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May 5, 2021 By Karen 2 Comments

Chicken Taco Casserole

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This chicken taco casserole recipe is a quick, easy, no-fuss dinner solution for when you want the flavors of tacos, but don't have time to set up a taco bar. It's made with shredded chicken and black beans, a creamy taco spiced cheese sauce, and all your favorite taco fixings. Simply mix, bake and serve!

Overhead image of chicken taco casserole bake. The casserole is garnished with herbs, tomatoes and jalapeños.

Note: that links to products you find in this post are Amazon affiliate links which means I do make a small amount of money when you click and make purchases. 

I don't often make casseroles for dinner, but this one I love! It's so easy to make and the Mexican flavors are so delicious. It's one of those dinners that I know the whole family will love!

It works great for me to make ahead and use it during the week when I don't have so much time to spend in the kitchen. Sometimes, I will even make two batches. One for the week and then another to store in the freezer for an easy freezer meal.

If you like easy meals, you might also love this air fryer salmon, a simple recipe that cooks up quickly. I also like to use my slow cooker to prepare meals when I don't have a lot of time. This cabbage soup recipe cooks up all day and is ready to serve at dinner time with virtually no additional work.

Jump to:
  • Taco Casserole with Chicken Ingredients
  • How to Make Easy Chicken Taco Casserole
  • How to Serve Taco Chicken Casserole
  • Variations
  • How to Make Ahead
  • Storage
  • Expert Tips
  • FAQs
  • More Easy Main Dishes for Dinner
  • Chicken Taco Casserole

Taco Casserole with Chicken Ingredients

With just 8 ingredients, you can make this Mexican casserole with chicken and have plenty of leftovers.

Ingredients to make chicken taco casserole recipe
  • Shredded chicken breast: To save some time, use a store bought rotisserie chicken or use cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs.
  • Cream of chicken soup: This easy pantry staple adds creaminess to the sauce.
  • Sour cream: Adds even more creaminess and a little tang to the sauce in the casserole.
  • Diced tomatoes with green chiles: This adds a little heat to the dish. I like using Rotel, but any similar product will work.
  • Black beans: Adding the black beans makes this casserole extra hearty and filling.
  • Taco seasoning: Use a packet of the store bought or you can make your own too!
  • Tortilla chips: Crushed over the top to make a crunchy crust.
  • Cheddar cheese: Adds perfect cheesy flavor to this chicken taco bake casserole.
  • Taco Toppings: Whatever you want to add! Garnish the top with some sliced jalapenos, fresh tomato and cilantro afterwards.

How to Make Easy Chicken Taco Casserole

Everyone loves tacos, and this simple casserole makes it even easier. There is very little prep, about 30 minutes to bake, and you can have this chicken taco bake recipe on the dinner table in about 45 minutes.

Mixing up the ingredients to make chicken taco casserole in a bowl.

To make the casserole, combine the prepared chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, diced tomatoes, black beans, taco seasoning mix, and half of the shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl.

Use a spoon and stir until fully incorporated, paying special attention to the cream of chicken soup. Make sure all of the chicken is covered and all the flavors are evenly distributed.

Chicken taco casserole in the dish ready for the oven.

Once it's mixed, transfer it to a greased 9x13 baking dish, spread it out evenly, and top with the remaining cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.

Add chopped tomato, jalapeno, and cilantro over the top for a pop of fresh color. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until that cheesy crust is bubbling and golden.

A 45 degree image of chicken taco casserole in a white bowl.

How to Serve Taco Chicken Casserole

This casserole is so filling and makes a meal on its own or you can serve it up with your favorite taco side dishes.

I love serving this over white or brown rice or even some cooked quinoa. It also works great served up with a simple salad such as this three-ingredient beet salad or this quick three-bean salad.

Don't forget to add on your favorite taco toppings to the top!! This is where this dish gets super fun and delicious! Keep it simple with your favorite jar of salsa or serve it up with fresh mango salsa for something a little different. Other ideas include sliced jalapenos, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and sour cream.

Variations

Vegetarian: Replace the cream of chicken soup with cream of celery or cream of mushroom and swap out the shredded chicken with an additional can of black beans and 1 ½ cups of cooked rice.

Shredded pork: Easily swap it out with equal amounts of other types of shredded or pulled pork.

Beef Taco Casserole: Turn it into a beef casserole by using shredded beef or with cooked and well-drained ground beef instead!

Spicy: Add some heat by using extra spicy taco seasoning or adding jalapenos into the chicken mixture.

Lower calorie: If you are looking to make this taco casserole recipe with fewer calories you can make a few swaps. It will change the flavor a bit, but still, be quite tasty. Use light sour cream, a reduced-fat condensed cream soup, and reduced-fat cheese as well.

