This Chicken Fajita Casserole has amazing flavor and is so easy to make with very few dishes to clean. Chicken, cheese, veggies, rice, and a delectable sauce combine for absolute perfection!
This Chicken Fajita Casserole is like a cozy gathering of your favorite fajita flavors, all snug in a casserole dish. Picture tender chicken, tender rice, vibrant bell peppers and onions, tangy Rotel tomatoes, jazzed up with Tex-Mex spices, and smothered in melty cheese.
It’s a delightful twist on classic chicken fajitas, baked to perfection to encourage family dinners filled with warmth, laughter, and delicious simplicity. This dish is all about bringing the joy of fuss-free, flavorful meals to the table, making it a surefire way to light up faces and fill up tummies. And you’ll have surprisingly few dishes to clean, too!
Ingredient FAQ
Here are a few notes about this recipe to ensure success:
Chicken: This recipe calls for 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken. You can buy a rotisserie chicken to make the process even easier, or you can follow these simple instructions to make the perfect shredded chicken for this recipe. When I have a recipe that calls for shredded cooked chicken on the weekly menu plan, I’ll often make this shredded chicken on Sunday when I’m cooking supper just to give myself a head start on those busy weeknights. Just store the cooked chicken in the fridge in a ziptop bag. You’ll need 2 to 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs with this method, but will need 4 or so.
Cream of Chicken Soup: This gives the dish some creaminess and delicious flavor. Choose your favorite brand and variety.
Sour Cream: Nothing special to note here. You can use lower fat and fat free versions, if you are so inclined.
Instant Rice: I sometimes get a little flack for this, but instant rice makes the cook time so much shorter for this recipe. And easier, too! The liquid to rice ratio here is specific to instant rice. And while some folks turn their noses up at it, it’s literally just fully cooked, then dehydrated white rice. Y’all, it’s just dried rice.
Frozen Onions and Peppers: Because of the relatively short cooking time, I’ve opted for frozen bell peppers and onions. I buy it in a blend in a bag with both the peppers and onions together, but you can buy them separately if that’s all you can find. The frozen veggies cook through faster and offer a softer texture than fresh. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can chop your own vegetables and sauté them in a super hot skillet before mixing the casserole together for even more flavor.
Rotel Tomatoes: This recipe also calls for a can of diced tomatoes with chilies, you know the stuff – Rotel. I used the mild version here, but if you like heat – go for your favorite heat level.
Chicken Broth: Broth or stock will work in this case. If you’re concerned with sodium, choose a low sodium version.
Fajita Seasoning: There are tons of fajita seasoning packets out there. Feel free to use your favorite. I’ve tasted a bunch of them, and the McCormick version is my absolute favorite for both fajitas and tacos. It has a smoky flavor that really adds to the dish. Now, don’t go hunting all over town for it – nothing is worth that – but if you can find it, get it.
Shredded Cheese: All good casseroles need some cheese. For this chicken fajita casserole recipe, I chose the shredded Mexican blend cheese. Mild cheddar cheese or another cheddar blend should work as well. Pepper jack cheese would add some extra flavor and a little heat.
Recipe Variations and Additions
Black Beans or Pinto Beans would make a delicious addition and add some nutrition and fiber.
Tortilla Chips are a delicious complement when served on the side. Scoop up the fajita chicken casserole like a dip!
For even more flavor, serve the casserole topped with some fresh salsa or sliced avocado.
You could even sprinkle some fresh cilantro over the top for a pop of fresh flavor.
Several readers have mentioned swapping the instant rice for cauliflower rice for a low carb version.
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken about 2 large breasts
- 2 cups instant rice
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup frozen diced onion and bell pepper blend
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chilies undrained; like Rotel
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 (1.12-ounce) packet fajita seasoning I prefer McCormick
- 1 (8-ounce) package shredded Mexican blend cheese about 2 cups
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, uncooked rice, cream of chicken, sour cream, diced onion and bell pepper, tomatoes with chilies, chicken broth, fajita seasoning, and about half of the cheese.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and spread it evenly. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Remove from the oven, top with the remaining cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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This is a delicious recipe! I think next time I make it I will use the hot Rotel. It makes a lot and leftovers will be delicious too!
Thanks so much, Bonita!
