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Satisfying, comforting, and full of savory flavors, this Mexican chicken casserole is the quick and easy, family-friendly, one-pot meal you need for busy days. Layers of juicy shredded chicken, crunchy crushed tortilla chips, savory black beans, and rich roasted tomatoes, tied together with deliciously melty cheese. It’s a total crowd pleaser!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- 6 layers of delicious ingredients mean 6 layers of deliciousness. You’ve got crispy tortilla chips, juicy shredded chicken mixed with black beans and corn, and melty Mexican cheese, all packed together into an easy casserole that everyone at the table will enjoy.
- This is a great way to use up any leftover chicken, especially any leftover Mexican chicken. You could also ground beef instead of chicken for more of a taco casserole if you want. Either way, it’s a total meal in just one dish – protein, veggies, fats, carbs. You can even top it off with sour cream, guacamole, jalapeños, queso, or cilantro!
- A lot of Mexican casserole recipes call for rice, but we’re skipping it this time and opting for crispy, crunchy, crushed tortilla chips instead. I love the texture contrast between the chips and the chicken & bean mixture. It’s like nachos, but in casserole form. Use whatever tortilla chips you like – traditional, hint of lime, blue corn, tri-color, even nacho cheese or ranch Doritos would work.
Chef’s Tips
- The chicken starts out already cooked and shredded, so you’ll need to prep that first. I mentioned before you can use leftover chicken from another recipe depending on the flavors. You can also pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it yourself. If you want to cook chicken specifically for your Mexican chicken casserole, I highly recommend either this 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken or Cheryl’s best ever shredded chicken. You can also use chopped chicken instead of shredded if you prefer that texture.
- Let the casserole cool for at least 5 minutes (10 preferred) before serving it. With 6 layers of insulation, the heat from the oven will be really trapped in there. That means it’ll be inedibly hot straight out of the oven. Letting it rest will also give the filling time to set up so it won’t fall apart when you try to serve it.
- Meal preppers and expectant people rejoice – this Mexican chicken casserole is a great freezer-meal option. Just prepare the casserole as instructed, stopping right before you’re supposed to put the baking dish in the oven. Instead, cover the dish with a lid or with plastic wrap, then pop the casserole in the freezer. It’ll keep up to a month! Just let it defrost in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to eat it, then cook it at 350° Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes.
Other Delicious Casseroles You Should Try
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
- Easy, Cheesy Mexican Rice Casserole
- Cheesy Italian Sausage & Bell Pepper Casserole (Low Carb, Keto)
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
- Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake
- Cheesy King Ranch Casserole
- Eggs Benedict Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole
Mexican Chicken Casserole
Layers of juicy shredded chicken, crunchy crushed tortilla chips, savory black beans, and rich roasted tomatoes, tied together with deliciously melty cheese.
servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained, rinsed
- 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 15.25-ounce can corn kernels drained
- 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 3 cups crushed tortilla chips divided; any brand, any flavor
- 2 cups freshly shredded Mexican cheese blend divided
- chopped fresh cilantro optional, for serving
- sour cream optional, for serving
Equipment
- Oven
- 9×13 baking dish
- Cooking spray
- Large bowl
- rubber or silicone spatula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Lightly grease baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In large bowl, stir together shredded chicken, black beans, diced tomatoes, corn kernels, green chilies, salt, garlic powder, and cumin until ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.
- Line bottom of greased baking dish with 1 ½ cups crushed tortilla chips, spreading chips out to cover entire dish in one even layer. Top tortilla chips with half of shredded chicken mixture, spreading mixture out in one even layer. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over top of chicken mixture. Repeat chips, chicken, and cheese layers until all ingredients have been added to baking dish.
- Place baking dish in preheated oven. Bake, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove baking dish from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Once casserole has cooled slightly, divide into servings and serve warm with chopped cilantro and sour cream if desired.
Notes
- Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free tortilla chips and double check that your other ingredients don’t contain any hidden gluten.
- Make it Dairy Free: Use dairy free cheese, or skip the cheese entirely.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 523kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 1096mg, Potassium: 504mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 448IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 276mg, Iron: 3mg, Net Carbs: 42g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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I made this as written and it is okay the day you make it, but it is awful for leftovers. The chips get soggy and stale and do not reheat well. At all.
So… the second time I made it, I left the chips out and put a bowl of them on the table for anyone to crush up and put on their own serving if they wanted it.
Since I also found it to be a bit dry and bland the first time I made it I tweaked the recipe the second time by adding in 6 ounces of sour cream and 1 cup of Salsa Con Queso to the casserole before baking. I also add about 3 good Tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning (though you could also use the premade stuff in the pouch). These changes really brought this casserole up several notches in taste and texture. And now (because the chips were not put into the casserole before baking) it reheats beautifully and tastes just as great the next day.
With these changes we love it and I will make it far more often.
So sorry you didn’t have the best experience with this recipe, Ella. Happy to hear you were able to make some changes to better suit your taste and preferences and that it’s a meal you love now!
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. It did come out a little dry, due to lack of a soup or liquid ingredient, but I added a can of red enchilada sauce on top and topped my piece with some sour cream. My husband loved it, as well. 🤤 Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
So sorry about that, Brittney! We kept the liquid of the diced tomatoes and diced chiles and found it was plenty for us, but we may have had more liquid in our can of tomatoes than you had in yours. Regardless, I’m so happy you were able to make it work for you and that you both enjoyed it so much! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
I used a 20 oz jar of Salsa Verde (green salsa) instead of green chilis and chopped tomatoes. Great way to use up a rotisserie chicken!
That’s a great swap, Mary, and sounds absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for sharing and for your review!
I added cooked rice and it was fabulous. I also added some chili powder in the spices. I used rotel instead of fire roasted tomatoes. Great recipe!
Sounds delicious!! Thanks so much for sharing, Kristie!
This turned put fabulous. My husband loved it. I halved the recipe, and I accidentally tripled the spices! But, awesome anyway. I baked 25 minutes. I liked that it didn’t include rice.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the casserole, Lori! Thank you for leaving a review!