Name: Taco Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 2 lbs); 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 cup corn, rinsed and drained; 1 can diced green chiles; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 1 cup Colby jack cheese, shredded; 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic; 1/4 teaspoon cumin; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper

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This amazing Taco Chicken Casserole combines delicious Southwest chicken flavors with fresh veggies. It is also incredibly easy to make and prep in advance.

This recipe for Southwest chicken casserole serves 8. This is great news if you have a big family, but it’s also really nice if you have a smaller family and love to use leftovers as lunches throughout the week or for dinners that just need a quick spin in the microwave on extra busy nights.

A pin showing the finished taco chicken casserole with title in the middle.

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What do I need to make Southwest chicken casserole?

We will be using some amazing fresh flavors to spice up relatively boring chicken breasts. Whether you have chicken on hand in the freezer or fresh, this recipe is a great way to transform it into something the whole family will devour.

boneless, skinless chicken breast
canned black beans
canned corn
canned diced green chiles
red bell pepper
fresh cilantro
Colby jack cheese
garlic
cumin
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper

Feel free to adjust the level of spice by using more or less peppers and by adding jalapeños if you like! Some chili powder would also be good in this seasoning mixture if you like a little more kick in your recipes.

A top down look at the finished southwest chicken casserole.

How to make taco chicken casserole:

This is a really easy casserole to put together. You’ll have about 10 minutes of prep work and then about 40 minutes in the oven.

here we see the finished chicken casserole with melted cheese on top ready to eat.

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking or casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or foil.

Mix the garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Use this spice mix to season the chicken, then place in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.

Place into oven, and bake for 10 minutes. While baking, prepare the other ingredients.

In a bowl, combine corn, black beans, green chiles, red bell pepper, and chopped cilantro and mix well.

Remove the chicken from the oven, and spread the corn mixture evenly over it. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake uncovered at 375˚F for 30-40 minutes.

Featured image showing the finished taco chicken casserole

Can I make this taco chicken casserole ahead and freeze it?

I probably wouldn’t freeze this one and I’ll tell you why…it uses a lot of fresh veggies.

When we use fresh vegetable the texture and flavor is great when we’re eating them fresh but after some time in the freezer they just won’t be the same.

If you are okay with the vegetables potentially not having their traditional fresh veggie texture freezing this finished casserole and reheating later definitely won’t impact the overall taste.

What to serve with this delicious chicken casserole:

When I make protein and vegetable heavy dishes I like to pair them with things like rice or noodles. I usually look to the Instant Pot to make a batch of Mexican rice to go with this casserole.

If you prefer the flavor of beef tacos, this walking taco casserole is another easy recipe to feed a crowd.

A finished casserole ready to be served.

Yield: 8 Servings