I have made this recipe a few times for my Mom who is elderly and has no teeth and she loves this!
So glad she’s enjoyed it, Janie!
Delicious. Used chipotle rotisserie chicken from Costco; quite the kick. It was a hit with the family.
I keep hearing about this chipotle chicken. Love the regular kind! So glad you enjoyed it!
what does 1.12 ounces mean? all I could find were 1oz packages. so I used one and a half but I was still confused. it came out very good. I served it with avocado slices
The size of the packet I usually use is 1.12 ounces in weight, but I’m sure a 1-ounce package would work just fine. Regardless, so glad you enjoyed it!
My family love this.
I gave left overs to a friend one day and it’s now a staple in her household too!
Love seeing comments like this, Jenna! Thank you!
Does rice need to be instant or would cooked rice work?
I prefer instant so that liquid ratios work, but you can use cooked rice as well by adjusting the liquid amounts.
I made this, taste is really good. But I used jasmine rice as that is what I had on hand…the rice didn’t cook through and was still crunchy….what did I do wrong?
The recipe calls for instant rice. Uncooked Jasmine rice will require a different amount of liquid and a longer cook time to cook through.
I made this with all low sodium or no salt ingredients except for the fajita seasoning & cheese it I put cilantro in it some garlic & mrs dash extra spicy. It still didn’t have much flavor to me.
Removing all the salt, likely removed a lot of the flavor too.
If you withheld salt and fat of course there was little to no taste!
so delicious! Made it just like the recipe. Definitely a favorite!!
Thanks, Marcia!
I used fresh bell peppers and onions and also for cheese I grated Monterey jack and I used medium cheddar. I also used Basmati white rice cause it will pull the chicken flavor out more. It was yummy and I’ll be making this again for sure
So glad to hear you were able to adapt it to your liking, Nakisha!
Absolutely delicious! Has become a staple in my house. In the rare case that there are leftovers they go very quickly.
Love hearing that, Nicole!
I bought brown instant rice. Will that work or do I need to make any adjustments???
I’ve never used brown instant rice, so I can’t say for sure. I’d imagine you wouldn’t need to adjust anything, but I haven’t tested it.
When you say cooked chicken, you mentioned rotisserie. I am not a fan of picking it apart, kind of creepy (I know, stupid. But, that’s how it is for me) so cooked chicken, boiled, baked? What do you feel is best? Thanks 😊
Any kind of cooked shredded chicken will work here. I also like to buy the packages of the shredded rotisserie chicken from places like Costco since you don’t have to pick it off the bones.
It’s a 5 star in my book. My husband absolutely loved it and I thought it was pretty good too. 😋😋 The perfect blend of everything Mexican. Thank you for this yummy recipe. 😊
Thanks so much, Carole! Glad y’all enjoyed it!
Used meat from entire rotisserie chicken, fresh onion, McCormick’s fajita seasoning; and followed recipe as posted. Cheese sprinkled across the top melted but did not look appetizing so I put dish under broiler long enough to barely brown the cheese. This dish was a HUGE success!
So glad to hear it was a success!
I’m making this for a friend as we’re swapping a few meals. Shall I go ahead and cook this as normal if she is wishing to put it in the freezer for later?
Britt, I’d recommend assembling it, covering it tightly, and freezing it before baking. Then your friend can thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake it when she’s ready. That way it will taste a little fresher and the rice won’t risk getting overcooked or mushy from being baked, frozen, and baked again.
I am going to make this, but will sub mexican street corn. Wonder how that will work out.
If you’re subbing the peppers and onions for the Mexican corn, I think it sounds like a fun way to put your own twist on the recipe! Excited to hear how it turns out!
This recipe is amazing every time – no notes! Make this for your next meal train, it’s a crowd pleaser for the whole family.
Thank you so much, Rachel!
I have been making this for a couple years now & it is amazing every time! No notes! Make this for your next meal train, it’s a total crowd pleaser for the whole family.
Thank you Stacey! Once again you nailed it.
Ya’ll this recipe is perfection as written!!
I plan on making several of your recipes for my daughter and son-in-law this summer when I visit them in Montana.
Thank you so much, Kathy!
Easy dish to make and family loved it!
Thanks, Shae! So glad to hear it turned out great for you!
