Tex Mex Chicken Casserole

Name: Tex Mex Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 oz tortilla chips (broken into large pieces (2 cups)); 1 cup corn (canned or frozen); 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed (can do pinto beans too)); 3 cups cooked chicken breast (diced); 2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese; 3 cups your favorite salsa ((I like Frontera)); 1 bunch scallions (sliced); 2 tbsp taco seasoning; sour cream (for garnish (optional)); avocado slices (for garnish (optional)); fresh chopped tomato (for garnish (optional))

by Joanne April 19, 2023

This Tex Mex Chicken Casserole recipe takes less than 10 minutes to put together, and is perfect for an easy weeknight meal that feeds a crowd!

You know those times when you feel too tired to cook? This is one of those recipes where I can always muster the energy to whip it together, even when I don’t feel like cooking.

Tex Mex Casserole - In Green Dish with Scallions and Avocado

It demands so little, and it’s easy, delicious, and full of texture.

Plus, you can make a big batch for the whole family and heat up the leftovers for dinner on any other night of the week. I love leftovers.

You can think of this recipe as a big nacho bake, of sorts. But with less cheese, more salsa, and a casserole-like texture. It’s definitely comfort food and one of the most easy dinners on this blog.

Tex Mex Chicken Casserole In Green Dish with Scallions and Avocado

It won’t and is not supposed to have the crispness of a tray of nachos, but rather the nachos soak up the salsa and take on a more tortilla-like texture that makes for a hearty bite.

You also gets bits of corn, black beans, scallions, and gooey cheese to tie it all together, and a sprinkling of taco seasoning to enhance the tex mex flavors that go so well in dishes like this.

Let me show you how simple it is to put together this Mexican Chicken Casserole.

Step by Step Overview:

Start with a handful of crushed tortilla chips:

This is an instance where you want to use the thicker, more robust tortilla chips. Xochitl makes my absolute favorite tortilla chip, but thin ones like that will get too soggy and flimsy.

Now we’re going to add a bunch of supporting ingredients.

First, some canned black beans that have been rinsed and drained. Also, some yellow corn kernels.

Next, add diced chicken breast.

I use my slow cooker to cook batches of chicken breasts to be used for stuff like this. Here’s the post with instructions for Crockpot Chicken Breast.

However, you could also pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and use that instead.

Now add salsa, Mexican shredded cheese (ideally a blend of cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheese), scallions (aka green onions), and taco seasoning. The taco seasoning gives you a bit of that ground cumin and other flavors you’d expect from Mexican food.

Stir the chicken mixture all together in a large bowl, taking care not to crush the chips too much:

Mixing Together Chips and Chicken with Salsa and Cheese

Then put it in a casserole dish:

Mexican Chicken Casserole Unbaked in Casserole Dish

Cover it with foil and bake in a 400F preheated oven for 30 minutes:

Tex Mex Chicken Casserole Baked in Green Dish with Sour Cream on Side

Covering with aluminum foil is important for keeping the moisture inside, and it prevents us from having to add olive oil, chicken broth, or any other extra moisteners.

Once your tex-mex chicken bake is thoroughly heated through, you can serve it garnished with scallions, sour cream (a must), avocado slices, chopped fresh tomato, fresh cilantro, or whatever else you’d like.

While this recipe definitely serves as the main dish, you can add sides like Mexican Street Corn Salad with Black Beans or Corn Avocado Black Bean Salad. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

This is a great recipe for playing with the ingredients you use. Next time feel free to change things up in the ways suggested below:

Rice – Instead of tortilla chips, you could make this a rice casserole instead. Use leftover Mexican Rice in place of the chips.

More heat – There are many different ways you can make this more spicy. You can add a can of green chiles, add some cayenne pepper, or use a spicier salsa. Fresh cracked black pepper is another milder way to add heat.

Peppers – Add sauteed red bell pepper or green pepper, or hot peppers like jalapeños or other fresh green chile peppers.

Recipe Tips and FAQ

How do you store leftovers?

Place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap. It’s important to keep it from drying out.

Other baking vessels:

Instead of a baking dish, you may also cook this in a large and wide dutch oven, and simply cover with the lid during baking.

More Favorite Dishes with Mexican Flavors:

Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below — I’d love to hear how it turned out! Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!