The BEST Chicken Taco Casserole Recipe (Prepped In 5 Minutes)

This chicken taco casserole is absolutely chock-full of yumminess, and it's the perfect weeknight dinner the whole family is guaranteed to enjoy. It combines shredded chicken with taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, black beans, and a creamy filling to bring all the flavors of Mexico right to your dinner table. Plus, in just 5 minutes, you can have this easy casserole recipe prepared and ready to bake!

The Best Chicken Taco Casserole

If you love Mexican food and casseroles, this chicken taco casserole really is the dish for you.

Whenever I make it, my whole family goes crazy for it, and they are always begging me to make it again that same week!

After all, what could be better than chicken, cheese, and the incredible flavors of tacos all put together in a hearty casserole?

Plus, the best thing about this recipe is that it's so, so easy to make! In fact, you can make this taco chicken casserole in just a few really basic steps. All you have to do is mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, put 'em in a casserole dish, and bake 'em.

Then, while the casserole is cooking, you can sit back and relax and even enjoy one of these spicy margaritas, or you can whip up some air fryer tortilla chips and Chipotle guac to snack on as an app before!

Ingredients

Now, what I love most about this easy chicken taco casserole recipe is that it uses only simple, fresh ingredients. And I can almost guarantee that you'll have most - if not all - of them at your house already since they're all basically kitchen/pantry staples.

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make it:

• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken or chicken breasts)
• 2 cups cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• About 1 ½ cups canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
• About 1 ½ cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp. taco seasoning mix
• 2 cups tortilla chips crushed
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
• Fresh cilantro to serve

Pretty simple stuff, right?

By the way, if you have some leftover chicken, you can use it to make this Southwest chicken soup, this crack chicken pasta, or even this chicken cordon bleu casserole.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS & SUGGESTIONS

While I recommend making this chicken taco casserole with the ingredients listed above, there are some ways you can put your own spin on it. So with that said, here are some of my favorite ideas to try.

Add different types of cheese to the recipe

I like to keep this taco casserole dish simple and make it with shredded cheddar cheese, but you can really use any shredded cheese that you like.  Monterey Jack and Mexican cheese work really well either as substitutes for the cheddar cheese or as additional toppings.

Add some extra spice to your taco seasoning

If you really want to ramp up the flavor, you can spice this recipe up by adding chili powder, cumin, paprika, or cayenne pepper. Just make sure you keep tasting to ensure the spices are just right.

Use condensed cream of chicken soup

You can substitute regular canned cream of chicken soup for any condensed soup - like condensed cream of chicken - but just be aware that this may slightly change the flavor of the casserole. One time when I was in a pinch, I even made this casserole with some cream of mushroom soup, and it turned out great.

Add extra toppings

Adding some extra toppings before serving can really elevate this recipe and give it a new dimension. A dollop of sour cream, chopped tomato, and diced green onions are some of my favorite toppings to add. The green onion will give your casserole a little extra flavor, while the sour cream will give it a lovely, fresh finish to cut some of the heat.

How to Make Chicken Taco Casserole

Alright, now it's time for the fun part - making the chicken taco casserole!

And, again, making this taco chicken casserole recipe is about as easy as it gets. I mean, this recipe is literally just 3 easy steps, and everything is made together in one dish. Honestly, as fas as easy chicken casserole recipes go this chicken taco casserole is at the top of the list. It's basically fool-proof.

Anyway, with all that said, let's stop wasting time and get cooking.

Step 1: Prepare The chicken mixture

First things first, you'll want to preheat your oven to 350°F (180ºC) and prepare a 9x13-inch casserole dish by coating it with non-stick cooking spray. Then, after you've taken care of that, you'll want to set the dish aside and start working on your chicken.

So, to prepare your chicken mixture, you'll want to take out a large mixing bowl and add the cooked shredded chicken - rotisserie chicken works great here - cream of chicken soup, sour cream, canned diced tomatoes with green chiles, black beans, taco seasoning, and half of the shredded cheese.