Came together really easy. My family absolutely loved it.
Making it again tomorrow night.
Love hearing that! Thanks, Edith!
Real disappointed with this one. Texture was not appealing. Taste was almost nasty. We eat a lot of Tex-Mex in this house. This recipe goes in the trash.
This one usually gets great reviews, Linda! I’m so sorry you were disappointed. Can you tell me more about the particular products and ingredients you used?
My family really enjoyed this recipe! I did use sautéed red/yellow/orange peppers instead of frozen but otherwise kept the recipe the same.
So glad to hear the crew loved it, Courtney! And yes, if you have time to sauté a few peppers, that adds a lot more of that authentic fajita flavor! Great idea!
I Know this is a winner (winner, chicken dinner 😉). It’s very similar to our Mexican Chicken dinner. We keep the ingredients simple and prepare it in a couple of ways. Thank you for this method, it will be great for family meals.
The chicken fajita casserole was delicious! Since the recipe feeds 8 and there are just 2 of us, I split the recipe into 2 dishes and froze one. Your recipes are easy and yummy. Tonight we’re having your Stromboli recipe. Thank you for all your ideas; they’re GREAT!
Thanks so much, Judy! Hope you’ll enjoy the stromboli, too!
Made this today can you freeze the leftover s
Yep! Just keep in mind that freezing rice will make it a bit softer when it’s thawed and reheated.
This was amazing! Quick and easy! I served it with some tortilla chips on the side. We all enjoyed it and the leftovers were still great on day 2.
Love hearing that, Manon!
I was just wondering if I could prep and put the whole casserole together the night before I plan on cooking it
I’ve not tested it that way, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it could work.
This was a good only problem I had for some reason it was to soupy for me idk what I did wrong please help would like to try it again
Hi Jeffrey! IT’s so hard for me to know what went wrong. It could be that one of your measurements was off or that you used a different kind of rice. Did you stick pretty closely to the recipe?
This is a lot like the King Ranch Chicken Casserole. Instead of rice you layer it with a Dorito type tortilla chip. Have made this for years, my family loves it.
I do love a Dorito! 🙂
So easy and delicious! Has become a family favorite!
Love hearing that, Theresa! Thanks for letting me know!
Comfort food
Thanks, Char! So glad you enjoyed it!
Instead of using rice could I use any type of pasta?
Something like orzo might work, but you’d have to adjust the liquid amount.
Hey Stacey!! This was sooooooooooo yummy!! I served it in warm tortillas!! Every one of your recipes is always fabulous!! Thank you!!
Hey, Laurie! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, especially with warm tortillas! That sounds amazing! I really appreciate your kind words!
How do use reg rice
I’ve not tested it that way, so I can’t say for sure. You’d need to increase the liquid amount or cook the rice in advance before assembling the casserole.
if i froze it should i defrost before baking?
Yep, I’d recommend defrosting in the fridge overnight before baking. Just keep in mind, you never want to put a cold dish in a hot oven, as it might shatter. Bring the dish to room temperature first or place it in a cold oven and allow it to warm with the oven.
Can’t wait to make this. Loved all the ingredients.Thank you!
Sure hope you’ll enjoy it, Jackie!
We loved it. Will make it again
Glad to hear it, Jammie!
This is a GREAT recipe, my guests loved it and wanted the recipe for themselves so I gave them a copy. I sautéed fresh onion and bell pepper instead of the frozen, other than that followed the recipe! Served guacamole, pico de Gallo, sliced jalapeños and thin and crispy tortilla chips on the side! I will make this time and time again. It made enough to put some away on the freezer for another night.
Great flavor combinations!!!
I’m so glad to hear you and your guests enjoyed the recipe! Sautéing fresh onion and bell pepper sounds like a delicious twist. Serving it with guacamole and pico de gallo is a great idea too.
This is easy and tastes great!
Thanks, Janis!!
I made this last night. I didn’t have cream of chicken soup so I used Campbell’s Fiesta cheese soup. I also used sharp cheddar cheese because that’s what I had on hand. It was really good. My husband loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds absolutely delicious with the fiesta cheese soup! So glad you enjoyed it!
Warm tortillas for serving???
Absolutely! Love that idea.
