If you’re looking for a filling and flavorful one-pot meal that’s easy to make and not too heavy, look no further than this Mexican Beans and Rice with Chicken recipe. With a combination of tender chicken, spicy green chiles, sweet corn, zesty salsa, fragrant cilantro, and aromatic cumin, this dish is bursting with bold flavors and textures that are sure to satisfy your taste buds. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just looking for a comforting meal to enjoy at home, this recipe is a winner every time.
Table of Contents
You’ll Love This Flavorful Chicken, Beans, and Rice
This dish takes all the flavors you find in many dishes in Mexican cuisine – green chilies, corn, salsa, cilantro, cumin – and combines them together with chicken, rice and beans into a scrumptious, hearty baked dish. It takes just minutes to prepare (minimal chopping – yay!) – and for those super busy days, you can make it ahead of time and then just pop it in the oven around 30 minutes before you want to eat dinner. It’s become one of my favorite recipes and is now part of my regular rotation, especially when I have cooked chicken and/or rice on hand.
Ingredients in Chicken, Black Beans and Rice
Here’s what you’ll need to create this easy Mexican black beans recipe:
- Cooked chicken (rotisserie works well)
- Cooked brown rice and wild rice (can also add quinoa)
- Canned chopped green chiles
- Canned black beans
- Corn, fresh or frozen
- Salsa
- Sour cream (regular or low fat)
- Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- Ground cumin
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Prepared guacamole
How to Make this Chicken, Black Beans, and Rice Dish
There’s just a few steps to follow in making this quick and easy bean dish:
- Preheat the oven and prep the baking dish.
Turn oven on to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish (8 by 8- or 7 by 11-inch) with oil or nonstick cooking spray. - Prep the ingredients.
Chop the cooked chicken; drain the chiles; drain and rinse the black beans; chop the green onions and cilantro. - Mix.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients, using only 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. - Bake.
Spread mixture evenly in the prepared dish and top with the remainder of the Cheddar cheese. Bake for around 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. - Serve.
Let cool for a few minutes, then serve, passing additional salsa and prepared guacamole on the side.
Mexican Chicken Rice Casserole Optional Additions
You can definitely add more veggies to this Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole. I think adding around 1/2 cup of any of these chopped cooked vegetables would be scrumptious:
- Bell peppers,
- Spinach (moisture wrung out),
- Zucchini, or
- Broccoli.
A few other possible additions include:
- Chopped fresh tomatoes, seeds removed.
- Sautéed chopped jalapeno pepper or poblano pepper.
- A dash of hot sauce like tabasco.
- Crushed tortilla chips sprinkled on top after baking, to add a bit of crunch.
- A side of enchilada sauce, to layer in even more Southwestern flavor.
Substitutions and Other Variations
You can further tailor this tasty dish to meet your personal tastes and to make it your own with substitutions; here are a few ideas:
- Use a mixture of brown rice and white rice instead of wild rice.
- Substitute other canned beans, including white (cannellini) or pinto beans, for the black beans.
- Substitute sautéed chopped yellow onion for the green onion.
What to Serve With Mexican Chicken Rice and Beans
The beauty of this casserole is that you don’t need to serve much with it. I think a Caesar Salad is the perfect side dish, along with our Parmesan Buttermilk Cornbread.
How to Store and Reheat Mexican Rice Beans and Chicken
Casserole can be prepared but not baked earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking. It can also be well wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months.Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature before baking and increase cook time by around 5 minutes.
Leftovers should be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. When reheating, if the mixture appears a bit dry, add a spoonful or 2 of chicken broth.
More Favorites from A Well-Seasoned Kitchen
Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
If you’re looking for a filling and flavorful one-pot meal that’s easy to make and not too heavy, look no further than this Mexican Beans and Rice with Chicken recipe. With a combination of tender chicken, spicy green chiles, sweet corn, zesty salsa, fragrant cilantro, and aromatic cumin, this dish is bursting with bold flavors and textures that are sure to satisfy your taste buds. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just looking for a comforting meal to enjoy at home, this recipe is a winner every time.
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie works well)
- 2 cups cooked brown and wild rice mix (can also add quinoa)
- 1 can (4 ounce) chopped green chiles, drained
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw the frozen corn)
- 1/2 cup salsa (I like to use Pace Picante, medium), plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup sour cream (regular or low fat)
- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
- 5 to 6 chopped green onions, white and some of the green part
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 garlic powder
- kosher salt, to taste
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
- Prepared guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with olive or grapeseed oil (an 8 by 8- or 7 by 11-inch dish works well).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients using only 1/2 cup of the Cheddar cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spread evenly in the prepared dish and top with the remainder of the Cheddar cheese. Bake for around 25 minutes or until heated through. Serve additional salsa and prepared guacamole on the side.
Notes
Make ahead: Casserole can be prepared earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated. Can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before baking, and increase cook time by around 5 minutes.
- Category: casseroles, quick and easy
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 387
- Sugar: 3.9 g
- Sodium: 554.9 mg
- Fat: 11.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.5 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 27.1 g
- Cholesterol: 66.7 mg
Rice is WAY too underdone in the recipe. I kind of wondered where the the liquid to cook the rice would come from. It takes away from what would otherwise be a tasty treat. I would make this again without the rice.
I’m sorry but this recipe calls for cooked rice – maybe try it again that way!
Another super easy delicious recipe from you. Had leftover cooked chicken and rice – this was the perfect way to use it up. Thanks!
Thanks Sharrie!
So simple and easy to make and even more delicious. It’s going into one of our favorite quick meals rotation!
Thanks Elfriede! So happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe.
Question. My husband is allergic to onions and garlic severely. This eliminates Salsa what would you think of undrained Rotel tomatoes?
thanks!
I think it sounds like the perfect substitute for the salsa to avoid onions and garlic!