Chicken Fajita Rice-A-Roni Casserole – the ULTIMATE Mexican casserole! Everyone cleaned their plate and went back for seconds!! Spanish Rice-A-Roni, Rotel tomatoes, shredded chicken, fajita seasoning, onion, bell pepper, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and shredded cheese. Great flavor and so easy to make! Top with your favorite taco toppings. Can make it ahead and refrigerate or freeze it for a quick meal later!
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Pin This RecipeMexican Chicken & Rice Casserole
Chicken Fajita Rice-A-Roni Casserole has quickly become one of our favorite chicken casseroles! I made this for dinner last week and we could not stop eating it. One bite and you will know why! SO good!! Chicken, fajita seasoning, onion, bell peppers, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheese, and rice-a-roni. All the flavors of chicken fajitas in one pan! All you need is some chips and salsa and you are set for a fiesta better than any restaurant!
How to Make Chicken Fajita Rice-A-Roni Casserole
This casserole is very easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Start with preparing a box of Spanish Rice-A-Roni according to the package directions, using a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles.
While the rice is cooking, in a large bowl, stir together sour cream, cream of chicken soup, chopped chicken, chopped onion, and chopped bell peppers. Stir in cooked rice. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake until bubbly. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- I use rotisserie chicken for the cooked chopped chicken in this recipe.
- You can use any cooked chicken you have on hand. Chicken breasts, chicken tenderloins, or boneless skinless chicken thighs all work fine.
- I used a box of Spanish Rice-A-Roni in this recipe. I tried the casserole with Mexican Rice-A-Roni and we did not like it. It has too much orzo in the mix and not enough rice to hold up in the casserole.
- Can substitute taco seasoning for fajita seasoning.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
- If you are worried about that heat from the Rotel, use MILD Rotel or a can of plain diced tomatoes.
- You can use any cheese that you enjoy. I usually use cheddar cheese or Monterey jack cheese.
- What veggies can I add to the casserole? Corn, black beans, and olives all are delicious!
- Can Rice-A-Roni Casserole be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole. Cover the casserole dish and refrigerate it overnight before baking.
- Can Rice-A-Roni Casserole be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and let it cool completely. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to bake, thaw completely and bake as directed.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What to Serve with Chicken Fajita Casserole
We like to serve this casserole with our favorite taco toppings. Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, and salsa are our favorites. It is also great with guacamole, pico de Gallo, and a squirt of fresh lime juice!
This is a hearty dish. You don’t need a lot of side dishes to go with it. We usually just load up with toppings and some tortilla chips and salsa. This is also great with our favorite Mexican chopped salad.
Looking for more side dish ideas? Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this chicken fajita casserole recipe:
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Chicken Fajita Rice-A-Roni Casserole
Ingredients:
Rice
- 1 (6.8-oz) box Spanish rice Rice-A-Roni
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 cups water
- 1 (10-oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
Casserole
- 4 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 1 (1.25-oz) packet fajita seasoning
- 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 (8-oz) container sour cream
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- To prepare rice, melt butter in a skillet. Add rice mixture. Sauté over medium-high heat until golden brown.
- Slowly stir in water, seasoning packet, and Rotel tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked rice, chopped chicken, fajita seasoning, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion, and bell pepper.
- Spread mixture into prepared pan. Top with shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Notes:
- I use rotisserie chicken for the cooked chopped chicken in this recipe.
- You can use any cooked chicken you have on hand. Chicken breasts, chicken tenderloins, or boneless skinless chicken thighs all work fine.
- I used a box of Spanish Rice-A-Roni in this recipe. I tried the casserole with Mexican Rice-A-Roni and we did not like it. It has too much orzo in the mix and not enough rice to hold up in the casserole.
- I suggest using Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup in this dish to control the sodium.
- You can buy it by the case at Amazon: https://amzn.to/49n4uZE
- Need Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup? You can buy it here: https://amzn.to/3MtqQ1s
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
- Can substitute taco seasoning for fajita seasoning.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
- If you are worried about that heat from the Rotel, use MILD Rotel or a can of plain diced tomatoes.
- You can use any cheese that you enjoy. I usually use cheddar cheese or Monterey jack cheese.
- What veggies can I add to the casserole? Corn, black beans, and olives all are delicious!
- Can Rice-A-Roni Casserole be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole. Cover the casserole dish and refrigerate it overnight before baking.
- Can Rice-A-Roni Casserole be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and let it cool completely. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to bake, thaw completely and bake as directed.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Steph
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Quick question. What is your opinion on using ground beef vs chicken?
You can if you would like.
Made this for Sunday lunch. My family loved it. We like spice so I added 1/2 jalapeno along with the bell pepper. Came out perfect for us! Definitely a keeper.
Does the chicken have to be cooked first or can you just cut up raw chicken and mix in?
cooked chopped chicken
Do you have the nutrition facts anywhere??
Here is a website that you can estimate nutrition facts: https://whisk.com/recipe-nutrition-calculator
Can you use velveeta on top instead of cheddar when baking?
Sure!
Can you use plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream
That should be fine.
I made this 2 days ago. It was delish. I added a can of rinsed and drained black beans and left out the bell peppers, as they do not agree with my stomach. I used the mild rotel tomatoes and it was just spicy enough. Husband loved this dish. And it is great reheated. Going to serve this at Christmas when kids are here. I will add a side salad but for the 2 of us, it was perfect without needing a side. Thank you!!
SO glad you enjoyed it!
I followed the recipe and added corn and black beans. It was delicious 😊
I mixed crushed Doritos corn chips with the cheese and topped the casserole with the chip/cheese mixture before baking. Came out awesome. This recipe is a keeper!
I believe that the rice a roni also comes with a seasoning packet. Do you use both that and the fajita packet in the rice?
Yes. I make the recipe as written. You can make this however you want.
I made the same mistake with the fajita seasoning. The instructions for the rice a roni say seasoning packet. I assumed that was the seasoning packet for the rice a roni. I hope I made it right and added the rice a roni seasoning packet and the fajita seasoning when making the rice.
I add the fajita seasoning to the chicken and vegetables.
Hi. When do you add the fajita seasoning? I didn’t see it in the recipe.
Thanks!
Step 4