Chicken & Yellow Rice Casserole

Chicken and Yellow Rice Recipe – a quick arroz con pollo casserole. This stuff is seriously delicious! We ate this for dinner and reheated it for lunch the next day. Chicken, yellow rice, cream of chicken soup, corn, black beans, rotel diced tomatoes, and green chiles and cheese. Use a rotisserie chicken and this is ready to bake in minutes. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Everyone LOVES this quick and easy weeknight meal!

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Best Mexican Chicken & Rice Casserole

We are obsessed with this Mexican Chicken and Yellow Rice Casserole. It is loaded with all of my favorite food. Juicy chicken, yellow rice, corn, black beans, diced tomatoes and green chiles and cheese. YUM! This easy dish is comfort food at its best!! We ate this for dinner and lunch again the next day. Use a rotisserie chicken and recipes comes together in no time. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners.

mexican chicken and rice casserole in baking dish

How to Make Chicken and Yellow Rice Casserole

This casserole is very easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Prepare the saffron rice in a large saucepan over medium heat according to the package instructions. Remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine Mexicorn, chopped chicken, black beans, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, cream of chicken soup, taco seasoning, and shredded cheese. Stir in cooked rice and season with salt and black pepper. Spread the rice mixture into a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle more cheese on top of the casserole. Bake uncovered until bubbly. Garnish the cooked dish with some cilantro or parsley and a squirt of lime juice.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

  • I use rotisserie chicken in this easy recipe.
    • You can use any cooked chicken that you have on hand. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or chicken tenderloins are all good.
  • For extra flavor, cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water.
  • Can substitute an equivalent amount of any cooked rice for yellow rice mix.
    • White rice or two packets of Knorr Mexican or Spanish rice work great.
  • Is Chicken and Yellow Rice Spicy? There is a little kick from the can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles. If you are worried about the heat, just make sure to buy the mild Rotel.
  • What can I add to the casserole?
    • red pepper
    • chopped onion
    • bell peppers
    • mushrooms
  • You can use any flavor of condensed cream soup. Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
  • Can Chicken & Yellow Rice Casserole be made in advance? Yes. Assemble the casserole. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
    • Remove the dish from the refrigerator an hour before baking to come to room temperature.
  • Can Chicken & Rice Casserole be Frozen? Yes. Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place in freezer for up to 3 months.
    • When ready to bake, thaw and bake as directed.
  • This recipe makes a lot of food. It is great recipe for a potluck or whenever you need to feed a crowd.
    • You can split this between two pans. Bake one now and freeze one unbaked for later. I love recipes that are double-duty!
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
spoonful of chicken casserole

What to serve with Chicken & Rice Casserole

We like to top our serving of the casserole with our favorite taco toppings – lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and a little bit of hot sauce. You don’t need a lot of side dishes to go with this easy chicken casserole. It is honestly a complete meal in a pan. We usually serve this with some green beans or a simple salad. Add this easy chicken casserole to your menu the next time you need a meal the whole family will enjoy!

Here are a few of our favorite recipes that go great with this easy chicken casserole:

Southwestern Green Beans

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Mexican Chopped Salad

Mexican Chopped Salad –  the perfect side to all of your favorite Mexican recipes! Lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocados,…

Mushroom Bread

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scooping chicken casserole from baking dish with text overlay

Chicken & Yellow Rice Casserole

Yield: 8 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Chicken and Yellow Rice Recipe – a quick arroz con pollo casserole. This stuff is seriously delicious! We ate this for dinner and reheated it for lunch the next day. Chicken, yellow rice, cream of chicken soup, corn, black beans, rotel diced tomatoes, and green chiles and cheese. Use a rotisserie chicken and this is ready to bake in minutes. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Everyone LOVES this quick and easy weeknight meal!

Ingredients:

  • 2 (5-oz) packages yellow rice
  • 2 (11-oz) cans Mexicorn, drained
  • 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained
  • 2 (10-oz) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
  • 2 (10.5-oz) cans Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 2 Tbsp southwestern seasoning or taco seasoning
  • 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch dish with cooking spray.
  • Cook rice according to package directions.
  • Mix together rice, corn, chicken, black beans, diced tomatoes and green chiles, chicken soup, taco seasoning, and 1cup cheese and soup. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  • Spread into prepared pan, top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Notes:

Steph

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Comments

  1. Very delicious! Made it 2x! Added some sautéed onions and garlic and was delicious. Makes enough for my wife and I to eat for like 3 days lol. I didn’t use rotisserie just cooked breast and a hand shredded them. I also used a little layer of American cheese in the middle and then topped it with shredded mild cheddar. Turned out so good both times.

  2. I have made this several times and my family loves it! I have quite a bit of ground beef left over and wondered if I can substitute the ground beef for chicken?
    Thanks!

  3. We loved this! I left out the chicken and used only one can of cream of chicken. I wanted some smoke so I added 2 tsp of dried chipotle chili pepper and 2 tsp of cumin in addition to 2 tsp of taco seasoning. I used my seasoned pinto beans (lightly drained), 2 cans of Ro-Tel mild drained, and the 2 cans of Mexicorn drained. I also used my Mexican rice slightly undercooked and slightly drained. Medium Cheddar in the middle and on top. I divided and made 2 pie plates full. Thank you for a great recipe.

  4. I made this tonight for dinner. So so so good! I didn’t have corn so I just left it out and it was still so good. I also threw in some cubes of Velveeta.

  5. If you’re saving this meal in the freezer for later, do you combine all ingredients and freeze, waiting to bake until you remove from freezer? Or bake as usual and freeze after. Then reheat after thawing?

    1. You can do either. I make the casserole up to the point of baking and freeze it instead. When I am ready to eat the casserole, I thaw it completely and bake as directed. I don’t see the point of baking the casserole twice.

  6. Do you mean tomatoes and green chilies like Rotel?

    "2 (10-oz) cans diced tomatoes and green tomatoes, drained"

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