Easy Nacho Chicken Casserole Recipe is a family favorite that everyone will love. It combines all of the flavors of nachos and a casserole without much work at all.
Nacho chicken casserole recipe
We all love this easy casserole. It has the best flavor and it’s absolutely SO simple to make. This casserole has everything you love about chicken nachos in an easy casserole for dinner.
You will not be disappointed. It’s always a crowd pleaser and everyone asks for the recipe. You might also like our easy cowboy casserole.
The prep is minimum and takes hardly anytime at all. In fact, if you are filling really lazy you can mix it all in one dish and only have one dish for clean up
That is a win-win in my book.
Let’s make Tex Mex Casserole.
Ingredients:
- Cooked Chicken. It is a great time to use leftover chicken. Rotisserie chicken is a favorite here and we often use leftovers for this casserole.
- Instant White Rice. We prefer white rice in this but you could use instant brown rice.
- Diced tomatoes. You can also use rotel.
- Cream of chicken soup. Any type of cream based soup should work.
- Corn. Any type of corn will work that you have on hand. We have used frozen, fresh and canned.
- Green Chiles. You do not want to drain these. The flavor from the juice will be amazing in the casserole.
- Taco seasoning mix. We make this easy homemade taco seasoning.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese. Cheddar is delicious but other ideas include Colby or a Mexican blend.
- Tortilla Chips. You can use any chips you like. I think corn chips, tortilla strips and Doritos would all be tasty.
How to make Nacho Casserole
- First, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Second spray a 9 x 13 baking dish or casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Next, get out a large mixing bowl. Stir together the chicken, rice, tomatoes, soup, corn, chilis, taco seasoning mix and ½ cup of the cheese.
Make sure everything is well mixed. You can also add chili powder for a little extra heat.
- Finally, cover the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes to 30 minutes. Oven times may vary. You just want the rice to be tender, the mixture heated through and the cheese melted.
- The last step is to top the chicken mixture with tortilla chips and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top of the casserole.
- Put it back in the oven for 5 more minutes uncovered. You want the cheese to melt and the filling to start to bubble.
Topping ideas:
- I like to add a little sour cream and green onion to each serving.
- Jalapeno peppers are also delicious for those that like to spice things up.
- Salsa or pico de gallo make great toppings.
You can use anything you normally like on nachos.
What size dish is best:
- This recipe is perfect in a 9×13 baking dish.
- I also use disposable pans. This is great if you want to take a dish to someone recovering from surgery or maybe one for the freezer.
Variation Ideas
- Meat free option. If you don’t eat meat or maybe want to try a meatless dish, substitute black beans or pinto beans instead of the chicken.
- If you need to bulk up the casserole and don’t have enough chicken, add a can of drained canned beans. Pinto or black beans would be great. This is a simple frugal tip that no one will notice.
- Topping substitutions. Top with Fritos or Doritos instead of tortilla chips. Another idea is to use the spicy Doritos to give this an extra kick.
- Switch out the chicken with ground beef or ground turkey. My family enjoys it both ways and I often use a ground beef mixture.
- Add Jalapeno peppers for extra heat in the casserole mixture.
- Bell Peppers and Onions. Toss in some diced peppers and onions with the casserole mixture. This will give it lots of extra flavor.
- Keto option. If you want to make a Keto Nacho Chicken Casserole, omit the tortilla chips.
Can you make this in advance?
Yes, you can. It is so handy to mix everything together the night before and pop in the oven the next day.
Just make sure to leave off the tortilla chips until you plan to bake it. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate until ready to cook.
When you are ready to bake, uncover and top with tortilla chips. Bake as normal.
How to freeze:
I like to use foil pans when I plan to freeze the casserole but it is optional. Simply put the dish together and cover and freeze.
It will keep up to 4 months in the freezer. When you are ready to bake, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight.
Bake the next day as normal. You may have to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Nacho casserole recipe is delicious.
There are so many yummy Mexican Chicken Casserole recipes. Try mixing it up and adding new things.
Truly that is how we have found some of our favorites. When you try new things, it really opens the door to endless possibilities.
Print this Nacho Chicken Casserole Recipe:
Nacho Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken diced into bite size pieces
- 1 cup instant white rice uncooked
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 can diced tomatoes (drained) 15 oz can
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (10 oz can)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 can chopped green chiles (undrained)
- 1 Tbsp taco seasoning mix
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup broken tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
- In large bowl, stir together the chicken, rice, water, tomatoes, soup, corn, chiles, taco seasoning mix and ½ cup of the cheese until well mixed.
- Spread this mixture into the 9X13 pan.
- Cover and bake for 30-35 minutes or until rice is tender and mixture is heated through. Top with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted.
- Let sit for 10 minutes and then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
More easy chicken casserole recipes
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing Recipe
- Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Easy Chicken Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
- Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe
- Crock pot Pesto Chicken Pasta Casserole
More Mexican Casseroles
Carrie I don’t see when you added the 1/2 cup water. Thanks for your help.
Easy enough to throw together. A great family meal with some salsa and sour cream thrown on top.