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Chicken Taco Casserole Recipe

4.5 from 82 reviews

This Chicken Taco Casserole is a hearty, flavorful baked dish combining tender cooked chicken, black beans, diced tomatoes, fresh vegetables, and a blend of taco seasoning and cheese. Topped with melted cheddar and fresh garnishes like avocado, jalapeños, and tortilla chips, it’s an easy, crowd-pleasing meal perfect for weeknights or casual gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

Protein and Base

  • 1 lb Chicken tenderloins (cooked and diced; chicken breast or rotisserie chicken also fine)
  • 1 can Black beans (14.5 oz, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can diced Tomatoes (14.5 oz)

Vegetables and Seasoning

  • 1 small White onion, diced
  • 1 Red bell pepper, diced
  • ½ packet Taco seasoning
  • 1 Lime, juiced
  • 2 tbsp Green onions, diced

Dairy and Garnishes

  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (divided)
  • 1 cup Sour cream (plus extra for serving)
  • Avocado slices (for serving)
  • Jalapeño slices (for serving)
  • Tortilla chips (crumbled, for serving)

Other

  • Cooking spray
  • Salsa (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the casserole.
  2. Prepare vegetables and beans: Drain and rinse the black beans thoroughly. Dice the white onion and red bell pepper finely, ideally using a vegetable chopper for uniform pieces.
  3. Make chicken mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked and diced chicken tenderloins, sour cream, fresh lime juice, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Stir well with a rubber spatula to blend flavors, then fold in half (½ cup) of the shredded cheddar cheese.
  4. Prepare casserole base: Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Add the rinsed black beans, diced peppers, and diced onions into the dish, mixing them together to create an even vegetable base.
  5. Assemble casserole: Spread the prepared chicken and sour cream mixture evenly over the black bean and vegetable layer. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese over the top and garnish with diced green onions.
  6. Bake: Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 28-30 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden brown, signaling it is cooked and ready.
  7. Serve: Remove from the oven and serve hot with dollops of sour cream, fresh avocado slices, jalapeño slices for heat, crumbled tortilla chips for crunch, and salsa on the side. Enjoy your flavorful Chicken Taco Casserole!

Notes

  • Use rotisserie chicken for a quicker prep time.
  • Adjust the amount of jalapeño slices according to your preferred spice level.
  • For a dairy-free version, substitute sour cream and cheddar cheese with vegan alternatives.
  • Serving with fresh salsa or pico de gallo adds brightness to the dish.
  • The casserole can be prepared ahead and refrigerated before baking; just increase baking time slightly if baking from cold.

Keywords: chicken taco casserole, baked taco casserole, Mexican casserole, easy chicken dinner, cheesy casserole, weeknight dinner