Now you'll want to mix all your ingredients up thoroughly so all that incredible taco seasoning is covering everything. This will ensure that the flavors run all the way through your casserole and are consistent in each bite.

Step 2: Prepare the casserole for baking

Next, you'll want to transfer the taco chicken mixture from the large bowl to the prepared baking dish. Then, you can top it with the remaining cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, fresh tomato, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Some people like to mix crushed tortilla chips throughout the mixture, but I find that just topping the taco casserole with tortilla chips gives it a little crunch on top while the rest of the dish is nice and creamy.

Step 3: Bake the casserole

Now that the casserole is ready to go, you can put the baking dish in the oven and bake it uncovered for 30 minutes - or until the chips are golden brown. However, if you notice that the tortilla chips are getting too dark, you can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil to finish the casserole.

When you take the casserole out of the oven, it should be bubbling throughout with all that amazing melted cheese.

Finally, allow your casserole to cool for a few minutes, and then serve it warm. By the way, if you want any additional toppings, you can serve it with shredded lettuce, Pico de Gallo, and a little extra shredded cheese, or you can add extra sour cream, green onions, and all your other favorite taco toppings. No matter how you eat this chicken casserole, it'll be delicious, so enjoy it!

How to Store Chicken Taco Casserole

This recipe for chicken taco casserole will make about 4 servings, so it's the perfect amount for a big family dinner! If you're lucky you might even have some leftovers.

Speaking of leftovers, to store them, you'll want to allow the casserole to cool completely first, and then you can transfer it to an airtight container. It should keep in the fridge for 3-4 days stored like this.

How to Freeze Chicken Taco Casserole

This chicken taco casserole is the perfect freezer meal to have on hand for those busy weeknights. To freeze it, you'll want to allow the casserole to cool down, and then you can either transfer it to an airtight container - or wrap it in layers of aluminum foil right in the dish you cooked it in -and store it in a freezer-safe bag. Stored like this, it should keep in the freezer for up to six months.

How to Reheat Chicken Taco Casserole

Once you're ready to enjoy this taco-style chicken casserole again, it's definitely best warmed up.

To reheat it, just put the casserole in a baking dish and warm it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until it's warmed through.

Alternatively, reheat it even quicker, you can heat single portions of the casserole in the microwave in 30-second increments until it reaches your desired temperature.

Oh, and if you're reheating the frozen casserole, just let it thaw in the fridge first.

FAQS About This Chicken Taco Casserole Recipe

What is the best shredded chicken for this recipe?

Any shredded chicken works for this recipe, but shredded rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken breasts are my usual choices. Store bought rotisserie chicken is a great option because you don't need to cook it yourself, and you can have a great mixture of dark and white meat in your casserole. With that said though, if you prefer just the white meat, then cooked, shredded chicken breasts are perfect.

Can I mix crumbled tortilla chips into the chicken taco casserole?

Of course, mixing tortilla chips in with the chicken, diced tomatoes, and other ingredients will give your chicken taco casserole an extra crunch throughout. I like just like to add crushed corn tortilla chips on top so that it gives a crunchy crust, but it's entirely up to you.

You can also make a layered casserole by spreading a thin layer of the chicken mixture onto the bottom of the casserole dish and then adding some of the cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top of it. Then, you'll want to add the remaining chicken mixture, the remaining cheddar cheese, and extra tortilla chips, and bake everything like that.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make chicken taco casserole in just a few simple steps!

This honestly might be one of the best chicken casserole recipes you ever make. I mean, it has everything you love about a loaded chicken taco, but it's just in casserole form.

For what it's worth, my whole family absolutely loves this recipe, and it's become a permanent fixture in my house. We honestly make it multiple times a month.

Anyway, I hope you like this easy casserole recipe as much as I/we do. If you make it, leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!

More Casserole Recipes

If you enjoyed this chicken taco casserole, we have a ton of other Mexican casserole recipes that you can make next!

Here are some reader favorites:

• Tamale casserole
• Burrito casserole
• Beef enchilada casserole
• Mexican street corn casserole
• Taco casserole with Doritos

Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube! We post new recipes on them every day.

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