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This Mexican Chicken Casserole is one of our favorite easy recipes for Cinco de Mayo or any busy weeknight. It has layers of tortilla chips, creamy shredded chicken, salsa, black beans, green chiles, fresh tomatoes, and lots of cheese!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Mexican Chicken Casserole Recipe
- What Ingredients Are In Mexican Chicken Casserole?
- How To Make A Simple Mexican Chicken Casserole
- What To Serve With This Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Mexican Casserole Variations and Swaps
- Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
- More Casserole Recipes To Love
- Mexican Chicken Casserole Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Chicken Casserole Recipe
My easy Mexican Chicken Casserole is the perfect main dish for Fiesta night – just serve with your favorite Mexican side dishes, like my Mexican Rice or Slow Cooker Mexican Beans.
Chicken Casserole recipes are perfect for a busy weeknight meal because they can be so easy to whip up. I always have shredded chicken leftover in the freezer which is perfect for this recipe!
The layers of flavors of this Mexican inspired dinner are simple yet incredibly tasty, and you can even serve this with tortilla chips for a delicious appetizer.
What Ingredients Are In Mexican Chicken Casserole?
This Mexican Chicken Casserole only needs a few ingredients that you likely already have on hand:
- Shredded or cubed chicken breasts – Try my Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Recipe or make enough Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken to make enough to have on hand at all times. You can also whip up some flavorful Oven Baked Chicken Breasts (try them with taco seasoning instead!).
- Salsa – your favorite brand is fine. As long as you like the flavor it will work great in this recipe.
- Cream cheese – you only need 4 ounces, which is half of a brick of cream cheese. Make sure to buy the brick style and not the whipped. Also you want full fat for full flavor, trust me on this.
- Diced green chiles – I only use half of the 4 ounce can because I don’t like things really spicy. You can use the who can if you want a little more kick.
- Black Beans – pinto beans would be an easy swap for these if it’s what you have on hand. Again you only need half of the 15-ounce can. You can add them all if you want to bulk up the meal a little bit.
- Sour cream – Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute.
- Tomato – one medium to large sized ripe, red tomato. I prefer Roma tomatoes because they have a lot less juice, but you can use any tomato you can get your hands on. If you have extra, dice some up for a garnish.
- Green onions – thinly sliced. Save some for garnish.
- Shredded cheese – Shred yourself from a fresh block of cheddar. The taste is so much better than pre-shredded, and it melts better too.
- Tortilla chips – This is a perfect time to use up those crumbs and broken pieces at the bottom of the bag.
How To Make A Simple Mexican Chicken Casserole
This delicious Mexican Chicken Casserole is easily assembled in layers, and takes just about 10-15 minutes of prep. Fast comfort food is sometimes the best kind!
- Prep. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. You’ll want to also grease an 8 or 9-inch inch baking dish. You can use any shape – I like the oval – you just need it to be about 2 quarts in size.
- Cut up the chicken. Since the chicken is already cooked, just shred or cube the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces. If you’re making this chicken casserole as a meal, I recommend cutting the chicken into cubes. As an appetizer, go the shredded route.
- Mix ingredients. Combine the cream cheese and salsa with the chicken until smooth and creamy over low heat in a large pan on the stove. Remove from the pan and stir in the black beans and green chiles. If you want to add a little more flavor, add a tablespoon of taco seasoning or garlic powder.
- Casserole Assembly: Layer crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of the baking dish, then the chicken mixture evenly. Next, layer sour cream, diced tomatoes, green onions, and shredded cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve as a meal with your favorite sides, or as a dip with tortilla chips.
What To Serve With This Mexican Chicken Casserole
This dish is fantastic served with a side of Cilantro Lime Rice, Authentic Mexican Rice or Refried Beans, and Homemade Flour Tortillas. Sometimes I’ll add a garden salad on the side for some fresh veggies.
For more Mexican-inspired recipes, try our famous Homemade Taquitos, Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Baked Chicken Tacos, and Cheese Enchiladas.
Mexican Casserole Variations and Swaps
Want to make this meal your own? This chicken casserole recipe is easy to customize!
- For an element of crunch and texture, add a handful of crushed tortilla chips on top before baking.
- Not a fan of black beans? Swap them out for pinto beans, or leave them out altogether and spread a layer of refried beans on top of the chicken mixture in the pan.
- Play around with your favorite cheeses. Cheddar and Jack are my favorites for this recipe, but you could use and favorite melty cheese, like Fontina, Mozzarella, or Pepper Jack for a little heat. Add some crumbled Cotija cheese on top after baking for a Mexican flair.
- Amp up the heat with some diced jalapeños in place of the green chiles.