I love this recipe! It makes a great base for chicken enchiladas. I did put my own spin on it though. I boiled my chicken in seasoned chicken broth and shredded it in my stand up mixer. So much easier (must do this when it’s still warm). I added a block (8oz) cream cheese, a can of sweet corn (drained), can of black beans (drained). Because of the increased volume, an extra packet of fajita seasoning or taco seasoning is needed. It’s so versatile! It’d be good on nachos too.
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing your twists!
I accidentally found this recipe & now it is a household stable! So good & even reheats well! My teenage son asks for this at least once a week! Thank you for sharing such an easy & tasty revipe!
I’m so glad to hear that! It’s awesome that your son loves it that much. Reheating well is definitely a plus. Thanks for letting me know!
Not really a fan of sour cream. Can it be omitted?
I’ve not ever made it without it, but I think it should work.
It will still work. I may or may not have forgotten to add the sour cream once and it was still yummy. Just not as creamy.
Thanks, Kendell!
Your Chicken Fajita Casserole is not only easy but so very delicious. Will be making for a gathering tomorrow. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks, B! Hope y’all enjoy it!
The casseroleooks so good Im making chicken tonight. Your dishes look so good . I’m going to try some this weekend. You have good ideas for your food.
Thanks, Chris! Enjoy!
I needed a recipe for a women’s group Cinco de Mayo party and came across your recipe. I made a test casserole for my husband and me. He does not like Mexican food and I don’t care for spicy food so I used regular diced tomatoes. I sauteed onion and green pepper and even with the regular tomatoes this was so tasty and delicious. My husband I both enjoyed it–it’s a keeper recipe! One question–if I use mild Rotel does it add any heat to the recipe?
I’m so glad to hear you both enjoyed the casserole! Using regular diced tomatoes is a great idea for keeping it mild. As for the mild Rotel, it usually adds a punch of flavor without much heat, so it should work well for you.
Made it for our Cinco de Mayo Women’s Group. What a hit! everyone went back for seconds and I shared your recipe link with the group. Excellent!!
I’m so glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So good!!!
It looks delish! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
We love this casserole, I was wondering if it could be frozen then reheated?
I’m so glad y’all love the casserole! Yes, you can definitely freeze it and reheat later. Just keep in mind that the rice might get a bit softer after freezing and reheating, but it should still be delicious. Enjoy!
Thank you so much Stacey for your chicken fajita casserole I love it and all of your great recipes thank you Wendy Huntsville AL
Thanks, Wendy!
Stacey, this will sound totally weird but I’m wondering about adding an ingredient to this recipe. You’re the one who introduced me to green enchilada sauce and I’m now obsessed with it. Is there any way that it could be incorporated here? Thank you!
Hey there! Not weird at all—green enchilada sauce is a fantastic choice! You could definitely blend it into the dish for added flavor. Maybe try swapping some of the broth for the enchiladas sauce or using it as a topping. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Just needed a tip on how to keep the casserole from getting to dry
You can always add some extra broth.
Absolutely delicious! My whole family loved it!
Thanks so much for the kind words! I’m thrilled to hear that your whole family enjoyed it.
This was delicious! Like other comments had recommended I also added a can of drained black beans and drained the Rotel. Instead of shredded chicken, I took a chicken breast, flattened it, seasoned it with fajita seasoning, and baked it at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Then I cut it up into bite size pieces, which made it taste like fajitas. My teenage sons and my husband devoured it! They asked me to make it again.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Your twist with the black beans and fajita-style chicken sounds amazing. It’s great that your family loved it too—always a win when they ask for seconds! Thanks for sharing your modifications! I might just have to try that next time!
I wanted to know if when you added the fajita seasoning to the chicken and baked it, did you also add more fajita seasoning to the casserole? One packet total for the recipe or more?
It was a very good casserole and will make it again. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the casserole! Thanks for giving it a try!
It’s delicious!! I didn’t have a lot of chicken so I added white beans.
That sounds like a great twist! White beans are a fantastic addition for extra protein and creaminess. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
My husband and I loved this. I’ll definitely make it again. We had some low carb flour tortillas in the pantry so we made some fajita burritos with some if it. One question though…can I freeze the left overs?
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Fajita burritos sound delicious! Yes, you can definitely freeze the leftovers. Just make sure to store them in an airtight container or freezer bag to keep them fresh.
