Mexican Rice Casserole

This Mexican rice casserole combines perfectly cooked veggies with Mexican spices, fluffy rice, black beans, and a flavorful enchilada sauce. It's all covered in melted shredded cheese and gets baked to perfection. Every bite tastes better than the last, and this easy dinner comes together in under 30 minutes!

The Best Mexican Rice Casserole

This Mexican rice casserole is so simple, yet every bite explodes with flavor. It combines all of the elements that make the perfect casserole, along with some staple ingredients found in all of the most delicious Mexican food.

This cheesy Mexican rice casserole is filled with your favorite taco toppings like black beans, corn, red peppers, and jalapeños for a little kick. All of that deliciousness is mixed in a flavorful enchilada sauce and finished with shredded cheese. The addition of white rice takes this recipe and turns it into the perfect hearty one pot Mexican rice casserole.

I love making this Mexican rice casserole for a hectic weeknight dinner for the family since it's so easy to make!

As good as it is alone, I like to serve it alongside some tasty sides, like tortilla chips with this Chipotle guac and Taco Bell nacho cheese.

Why This Recipe Works

One skillet meal. Everything for this Mexican rice casserole comes together in one skillet, so the cooking process and clean-up afterward are simple.

Customizable. Just like regular tacos, you can add, swap, or take out any ingredients you want from this recipe. The opportunities are endless!

The flavor. This Mexican skillet recipe has the most delicious Mexican flavor in each bite from the homemade taco seasoning. It's a meal the whole family will love, so you're guaranteed to have a hit if you make it for dinner! 

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this Mexican rice casserole might look long, but I promise most of it is pantry staple veggies.

Check out what you'll need to make this one skillet Mexican rice casserole:

• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1 red paprika, chopped
• 1 cup fresh corn or frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup black bean, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup enchilada sauce
• ½ cup Mexican blend cheese
• 1 cup white rice, cooked

By the way, you can use many of these ingredients to make this taco rice casserole, so consider giving that recipe a try next for another delicious rice casserole recipe. For something a little different, you can use a lot of them to make my Tex Mex casserole.

How To Make Mexican Rice Casserole

1. Prep work: Preheat the oven to 360°F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and grease it with olive oil.

2. Cook the veggies: Add diced onions, cumin, paprika, salt, oregano, and thyme to the hot skillet. Give everything a mix to combine the seasonings. Add the diced jalapeño and red pepper to the mixture and fry for 5 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients: Once the peppers are tender, add the drained black beans and corn and mix to combine everything. Add the cooked rice and enchilada sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the rice mixture is boiling, reduce the heat and stir frequently to make sure there are no bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

4. Bake and serve: Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle with all of the shredded cheese. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the shredded cheese is golden. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• Swap red enchilada sauce for tomato sauce or fire roasted tomatoes in their juices.
• Mix half of the shredded cheese in the casserole and top with the remaining cheese for a different cheesy element.
• Cook uncooked rice in beef broth to add even more flavor to the casserole.
• Cook the rice the day before to save prep time.
• Add cooked ground beef to the casserole to make it heartier.
• Make this a vegan casserole by using vegan cheese.
• Transfer the casserole to a greased baking dish before baking if you don't have an oven-safe skillet.
• Serve the casserole with sour cream and hot sauce on top for added flavor.

How To Store Mexican Rice Casserole

In the fridge: Store the leftover Mexican rice casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

In the freezer: Transfer the leftover Mexican casserole to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.

Reheating: Put the casserole back in a casserole dish and warm it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until it's heated through. You can also toss everything back in a skillet over medium heat and stir constantly until warm. Let the frozen casserole thaw in the fridge overnight or add more reheating time.

FAQS About This Mexican Rice Casserole Recipe

What goes well with Mexican rice?

Mexican rice is delicious with more Mexican recipes like this Jiffy jalapeno cornbread, Mexican tater tot casserole, and Mexican street corn casserole.

Can I add meat?

Yes, you can add ground beef, ground turkey, shredded chicken, or any other type of meat to this one pot Mexican rice casserole recipe. You'll want to make sure to cook the meat fully before adding it to the casserole.

Can I use brown rice?

Yes, you can use brown rice in this casserole. I like the flavor of long grain white rice, but brown rice will be just as delicious! You could even use Spanish rice for even more flavor.

More Dinner Recipes

• Chicken tortilla casserole
• Taco potato casserole
• Taco pasta casserole
• Crescent roll taco bake
• Frozen burrito casserole
• Mexican lasagna