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Taco rice casserole with chicken and pinto beans.

Taco Rice Casserole

Made with uncooked rice, pinto beans, rotisserie chicken and topped with cheese, this tasty Taco Rice Casserole packs a big flavor into an easy-to-make casserole!
Servings: 12 servings
Chef Alli
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 3 cups cooked shredded chicken, I prefer cooked shredded chicken thigh meat
  • 2 cups instant rice, such as Minute Rice (not long grain rice) uncooked
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese divided use
  • 2 cups your favorite salsa
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle sauce or minced chipotles optional
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons your favorite taco seasoning
  • 15 ounce can pinto beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup sweet corn, frozen or canned
  • Your favorite Mexican garnishes such as cilantro, sour cream, salsa, sliced olives, guacamole, etc.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven. Move the oven rack to the center area. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray; reserve.
  • Prepare the Chicken and Rice Mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, rice, 1 1/2 cups grated cheese, salsa, chipotles, sour cream, taco seasoning, beans, and corn, stirring to combine.
    3 cups cooked shredded chicken, I prefer cooked shredded chicken thigh meat, 2 cups instant rice, such as Minute Rice (not long grain rice), 2 cups your favorite salsa, 1 teaspoon chipotle sauce or minced chipotles, 1 cup sour cream, 2 1/2 tablespoons your favorite taco seasoning, 15 ounce can pinto beans, 1 cup sweet corn, frozen or canned
  • Transfer to a Baking Dish. Place this rice mixture into the prepared 9X13-inch baking dish, gently spreading it out; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top.
  • Bake the Casserole. Cover the casserole tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes on the center oven rack; remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of the baking time.
  • Serve. The casserole is delicious topped with your favorite Mexican garnishes. Enjoy!

Notes

Cooking Tips 

  • To keep the casserole ingredients super moist, cover the casserole while its baking. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of the baking time to let the top crisp up a bit.
  • Substitute different types of cooked meats in this casserole in place of the chicken - cooked pulled pork is a good substitute and so is cooked shredded roast beef. This is a great way to use up leftover meats from other meals.
  • A hot and safe internal temperature for a casserole is 165 degrees F. at the very center.
  • For cheese that melts and get super creamy, grate your own from a block. Prepackaged shredded cheeses usually have additives that keep the cheese from clumping together.
  • Substitute other types of beans for the pinto beans in this recipe, such as chili beans or black beans. Or, if you want more fiber or need to "stretch" this casserole to make it feed more peeps, add an extra can of beans.

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 18gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 628mgPotassium: 371mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 624IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 185mgIron: 2mg
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