- Try some Doritos or another flavored chip instead of tortilla chips.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
This is a great meal to take to a family in need! You can prep or fully bake ahead of time, and it travels well. Just make sure to include instructions for baking.
Can this casserole be made ahead of time? This recipe is a great make ahead option! Assemble the casserole and don’t bake it. Cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge while the oven is preheated, remove the foil, and bake as directed.
How to store: Cool completely then cover and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat small portions in the microwave or larger portions in the oven.
Can I freeze it? Yes! This casserole will actually freeze really well baked or unbaked. Assemble the layers and just don’t bake it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. The double layer helps to prevent freezer burn.
To freeze a fully baked casserole, cool completely before covering and freezing. Thaw overnight in the fridge and set out while the oven is preheating and bake as directed. If already fully baked, just bake until warmed through.
More Casserole Recipes To Love
- Tuna Casserole Recipe
- Dorito Taco Salad Casserole
- Skillet Garlic Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Breakfast Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Mexican Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cooked chicken breasts, diced or shredded about 2 cups
- 1 cup salsa your favorite
- 4 ounces cream cheese ½ cup
- 2 ounces canned diced green chiles half of a 4-ounce can; use the whole can for more kick
- 7.5 ounces canned black beans half a 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 medium sized tomato diced
- 2 green onions sliced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar/jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8″ square or round dish.
- Place cooked chicken in a saute pan, add salsa and cream cheese and heat through until cream cheese is melted.
- Add black beans and green chiles and heat through.
- Layer ingredients in your prepared dish as follows: Crushed tortilla chips, Chicken mixture, Sour cream, Tomatoes, Green Onions, Cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with sliced green onions or cilantro and fresh tomato.
I’m from Belgium and made this for our American-Mexican friends and we LOVED it all!!!
Thank you for sharing!!!
That’s awesome! Thanks for coming back and letting us know. 🙂
Do we rinse and drain the black beans or just put them straight in from the can? And have you ever tried using a rotisserie chicken before…in case I am feeling extra lazy haha?
My husband and I are Empty Nester’s and I love to try out new recipes on him. I made this tonight for dinner and we both loved it! It is definitely going to be a top contender for casserole recipes at our house! It was delicious and so easy!
made this tonight without the chips (didn’t have on hand ) everyone thought it was great will make again
This is my favorite recipe on Pinterest! I don’t use the green chilies or green onions. I kinda but my own touch on it and it’s fabulous!! Thanks
Hiya, I was just wondering if this would be possible to do in a slow cooker ??? If so what do I need to change and how much more liquid do I need to add???? Also how many people does it serve??? Thank very much, it looks gorg by the way !!!! xoxoxo
I’m not sure if it would work in a slow cooker. Id leave the tortilla chips out maybe.
I’ve made this several times and my family liked it. Do you think it would freeze well? Or would the chips get too soggy?
what kind of salsa do u use ? redneckjim@rocketmail.com
I used the salsa in the deli section at the grocery store. It turned it very well.
Several weeks ago I took this to a neighbor as a thank you for cleaning up the mess in my yard after a tree fell during an ice storm. I’m still hearing about how good it was. My own kids love it so I’m making it again tomorrow for my son’s church youth group Cinco de Mayo party.
You mentioned three meals, one bag o’ chicken. I’d love to have the other two recipes Thanks!
I made this a few nights ago and it was DELICIOUS! I thought it needed a extra “kick” (we like things spicy), so I added a couple shakes of cayenne, cumin, and paprika to the chicken mixture when it was in the saute pan. So happy we found this recipe!! Thanks.
Do you think I can make this ahead of time – the night before or will it get the chips soggy??
No, it does not get soggy. For me it did not. they love it as left overs for the next day.
Your recipe looks delicious. I’m adding the ingredients to my shopping list. Thank you for sharing!
Ummm, can we say delicious? And I pinned the pic of the finished casserole because it was so pretty! Looked like it was from a magazine!
Do you post nutritional information?
I just found you through Pinterest! I’m looking forward to trying this one out tonight. 🙂
I made this tonight (using your boiled chicken tip) and the whole family LOVED it! Hooray! Thanks for sharing!
…and a well deserved high five. I am now a new follower and thanking you for all the yumminess.
This looks and sounds absolutely fabulous! Must try!
I’m assuming this recipe is using cooked chicken (the stuff you boiled earlier)?
Thanks!
Yum! This sounds so wonderful. I think I have all of the ingredients but the chips here, and I am going to try this for suppper tonight. High five to you!
This looks so good too!!!!! Might be what we are having for dinner!
YUM!!!
xoxo