Chicken Taco Casserole With Rice

To me, mexican food is the easiest dish to make gluten free because so many mexican dishes are made with rice! Rice is naturally gluten free which means rice dishes are SUPER easy to make allergy friendly. This chicken taco casserole with rice is an easy gluten free meal. It is also a nut free recipe.

I love making my mexican recipes as easy as possible while still making sure they taste super delicious and authentic! This easy weeknight dinner takes less than 30 minutes to make and the whole thing cooks up in just ONE CASSEROLE DISH!

This meal is ready in under 30 minutes! If you love an easy weeknight dinner made with rice l like I do, you’ll also love this Dairy Free Chicken Rice Casserole and this Chicken Taco Casserole with Rice.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• I just use corn tortillas to keep this casserole naturaly gluten free! Remember, flour tortillas are not gluten free! But this is a super easy swap to make!
• Use any rice you want. I switch it up between white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or a blend every time I make this depending on what I have.
• I swear leftovers are almost better than the first round! I make this chicken taco casserole with rice recipe at least once a week in my house and sometimes we even use the left overs as the stuffing in our air fryer taquitos!
• I easily make this recipe vegan by subbing jackfruit instead of shreeded chicken. My mom is vegan so this is a super easy swap!
• To save time at night, I assemble the casserole ahead of time and then bake it when I am ready to eat. This makes it a great option for busy weeknights when I don’t have a lot of time to cook.
• Save time and use rotisserie chicken to make your life easier!!

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS

Rice: You can use any type of cooked rice for this recipe. I ususually use frozen brown rice, such as white rice, basmati rice, or jasmine rice. Just make sure the rice is not uncooked when adding it to the skillet. Leftover rice is perfect and honestly, its easiest if you ask me.

Cauliflower rice is a low-carb substitute for traditional rice. It is made by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble rice. Cauliflower rice is a good source of fiber and vitamin C. You can buy cauliflower rice pre-riced, or you can make your own. I like to mix it with brown rice.

Vegetables: This chicken taco casserole with rice is filled with tons of vegetables – peppers, onions. Sometimes I even add more veggies like ushrooms, squash, zucchini, etc. I also like to add cauliflower florets.

If I want to cut down on cook time, I dice up and sautee the vegetables ahead of time and sauté them before adding them to the casserole. You can even do it the day before if needed, just store in an air tight contrainer in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chicken: I like to made shredded chicken in the crock pot for this recipe. If I need to save time I just grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it myself. Make sure to shred it by hand when its warm, that way it is easier to shred. You can also slice raw chicken breasts into 1″ cubes and sautee it in a frying pan on medium heat until fully cooked and lightly browned if you don’t love shredded chicken.

If you want to make your owns shredded chicken, I put 2 boneless breasts of chicken in the crockpot with 1/2 cup of water and cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours until the chicken is easily shredded with 2 forks. If you cannot break it apart easier it will need more time to cook. I season afterwards with salt and pepper.

Corn Tortillas: This casserole uses corn tortillas to make it gluten free friendly. You can use cauliflower tortillas as a low carb option, just make sure they are gluten free.

Salsa: This recipe uses chipotle salsa to give it a fun spicy kick, but if you don’t love spice I have used regular salsa or any taco sauce! This creates a sauce and adds moisture to the casserole so it doesnt dry out when baking.

Cheese: Cheese adds flavor and richness to this casserole. You can use any type of shredded cheese that you like. I also use dairy-free cheese when I want to keep this recipe dairy free and it works exactly the same.

HOW TO MAKE

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

STEP 2

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, rice, bell peppers, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.

STEP 3

Spread the mixture evenly in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.

STEP 4

Top with the tortillas, overlapping as needed.

STEP 5

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

STEP 6

Let the chicken taco casserole with rice cool for a few minutes before serving.

EXPERT TIPS & TRICKS

• For a spicier chicken taco casserole with rice, I add hot sauce to the casserole before baking so its mixed in and evenly distributed! You can also choose to top your casserole with hot sauce if only one person wants a spicy option!
• The casserole gets crispy along the edges which is my favorite part! Sometimes I leave the casserole in to bake longer so the edges are crispier.
• Drain the black beans before adding them to the casserole. This will prevent the casserole from being too watery.
• Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving. This will help to prevent the cheese from getting too runny.
• This chicken taco casserole with rice recipe is easy to make vegan by subbing unseasoned shredded jack fruit in the place of the chicken. Its a 1:1 sub which means you can use the same amount of jackfruit for the chicken. If you dont like jackfruit or dont want a shredded substitute you can double the amount of vegetables and black beans and leave out the chicken for a full vegan taco bake. You can choose to use vegan cheese or eliminate the cheese alltogether. For the avocado and yogurt option make sure to use vegan yogurt.

HOW TO SERVE & STORE

To serve, I let the casserole cool completely before serving. This will help to prevent the cheese from getting too soft and runny. You can serve the casserole as is, or you can top it with your favorite toppings. I like to use sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.

I store the casserole leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. To store, I cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap or foil. When I am ready to eat, I let the casserole sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before reheating.

The chicken taco casserole with rice can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, I double wrap the casserole tightly with plastic wrap and foil. When I am ready to eat, I thaw the casserole overnight in the fridge. Then, I bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.

To reheat in the microwave, I place the chicken taco casserole with rice in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through. It will reheat faster in individual portions instead of the whole casserole at once.

To reheat on the stovetop, I heat the casserole in a saucepan over medium heat until heated through.

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If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along!