Just finished dinner and it was delicious. My husband and I both went up for seconds. My picky eaters even tried it too!
We used Tyson brand grilled chicken tenders and just fried it in a skillet with the peppers and onions first.
Thanks! I’ll keep it!
I’m so glad to hear y’all enjoyed it! Using Tyson grilled chicken tenders sounds like a great idea. It’s always a win when picky eaters are willing to try something new. Thanks for sharing a picture!
This is delicious. I added 1 can of corn(drained) and 1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed well). Toddler and husband approved 😋
Thanks for sharing your twist! Adding corn and black beans sounds like a great way to boost flavor and nutrition. I’m glad your toddler and husband loved it! 😊
This was very yummy
Thanks, Cheryl!
Holy Cannoli. I came across this recipe as I was scrolling through Pinterest. I love Mexican food and I love a good casserole. I followed this recipe to a T. Using the exact ingredients as suggested (instance rice, real sour cream etc) and it was spot on. Looked exactly like the photo. I served it with tortilla chips. My husband and I went back three times for more bites. Next time, I’ll try to find a good side dish for this. Any recommendations would be appreciated. This recipe will find a permanent spot in my recipe book
I’m so glad y’all loved the recipe—it makes my day to hear it turned out just like the photo! For sides, a simple Mexican salad, street corn, or a black bean and corn salad would pair perfectly. Thanks for making this a keeper!
Can precooked fajita chicken strips be used and if so do I adjust the cook time?
I would think so. Being that the cook time is really more about getting the rice cooked than anything else, I think I’d keep the cook time the same.
Thanks!!!
Of course!
Can you freeze this recipe prior to baking?
Because the rice goes in uncooked, I’d recommend baking it first, then freezing.
Covered or uncovered to melt the cheese on top, please?
Either way will work, but I typically do it uncovered.
I was wondering if the 2 cups of minute rice was 2 cups before or after the rice was cooked? Thought mine might have had too much rice when I made it?
Measurements are always before cooking unless specifically noted otherwise.
I made this last night. I forgot to get fajita seasoning though so I looked up and made my own fajita seasoning which was pretty decent. I got tortilla and dorito chips to eat with this. It was very good. I didn’t use onions though only different sweet peppers. It turned out so yummy. Even my extremely picky eleven year old ate it.
So glad everyone enjoyed it!
If I substitute cauliflower rice fir instant rice di I still add a cup and half of chicken broth?
You can, but you run the risk of the cauliflower rice getting too mushy, as it cooks pretty quickly. But you shouldn’t need the broth in that case.
This casserole was the best my family and I have ever had!! The prep work was so easy, and the instructions were clear and concise. It has now become a staple in our weekly meal lineup!! THANK YOU!!
Love hearing that!!
I am not a big sour cream fan. Can you taste it alot in there?
I don’t think you can taste to at all.
Loved this for dinner once, was so good! Now going to make it for a wedding! How would you go about freezing this? Heating up? I need to make it 2 days before the wedding
Glad you enjoyed it! Let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Slightly undercook the rice if you’re freezing it on purpose to avoid mushiness. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat at 350°F until warmed through—covered at first, then uncovered to crisp it up. Use within 2-3 months for the best flavor!
Wow!! We’ve been making this recipe for many many years. Great to see recent comments.
One of my family’s favorite week day dish!
Thanks, Deedee!
Very delicious.
Thanks, Veronica!
We loved it! I will make it often. Thank you 😊
Happy to hear it, Rose!
Absolutely delicious! Took your suggestion and added a can of black beans. Also added some black olives, oh goodness! Definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing your recipes with us!
So glad y’all enjoyed it!
We love this! It’s a regular rotation. I’m wondering…. Could I combine all the ingredient, refrigerate overnight, and bake the next day?
Happy to hear you’ve enjoyed it! I don’t see why not. Let me know if you try it.
I’m making this for myself this afternoon but I’ll adjust where necessary to cut in half. Had company this morning and forgot to take anything out of freezer so I’ll be using the canned chicken.
Hope it turns out great for you!
will canned chicken throw the recipe off?
The flavor and texture will be a little different, but canned chicken will work. I recommend draining and rinsing the chicken well before using it.
