be made into a freezer meal for an even easier dinner!
Every year my sister in law and I take an afternoon to prep a whole bunch of freezer meals. I absolutely love freezer meals because they make busy weeknights so much easier. Typically we make the freezer meals that you put all of the ingredients in a freezer bag and then dump it all in a slow cooker. This year, however, I decided to try some freezer casseroles - starting with this Chicken Taco Rice Bake! I also made my Turkey Enchilada Casserole and it worked great.
Jump to:
Ingredients in Chicken Taco Rice Casserole
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Zatarain's Spanish Rice - I love the extra flavor that the Spanish rice adds to this taco casserole. Prepare the rice according to package directions.
Taco Seasoning - you can use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning.
Salsa - I use mild salsa because I make this for my kids, but you can use medium or hot if you prefer.
Black Beans - drained and rinsed beans add texture, fiber, and flavor.
Corn - I use frozen corn but canned also works.
Shredded Mexican Cheese - cheese is mixed in with the mixture as well as sprinkled on top for a super cheesy taco casserole!
Please refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and amounts.
Variations
Use rotisserie chicken. I love making this dish using shredded rotisserie chicken (I buy it pre-shredded from Target!) to cut down on cooking time!
Use a different meat. You could use ground chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, or shredded pork instead of chicken breasts.
Make it vegetarian. To make it vegetarian, omit the chicken and add another can of black beans. You could also add a diced sweet potato to bulk it up.
Bulk up the veggies. You can certainly add more vegetables to this dish, if you'd like. Chopped bell peppers, diced zucchini, diced onion, and chopped carrots are all great options.
Step by Step Instructions
This Chicken Taco Rice Casserole comes together very easily.
Photo 1. Cook the chicken. The chicken is cut into small bite-sized pieces, and then sauteed in olive oil until cooked through.
Photo 2. Add the taco seasoning, black beans, corn, and salsa.
Photo 3. Add the cooked Spanish rice.
Photo 4. Mix to combine completely.
Photo 5. Add 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese.
Photo 6. Stir to combine.
Photo 7. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
Photo 8. Top with remaining cheese and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.
Freezer Meal Instructions
As mentioned, this rice casserole can be be made into a freezer meal. To do this, you simply prepare the entire thing up until baking it. After assembling, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil and label.
You can bake the casserole frozen or thawed. When baking it from frozen, it will take longer, about 60-70 minutes. I recommend thawing first.
Other Taco Inspired Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Chicken Taco Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 7.4 ounce package Zatarain's Spanish Rice prepared according to package
- 2 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese
- diced avocado, diced green onions, salsa, sour cream for topping
Instructions
- Grease 9x9" baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the taco seasoning, black beans, corn, and salsa, and stir well to combine.
- Add in cooked Spanish rice and 1 cup of cheese, and stir well to combine.
- Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with remaining 1 ½ cups of cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Serve topped with avocado. Other topping options: diced green onions, salsa, sour cream.
- Enjoy!
Quick to make and really good!
Would boneless skinless thighs work okay in this recipe, or would it make it greasy.
I think they would work fine! Just use boneless and skinless.