Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole: Easy & Delicious

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This Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole is an easy and delicious family dinner, perfect for using up leftover chicken. It is also a great dish for kids to learn to make.

One of the most economical ways for us to do chicken is roasting up a whole one.

While the boys will eat a fair share of roasted chicken these days, I always have some leftovers that I try to stretch over other meals.

I had a hankering for something with a hint of Mexican flavors.

So I came up with an easy Mexican Inspired Chicken and Rice casserole that has become a go-to easy dinner idea.

Given my family’s preference, you could call it a Mexican Shredded Chicken and Rice casserole.

There is something about how the shredded chicken is easier to spread evenly throughout the casserole that the boys like.

*Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole plated to eat.*

When I first shared this recipe in 2012. there were a few things I’d do differently.

I cooked the black beans in just water, but would probably add some garlic to them.

I used a small jar of salsa and would have liked just a little more in the mix.

Alternatively, a bit of taco seasoning would add a different flavor to the casserole.

Finally, I would probably stir a little bit of the shredded cheese into the mix and top it with the rest.

However, the family loved it just the way it was.

I did end up making all of those changes and they now love it even more.

So the recipe here has also been updated with many of the changes.

I hope you and your family adore the dish as much as we do.

Visual Look at Making Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

Gathering Up Ingredients before starting makes for quick assembly.

*Ingredients for Mexican Inspired Chicken & Rice Casserole*

This includes cooking the different ingredients ahead of time.

Then you can do the ‘dump, stir, and bake’ the recipe requires.

Once everything is prepped and lined up, assemble the casserole layers.

I don’t want to heat up the house, does this need to be baked in an oven?

I can appreciate wanting to keep the house cooler when the days are warm.

Thankfully, you can adapt this dish to a slow cooker.

Just mix everything up and turn it on low for a few hours.

I suggest adding extra liquid for this method of cooking so things do not dry out.

What is the best rice to use?

Any rice your family likes should work.

My family likes white converted rice for many things.

However, I have been able to use brown rice in this dish with no complaints.

Do I need to use canned beans?

No!

I find my budget stretches further when I cook from dried beans.

You can cook up a pound or two at a time.

Measure out the amount you need for this recipe.

Then bag and freeze the rest for future meals.

I do not want to cook a whole chicken, what else can I do?

In a pinch, you can use canned chicken.

That option makes this recipe a great choice to have the kids help make dinner for the family.

Alternatively, you can cook up your preferred cut of chicken to get the amount needed.

Do I need to cook the chicken fresh for this dish?

The short answer is no.

I will usually roast 2 chickens at a time.

Or, if I am purchasing rotisserie chickens at the warehouse store, I buy 2 at a time.

The first dinner will be the roasted chicken with whatever side dishes strike our fancy.

Then, I will pull enough of the remaining meat off to use in a dish like this casserole.

Finally, the two chicken carcasses get boiled down for stock used for making a soup or stew.

How can I quickly shred cooked chicken?

For years, people would use two forks to shred meat. It doe the job, but takes a bit of time.

When I purchased my Bosch mixer several years back, I learned a trick that has saved me time and frustration.

I cook my chicken in a pressure cooker so it stays nice and juicy.

Below you can see what the finished chicken looks like.

When you pressure cook, you do not lose liquids.

I then put the whisks into my Bosch mixer, add the cooked chicken, and pulse it a few times to shred the meat.

Watch the video below to see how easy it is!

Here is the final casserole with oodles of bubbly cheese on top.

freshly baked Mexican Chicken and Rice casserole — *Bubbly and Hot Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole, fresh from the oven.*

In the recipe, I’m giving ranges.

I used the upper end of the range and we had enough for two dinners with salad to round out the meals.

You could always mix up everything, bake half that night and put use the rest for a freezer meal in an aluminum pan.

The baking time would be longer for the frozen one.

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