To me, mexican food is by far the easiest to make gluten free and nut free! This chicken taco rice casserole is an easy gluten free meal. It is also a nut free recipe.
After going gluten free just really leaned into my mexican recipes made with rice since rice was naturally gluten free.
I love this easy weeknight dinner because it takes less than 30 minutes to make and the whole thing cooks up in just ONE PAN! This taco casserole recipe is packed with veggies and protein, again making it a perfect option for busy weeknights.
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 Mexican Chicken Casserole and this Coconut Curry Rice.
why you’ll love this recipe
- It has minimal ingredients. I hate a recipe with 20+ ingredients. Truthfully give me an easy recipe with easy ingredients and I’m good.
- I serve this chicken taco rice casserole with my favorite taco toppings, such as shredded cheddar, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped onions, and avocado.
- This chicken taco rice casserole is a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables. It contains a variety of bell peppers, onions, and corn.
- It’s easy to meal prep. I love having a lunch ready to go when I’m working all day and busy. Leftovers of this casserole are the best part!
- This chicken taco casserole can be easily made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- This makes it a great option for meal prepping weekly meals.
- It’s easy for a quick weeknight dinner. This casserole can be assembled and baked in under 30 minutes. This makes it a perfect option for busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.
ingredients & substitutions
Spanish Rice: Any kind of cooked rice works. I used frozen spanish rice. But, leftover rice is perfect and honestly, its easiest if you ask me. You can use brown rice, cauliflower rice, regular white rice, long grain, instant rice or standard uncooked rice. If cooking the rice on the stovetop, use chicken broth or beef broth instead of water for extra flavor. You can use microwavable rice or frozen rice too! I like those the best because it saves SO MUCH time. No rice? Use quinoa instead!
Vegetables: I used corn, beans, peppers and onions, but you can use any veggies you want here. I love bell peppers. You can use any color here but I love red the best! If you do not have a bell pepper, you can substitute another type of sweet pepper, such as a poblano pepper or a jalapeño pepper.
Taco Sauce: Taco sauce is a type of sauce that is made with tomatoes, chili peppers, and spices. If I do not have taco sauce, I use salsa and taco seasoning in this chicken taco rice casserole recipe.
Shredded Chicken: If you do not have shredded chicken, you can substitute cooked ground chicken, ground beef or turkey for this chicken taco rice casserole recipe. You can also skip the chicken to make this recipe vegetarian and vegan. You can also use shredded jackfruit too.
directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2
In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the rice, corn, black beans, bell pepper, onion, taco sauce, and shredded chicken. Mix well.
Step 3
Top with shredded cheese.
Step 4
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and bubbly.
Step 5
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Step 6
Top the chicken taco rice casserole with sour cream, shredded lettuce, and chopped green onions/chives.
expert tips & tricks
- For a spicier chicken taco rice casserole, I add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder to the taco sauce.
- If you don’t have any taco sauce, you can substitute a mixture of salsa and chili powder.
- I like to serve the casserole with my favorite taco toppings, such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped onions, and avocado.
- Use pre-cooked Spanish rice. This will save you a lot of time. Making spanish rice from scratch takes me forever, especially when I just want to sit down and relax after work.
- Use canned or frozen corn and black beans. This saves me more time.
- Shred the chicken ahead of time. This way, you can simply add it to the casserole when you are ready to bake it. I love to make a big batch of shredded chicken on sundays to use throughout the week in my meals.
- To make the Chicken Taco Rice Casserole low carb, I use cauliflower rice with the Spanish rice. Cauliflower rice is a low-carb alternative to rice that is made from grated cauliflower. You can also omit the corn from the recipe.
how to serve, store and meal prep
The Chicken Taco Rice Casserole can be served hot or cold. I like to serve it hot the first night and eat the leftovers cold the next day with more greens in a salad version. It is delicious with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
To store the casserole in the fridge, I simply place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
When storing the casserole in the freezer, I place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat the chicken taco rice casserole from the fridge, I bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, or until it is heated through.
When reheating the casserole from the freezer, I thaw the casserole overnight in the fridge. Then, I bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes, or until it is heated through.
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Chicken Taco Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups Spanish rice
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 bell pepper diced (option to saute slightly beforehand to cut down on bake time)
- 1 onion chopped (option to saute slightly beforehand to cut down on bake time)
- 2 cups taco sauce
- 1 chicken breast shredded
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or dairy free alternative
- 3 tablespoons Sour Cream or dairy free alternative
- 1/2 cup lettuce shredded
- 3 tablespoons green onions/chives chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the rice, corn, black beans, bell pepper, onion, taco sauce, and shredded chicken. Mix well.
- Top with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
- Top with lactose-free sour cream, shredded lettuce, and chopped green onions/chives.
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