Chicken Fajita Casserole

This Chicken Fajita Casserole is the epitome of a quick + delicious dinner the WHOLE family will love! With a rich and creamy chicken fajita sauce enveloping tender chicken, veggies, and rice, this easy casserole is simple to make and devoured once it hits the table!

this Recipe

 

Chicken Fajita Casserole – The EASY Way!

Chicken Fajitas are my all time favorite food. The flavors are great, it is dish that is wholesome, family friendly, and just plain delicious.

I have shared recipes for Baked Chicken Fajitas and Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, but today we are taking those flavors and putting them somewhere they taste like they were always meant to be….

Chicken Fajita Casserole with rice!

This ultra-creamy casserole is filled with the best flavors of chicken fajitas- tender chicken, peppers and onions, and rich fajita seasoning, then, married with rice, a creamy sauce and covered in cheese.

I’ll just cut to the chase- This isn’t your same old boring chicken and rice casserole. A casserole doesn’t get much tastier than this!

Here’s what I love about this recipe:

• Less Prep – This recipe can utilize leftover or rotisserie chicken to make it extra fast for prep.
• All in one – The protein, the carbs, the veggies…. all in one dish. Perfect for busy nights when you can’t manage multiple dishes.
• Minimal Clean Up – It can be made, baked, and served all in one dish!
• New and Exciting – Those great Mexican style flavors your kids know and love in a new “not boing” way!
• Family Friendly – We can all agree that this one is delicious. We give the kids a choice in toppings they want to add to customize it!

What to Serve with Chicken Fajita Casserole

Since this recipe combines protein, veggies, starch and more in just one dish, you can make a full meal out of the Chicken Fajita Casserole alone.

If you want to stretch the meal to go further, or add a little something to round out your plates, I have a few go to side dish options for this meal.

Side Dish Ideas

• Side salad with Jalapeno Ranch
• Crock Pot Black Beans
• Mexican Roasted Veggies
• Cornbread

Topping Ideas

To customize this for each person, we like to give an option of toppings for the casserole. Try a few of these favorites:

• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Chopped cilantro
• Crushed tortilla chips
• Sliced jalapeños
• Sliced black olives

You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner. 

Recipe Notes

This Chicken Fajita Casserole recipe is as simple as promised! Just one pan and a few ingredients for a family friendly meal.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Chicken – You can use any leftover neutral or Mexican flavored chicken (ie not Italian or BBQ seasoned chicken, but garlic, salt and pepper, or taco chicken is fine!) I most frequently use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
• Instant rice– This recipe was specifically developed with quick cooking rice. It is important to use Instant rice (I use Minute brand, but store brand is fine!) because it will need far longer to cook with other types of rice.
• Cream of chicken soup– I use the original Campbell’s condensed cream of chicken soup when I make this recipe, however low fat can also be used. You can also try using homemade cream of chicken soup.
• Sour cream – I generally use original, you can also substitute light sour cream.
• Onion– yellow or white is my preference, however you can also use red onion. Green onions have a different texture and flavor, so I do no recommend using them in this recipe.
• Red and green bell pepper – Chicken, onions and peppers make up the classic taste. I recommend at least 1/2 green pepper, then 1/2 of a sweeter pepper like red, orange, or yellow.
• ROTEL– I am a HUGE fan of ROTEL because I think it has the best flavor, but you can use any brand tomatoes with green chiles you prefer. Use mild for low spice, and you can choose spicy for more heat.
• Chicken broth– You can also substitute vegetable broth, or use chicken bullion dissolved in water.
• Fajita seasoning – Use a store bought packet, or I HIGHLY recommend making my homemade fajita seasoning. It is quick, has such amazing flavor, and is gluten free, preservative free, and sugar free!
• Cheddar cheese – I used sharp cheddar cheese here, but a variety of cheese options will work including, Mexican blend, Monterey jack, colby jack, etc.

Recipe Tips

1. Chop small– Try chopping the onion and peppers as small as you can. This will help them cook more fully in the casserole.
   