Soooo good, new staple in our house!!
Quite the compliment! Thanks, Skye!
I ended up making this and substituting the instant rice for 3 5.5oz Spanish rice packets. I added an extra 1/2 cup of broth and cooked for closer to an hour. Uncovered to broil the cheese on top. I recovered it while it cooled enough to eat and it was delicious!
Awesome! So happy to hear it turned out great for you!
Very good casserole
Thanks so much, Delane!
Absolutely loved this recipe, tastes just like a fajita
Thanks so much, Susie!
This looks delicious. I’m getting ready to try the recipe. But I have leftover rice pilaf from dinner the other night. What adjustments would be needed to use leftover cooked rice? I was assuming less or no chicken broth and less sour cream? Any ideas?
YEs, I think you’ll need to reduce the broth to about 1/3 cup, but keep the sour cream the same. Since you won’t have to cook the rice, you can also reduce the cook time as well. You’ll just want to get everything heated through. Hope y’all enjoy it!
This is easy to make n very good to eat. We had left overs n they went in the freezer. We r eating the left overs tonight. If I can add to this I will comment on how it freezes.
Thanks, Sue! I’d love to hear how it warms up!
Delicious!!! Make sure to follow the recipe to a T though! we made the mistake of assuming regular rice would be ok but it took about 1.5 hours instead of 45 minutes. still turned out amazing though. we will do it right next time though, and this one will definitely have a next time. home run!
served with a dollop of extra sour cream on top and a dash of hot sauce
It’s beautiful, Tyler! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
It looks so fantastic! I have a question for you if you don’t mind. Did the casserole set up or was it runny? I’m not that good of a cook so I like to know what to expect. Thanks so much!
So delicous! My family loved this and I used my Instant Pot to make the shredded chicken so it was easy to throw together. This recipe is definitly a keeper
Thanks so much, Marlene! Great tip!
This is one of our all time favorites! What is the best way to make it ahead of time?
Thanks, Cindy! In this case, I think this is best to make completely ahead of time and just reheat.
What can I substitute for the cream of chicken? I’m sure it plays a part in coming the rice so I can just cut out that amount of liquid and still cook rice properly.
Is there another “cream of” soup you could use?
Cream of poblono is a good one.
I didn’t even know that existed! Thanks for sharing!
First time making this and everyone likes it. My husband said it would be good in a tortilla shell
Looks delicious what do you eat with it
We most often just serve it alongside a simple salad. Enjoy!
I immediately thought of serving Tortillias with this recipe. My husband wraps everything in Tortillias.
It’s great!
I make this recipe practically every week now for lunches. It’s my favorite. I sub out Greek yogurt for the sour cream but otherwise, have it as is. I might need to try cauliflower-rice!
Love hearing that, Jackie!!
What a quick and easy, delicious casserole! My husband and I enjoyed it so much. Thank you for sharing the recipe! As my husband said, “It’s a keeper!”
Love hearing that! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
Just made this for dinner tonight! Very easy to make which is always a plus in my book. Turned out great, husband enjoyed it! Will probably add a few other things into this next time. Ate it with tortilla chips. Also put hot sauce on it as well. Yummy.
Looks perfect! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
This was very good. I added an extra cup of peppers and onions for more volume, I didn’t have instant rice so I put 2 cups of regular white rice in a pot with only half the water it called for so 2 cups rather than 4. I cooked it till all the water was absorbed then added this to the rest of the ingredients. The rice was cooked perfectly after soaking up the liquid from the ingredients in the recipe. I ate mine on a bed if lettuce and the hubs and kids ate theirs wrapped in a tortilla. Will make again.
Thanks for sharing your variation, Leah! We’ve had quite a few folks ask about using regular rice, so I know this will be helpful. Glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!
Did you keep the same amount of broth? And did you lessen overall cook time?
Can I use jasmine rice in place of instant rice? Thank you it looks delicious.
I don’t suggest using regular rice in place of the instant because the proportions of liquid to rice are different. With that being said, I made a suggest a few comments back about the way to tackle that. Hope this helps!
You can use pk of Knorr Mexican Rice or their Knorr Fajita Rice (the Fajita rice comes in 2.6 Oz cup)
Thank you for this recipe, it is a great addition to our rotation. I especially am thankful you do not get hung up on a specific brand of product. With options it makes it so much easier to find everything at whichever store we have.
