Put this healthy casserole on the table in under 30 minutes. Chicken Taco Casserole combines a variety of Tex-Mex flavors with the ease of a dump-and-bake recipe!
Looking for a healthy, yet easy weeknight dinner? You’re in the right place! This simple casserole takes about 10 minutes of hands on time and 15 minutes of cooking, which means that you can put this baby on the table in just under 30 minutes.
Chicken Taco Casserole is largely made with shelf-stable foods like canned beans, corn, and canned chicken. This makes it a great emergency dinner — with so many pantry staples, you can throw this together without a great deal of planning. I love having a few of these on-hand. You can find a few more emergency dinner ideas here and here.
A last but not least reason to love this one is the taste. The combination of crunchy tortilla chips, melty cheese, and taco flavoring in the filling is a winner. Also, here’s my tip: my family actually likes this better as leftovers! We love the way that the flavors get even stronger and more well-acquainted by the next day.
What do I need to make Chicken Taco Casserole?
Canned Chicken: I love making this with canned chicken because I always have it on hand. You can also use rotisserie chicken, or left-over shredded chicken breasts. You’ll need roughly 2 cups of whatever chicken you choose to use.
Black Beans: I used no salt added canned black beans. You could use just regular cooked black beans if you’d like. In that case, you’ll need about 1 3/4 cups.
Corn: I used regular canned corn. You could use frozen or fresh corn if you’d like. In that case, you’ll need about 1 3/4 cups.
Taco Seasoning: If you aren’t using a packet, you’ll need about 2 Tbsp of taco seasoning. Feel free to adjust the amount of seasoning to your family’s taste. My family likes heavily seasoned stuff, so you may need to decrease the amount for your family.
Picante Sauce: This is another place you can adjust for your family. I use mild picante sauce when I’m serving this to the kids, but there’s no reason you can’t use medium or hot if that’s what your family likes!
Tortilla Chips: I like white corn tortilla chips, but any will work. If your family is gluten-free, you can sub the tortilla chips with gluten-free ones to make this recipe work for you.
Cheese: I love fiesta blend cheese for anything Mexican. Cheddar or mozzarella will also work!
Toppings: The casserole in the pictures is topped with fresh jalapeños, tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, and olives. We also love adding sour cream, chopped avocado, or guacamole.
How do I make Taco Chicken Casserole?
Start by draining the corn, beans, and chicken. Then, combine them with the taco seasoning and salsa to form the casserole mixture.
In your 9×13 or full-size casserole dish, layer the bottom with crushed-up tortilla chips. Spread your casserole mixture over the chips and smooth it out evenly.
Top the mixture with cheese and jalapeños if you’re using them.
Bake the casserole at 350° for 15-20 minutes. The casserole is don when the cheese is melted and bubbly.
You can serve this with tons of toppings! Either spread them on yourself, or let everyone top their own serving.
FAQs
I do not recommend freezing this casserole. The tortilla chips get soggy during the defrosting phase, which I find off-putting.
You can store this in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. My family actually prefers this as leftovers!
Not as written. However, if you want to make it gluten-free, use McCormick taco seasoning and a gluten-free brand of tortilla chip.
More easy dinners:
Chicken Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cans chicken
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can corn
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ½ cup picante sauce
- 1 cup tortilla chips
- 1 cup grated cheese
- toppings (jalapeños, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, guacamole, etc)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Drain corn, beans, and chicken.2 cans chicken, 1 can black beans, 1 can corn
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the corn, beans, chicken, taco seasoning, and picante sauce.1 packet taco seasoning, 1/2 cup picante sauce
- In a casserole dish, layer the bottom with crushed tortilla chips.1 cup tortilla chips
- Spread chicken mixture over tortilla chips.
- Top with cheese and jalapeños.1 cup grated cheese
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Casserole is done when cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Allow to cool slightly, then serve with toppings of choice.toppings (jalapeños, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, guacamole, etc)
Homan at Home
[…] Relleno Casserole Chicken Taco Casserole Chicken Fiesta […]