   Alternatively, you can sauté the peppers and onions in a small bit of oil before adding to the casserole to make sure they are fully soft and cooked. I do not precook my onions and peppers, but if you are particular about them being soft, or aren’t able to chop very small, I would recommend this.
   
2. Use Instant Rice– Both the cooking time and the amount of liquid in this casserole are designed for quick cooking rice. If you prefer to use a different type, it can be done, but you will need to adjust the cooking time (likely longer) and the liquid (might require more) per type of rice.
   
3. Bake covered– Baking the casserole covered achieves two purposes. First, it helps the casserole to stay ultra creamy by locking the moisture in while it cooks. Second, it keeps the cheese from over cooking or forming a crust.
   
4. Top it off! Although this Chicken Fajita Casserole is delicious as is, our family really likes to take it up to the next level by customizing with our own toppings. This lets the kids feel like they have some control over what they are eating and be involved in the process. Plus it is just extra delicious!

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

• Pre-chop veggies– the most time spent in prep for this dish is just in chopping. You can save time chopping by either chopping the veggies up to 4-5 days in advance, or buying pre-chopped veggies in the produce section.
• Use frozen– You can also find bell peppers and onions chopped in the freezer aisle at most stores. These may need to be chopped a bit smaller to preference, but work wonderfully in this recipe.
• Bake uncovered– You can speed up the baking time on this dish a bit by baking it uncovered. If you do this, I recommend not adding the cheese until the last 8 minutes of cooking time. This will also make the casserole slightly less creamy.
• Prep the night before – The casserole can be mixed up the night before you are baking it and stored in the refrigerator tightly covered. You may need to increase baking time by about 10 minutes when baking straight from the fridge.
• Prepare as a freezer meal– You can prep this dish up to 6 months in advance by preparing it as a freezer meal. See instructions below for step by step instructions.

Recipe Variations

If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

• “Healthy” Chicken Fajita Casserole– If you want a lighter alternative to this recipe, you can use 4 cups of cauliflower rice in place of quick cooking rice and omit the chicken broth. Then bake as directed.
• Keto Chicken Fajita Casserole– My Baked Chicken Fajitas in a casserole dish has been a popular low carb recipe for years! Try this instead if you are looking for a low carb chicken fajita casserole.
• Chicken Fajita Casserole with Corn Chips– For a fun twist with a crunch, try adding crushed corn tortilla chips to the top of the casserole once you uncover, for the remainder of the baking time.

Freezer Meal Instructions

Chicken Fajita Casserole can be prepared as a freezer meal to make on another busy night, or give to a friend in need.

1. Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and fajita seasoning to a large bowl and mix until combined. Then stir in the broth until smooth.
2. Next add the chicken, rice, ROTEL, onion and bell peppers to the mixture and mix to combine.
3. You can either transfer this mix to a zip top bag or freezer friendly container (without cheese)
   -OR-
   Place in a casserole dish and sprinkle cheese over the top.
4. When ready to cook, thaw completely for 24-48 hours in the refrigerator then transfer to a casserole dish and add cheese (if frozen in a bag.)
5. Bake as directed. You may need to add about 10 minutes of baking time if cooking straight from the fridge.

For the best flavor, this meal can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Chicken Fajita Casserole Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making Chicken Fajita Casserole, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.

To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:

• in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• in the freezer up to a month

Leftover Recipes

Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!

• Stuffed Peppers– Half bell peppers and bake them at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until tender. Fill with remaining casserole and top with additional cheese as needed. Return to oven until casserole filling is heated through. Top with sour cream and enjoy!
• Grilled Burritos– Place casserole in a large tortilla. Fold in the ends and roll up. Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium. Once hot, add the burrito and grill on each side until the tortilla is golden and the filling is warm.

More Easy Casserole Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my Easy Casserole recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

• Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole with Buttery Ritz Cracker Crust
• Chicken Parmesan Casserole
• Pepperoni Ravioli Lasagna
• Italian Ground Beef and Rice Casserole