How to Make Ahead

This recipe is perfect for meal prep. Make it a few days ahead of time or as a freezer meal to save for a quick dinner further in the future.

A few days: Simply prepare the casserole as directed except for the tortilla chips and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake, up to 24 hours in advance.

When you're ready to cook it, add the crushed tortilla chips and pop the casserole in the oven. The casserole will be cold so it will likely need an additional 15-20 minutes in the oven.

Freezer meal: To prepare chicken taco bake for the freezer, follow all the same instructions as above. You can store it in an airtight casserole dish or even in a freezer bag to transfer to a baking dish later on.

Store it in the freezer for up to three months.

When you're ready to cook it, remove the casserole from the freezer and allow it to thaw out overnight in the refrigerator before cooking it in the oven.

No matter which method you choose, just remember to not add the tortilla chips until right before you place the casserole in the oven, so they will stay extra crispy.

Storage

Taco chicken bake is even better served leftover!!

To store it, cover the top with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to four days or the freezer for up to 1 month.

For best results, reheat in the oven. I like to remove the old tortilla chips and replace them with fresh ones. It takes 15-20 minutes to reheat in the oven. You can also reheat in the microwave and top with crushed tortilla chips once it's reheated.

You can also repurpose it into a totally different meal! Use it as a filling for quesadillas, burritos, or even a topping for nachos!

An overhead image of a spatula with a serving of chicken taco casserole on it.

Expert Tips

  • If you find your chips are getting too dark while the casserole is cooking, but the center isn’t done, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top while the casserole finishes.
  • Freshly grated cheese is the way to go. Preshredded cheese has a coating to keep it from sticking together that also keeps it from melting nicely.
  • Use a rotisserie chicken from the store to make chicken taco bake easier to prepare!

FAQs

Here are some questions I frequently get about making chicken taco bake.

Can you make baked chicken taco casserole with raw chicken?

No, I don't recommend making this recipe with raw chicken. It will not cook up properly in the oven with the other ingredients. Plus the texture of the casserole is best with shredded chicken which you can't achieve using raw chicken.

How do I know when the chicken casserole is done cooking?

There are a few visual indications that a casserole is almost cooked, but you can't rely only on them. Look for lots of bubbles along the sides of the casseroles which is where the hot air is escaping the casserole and also check the top which should be golden brown and slightly crispy.

If both of those things are happening then you will want to test the temperature in the center using a digital thermometer. It should register 165 degrees F to be considered safe to eat.

More Easy Main Dishes for Dinner

  • Perfect Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
  • Asian Turkey Meatballs
  • Chicken Pastina Soup
  • Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

Did you try this recipe?  Please leave a star rating in the recipe card right below! You can also write a review in the comment section further down the page I always appreciate your feedback. And don’t forget to tag me @freshcoasteats in your photos on social media, I'd love to see your results!

Chicken Taco Casserole after being taken out of the oven.

Chicken Taco Casserole

Chicken taco casserole is a quick and easy weeknight dinner made with shredded chicken, black beans, and a creamy cheese sauce topped with crispy tortilla chips.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken taco bake, Chicken Taco Casserole
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 633kcal
Author: Karen

Equipment

  • 9 x 13 baking dish
  • Mixing bowls
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

  • 3 cups chicken cooked and shredded
  • 20 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup 2- 10 ounce cans
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 10 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 15 ounce canned black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 ounce packet taco seasoning about 2 Tablespoons
  • 5 cups tortilla chips crushed
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar divided
  • 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes
  • 1 jalapeno pepper sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13 baking dish by coating with non-stick spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, canned diced tomatoes and green chiles, black beans, taco seasoning and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese until fully incorporated.
  • Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with additional cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, fresh tomato, jalapeños and cilantro.
  • Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the chips are golden brown and the casserole is bubbly throughout.
  • Serve with additional fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 1203mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 621IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 389mg | Iron: 4mg
Pin It and Save It for Later!!Mention @FreshCoastEats or tag #freshcoasteats!

This post was originally published in May 2021 and updated in February 2022 with new content.

This post was originally seen on Yellow Bliss Road where I am a contributor.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Martha Ann says

    April 29, 2022 at 10:35 am

    5 stars
    Made this last night and my family loved it. I added some cut up corn tortillas to the mix before putting it in the baking dish. I cooked and chopped 2 chicken half breasts with a little season salt.

  2. Karen says

    May 03, 2022 at 10:20 am

    I am so glad your family loved it! It is a regular in our home, too!

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Hi, I'm Karen! I’m a food stylist, photographer and recipe developer living in the Great Lakes area with my husband and four kids. I can’t wait for you to try my simple, clean, produce driven recipes inspired by the four seasons 

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