Southwest Chicken Casserole is a one-dish dinner of chicken, rice, black beans, corn and salsa baked under melted cheddar. The rice and the chicken both go into the dish raw and cook together in the oven, seasoned with garlic, onion, chili powder and paprika. It serves 6 and is ready in 60 minutes.
How to make it: Stir the uncooked rice, garlic, onion and broth together in the casserole dish, pile the cubed chicken, beans, corn, salsa and spices on top, and sprinkle on the cheddar. Bake it covered for 45 minutes, then uncovered for 10 more.
Why You’ll Love It
- One dish: everything is mixed and baked in the casserole dish, so there is less to wash.
- No pre-cooking: the rice and the chicken cubes go in raw and cook through in the oven.
- Pantry basics: a jar of salsa, black beans, frozen corn and two spices do all the seasoning.
- Easy to change: swap the beans, the cheese or the cut of chicken for what you have on hand.
Ingredient Notes
Long grain white rice: One cup, uncooked. It cooks right in the dish with the broth; the rice section below explains which kinds work.
Chicken breasts: 1 1/2 pounds, cut into 1-inch cubes. Raw cubes this size cook through in the bake time, so the chicken needs no cooking first.
Salsa: A 16-ounce jar. Any brand of jarred salsa works. Choose mild unless you like it spicy.
Black beans and corn: A cup of black beans, rinsed and drained, and a cup of frozen corn, thawed. The corn is optional.
Chicken broth: One cup. It goes in first with the rice, at the bottom of the dish.
Seasonings: Minced garlic, chopped onion and 1/2 teaspoon each of chili powder and paprika. If you have no fresh garlic or onion, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or onion powder can stand in.
Cheddar cheese: One cup, shredded.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup black beans, cooked, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 16 ounces jarred salsa (1 jar)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
How to Make Southwest Chicken Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Start with the rice. In a large 12×9-inch casserole dish, stir the uncooked rice, minced garlic, onion and chicken broth together.
3. Add the chicken and beans. Add the chicken cubes, black beans, corn, salsa, chili powder and paprika on top. Keep the rice on the bottom and covered by the liquid so it cooks through.
4. Add the cheese. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
5. Bake covered. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
6. Finish uncovered. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted, the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F in the center.
How to Get the Rice Tender, Not Crunchy
The rice and the chicken go into this casserole raw and cook side by side, so a few details decide whether the rice comes out soft or still firm.
Keep the rice under the liquid. Stir the rice, garlic, onion and broth together first, then add everything else on top. That way the rice stays on the bottom, covered by the broth, where it can cook correctly.
Pick the right rice. Brown rice and short grain rice will not work in this dish; different types of rice cook differently. Skip instant rice as well. The bake times here are for regular long grain white rice.
Cover the dish tightly. The first 45 minutes are covered. Press the foil down well around the edges to lock in moisture, and take it off only for the last 10 minutes, when the cheese finishes melting.
Cut the chicken small. Whole or thick chicken breasts take a lot longer to bake than 1-inch cubes, so if your pieces are bigger, plan on more time in the oven and check them.
Check two things before serving. The rice should be soft all the way through, and the chicken should read 165°F in the center on a food thermometer. If either one is not there yet, keep baking until it is.
Don’t mix it the night before. Left to sit, the raw rice absorbs the broth, and that can ruin the texture. Put the casserole together right before it goes into the oven.
Tips for Success
How spicy is it?
You set the heat with the salsa. Use a mild jarred salsa for a gentle casserole, or a hotter one if you like it spicy.
Should it rest before serving?
Give it a few minutes out of the oven. It settles as it sits, so it holds together instead of falling apart when you scoop it.
What goes on top?
A dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado, guacamole or chopped cilantro.
Variations
- Other chicken: chicken thighs or tenders in place of the breasts, or about 3 cups of cooked chicken, such as shredded rotisserie chicken. Keep the bake time the same, because the rice still needs it.
- Other beans: pinto or kidney beans instead of black beans.
- Other cheese: Monterey Jack or pepper Jack, or leave the cheese off for a dairy-free dish.
- Creamy: cook the rice on the stove in broth and mild salsa first, then mix it with sour cream, petite diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, sliced black olives, cooked chicken and Monterey Jack. Bake it covered at 350°F for 30 minutes, then uncovered with more cheese for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Tortilla chip topping: scatter crushed tortilla chips and a Mexican blend cheese over the baked casserole and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese melts. Stay close: the chips go from just right to overdone fast.
- Layered with cooked rice: spread 2 cups of cooked rice in a 13×9 dish, layer on black beans, drained Rotel tomatoes, thin-sliced chicken breasts and bell pepper, and bake covered at 375°F for 25 minutes. Add the cheese and bake uncovered 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. The casserole can be frozen, but the rice may turn mushy once thawed; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers covered until they reach 165°F: about 20 minutes in a 350°F oven for a dish, a couple of minutes in the microwave for a single portion, or on the stove. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
It is a complete meal on its own, with the rice, beans and chicken all in one dish. For something fresh on the side, add a corn, tomato and avocado salad. For another chicken and rice bake, try the easy chicken burrito casserole, made with brown rice, green chilies and Monterey Jack, or the creamy chicken rice casserole. For more Tex-Mex chicken, there are cream cheese chicken enchiladas and chicken enchiladas with homemade red sauce. For a ground beef dinner, make the one pot Mexican rice casserole, and for the same flavors in a bowl, the 8-can chicken taco soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a southwestern casserole?
It is a baked dish built on Southwest flavors. This one bakes chicken and rice with salsa, black beans, corn, chili powder and cheddar. It can also be made creamy with sour cream, green chiles and black olives, or finished with crushed tortilla chips.
What are some common mistakes in making chicken casserole?
With raw rice, watch for rice sitting on top instead of under the broth, brown or short grain rice, a loose cover, and mixing it the night before. The rice section above covers each one.
Can you put raw chicken in a casserole?
Yes. The raw chicken cubes cook through in the oven along with the rice. Check that the center reaches 165°F before serving.
Can you freeze southwest chicken casserole?
You can. Wrap it well in foil or pack it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for 3 to 4 months. The rice can get mushy once thawed, so it is at its best eaten fresh. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it to 165°F.
Final Notes
Keep the rice under the broth, cover the dish tightly, and check for soft rice and 165°F chicken before you serve. If you make this southwest chicken casserole, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Southwest Chicken Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup black beans cooked, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 16 ounces jarred salsa 1 jar
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large 12x9-inch casserole dish, stir the uncooked rice, minced garlic, onion and chicken broth together.
- Add the chicken cubes, black beans, corn, salsa, chili powder and paprika on top. Keep the rice on the bottom and covered by the liquid so it cooks through.
- Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted, the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F in the center.