You bet! So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this yesterday and it was delicious!!!
Thanks, Paula! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Do you have to put the onion and bell pepper blend or can I just leave it out?
You can leave it out, if you’d prefer.
I don’t have instant rice. Can I use long grain?
The ratios of rice to liquid in this recipe are specific to instant rice. While you can use regular rice, keep in mind you’ll need to adjust the amounts of several ingredients and might need to adjust the cook time as well. Please keep in mind that I’ve not tested this, but I’d suggest 1 cup of long grain rice to 2 cups of broth. However, I’d suggest getting your broth boiling before adding it to the mixture, to give that rice a head start. The cook time should be roughly the same, but it might take a little extra time. I might also suggest stirring it about halfway through the cook time. Hope this helps!
We make this almost weekly here even my picky children love it!!
Love hearing that!
I made this tonight and it was a hit! We have some left to take to lunch tomorrow too. Thanks for another great recipe, I will be making this again.
Awesome! Love hearing that! You’re so welcome.
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Chewy
Bonefish cafe
They vary from top to very bottom of the screen. Several ads when scrolling up move along with the screen. Several when you click the X give you a few seconds to “cancel” removing the ad so it stays up longer. Now Pantene ad just popped up while typing this and is moving along with the screen. I don’t mind the question as it could make the experience better for you and others!
Thanks so much, Nicole! I’m going to reach out to my ad partner right now.
I can’t get over the ad traffic. It’s ridiculous. Hell, there’s even ad’s IN the comments. I did take screenshots of the ingredients in order to even make it. It was unflavored soup. 9 people in this house and not one person liked it, very disheartening. I should have read some of the comments before even making it.
I know the ads can be frustrating, but they’re the price you pay for free recipes. A little scrolling to not have to buy a cookbook seems like a reasonable deal to me, but I digress… As for the recipe, if it lacked flavor, that is the result of the fajita seasoning mix you used. Do you mind sharing the brand you purchased? And yes, reading the comments is always helpful. In this case, you’ll see that the recipe is rated 4.8 out of 5.
I forgot to ask this earlier, but how are you viewing the site? Mobile or desktop? We’re always looking to improve and the ad layouts are different on mobile and desktop, so it helps to know.
Hi Stacey,
I used McCormick (staple in this house)
I’m on mobile as I’m in the kitchen. I would like to add, I had to scroll past 12 ads to get to the comments and now that I’ve been here for less than 2 minutes 4 have popped up that I’ve had to close in order to finish the comment. I’m not sure if you know just how bad it is or if you don’t care. I get you gotta make money somehow! I have bought several StayFitMom recipe books mostly to avoid ad traffic and just wanted to try something different last night. It just seems every recipe the ads get worse. Best of luck!
McCormick is what I use as well, so I’m not sure where things went wrong. We love this recipe and it has gotten great reviews recently. I did make a few tweaks to it recently, but those were just about adjusting cook times and liquid amounts.
I appreciate it! No, I do care 100% about your experience here! I feed my family on pageviews, so reader satisfaction and getting folks to come back is of great importance. And that’s not how the ads should work at all, so I want to get it addressed. When you say that ads popped up, can you tell me where? Like did they pop up at the top of the screen? Middle of screen? I know this is a lot to ask, but do you happen to remember what the ads were for? I appreciate your patience with this!
After I got over your rudeness, as I think she said kindness is required, I thought I’d let Stacey know that I didn’t have one ad on the site. Not everyone knows about ad blockers I guess. iPad or on iPhone.
I didn’t try your recipe except for the one for shredded chicken which worked out great. Thanks.
Delicious will make again
Happy to hear it, Kathy!
DELICIOUS!
The only things I did differently was I added a can of rinsed black beans and I put a layer of the mixture in my pan then crushed up about 2 cups of tortilla chips then topped the chips with the rest of the mixture. I topped with cheese and thing crushed up about a half of a cup of tortilla chips and put that on-top of the cheese.
It turned out so yummy. My entire family enjoyed
Sounds delicious! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Followed the recipe exactly as instructed, did 350 for 40 minutes (covered) and it was soupy, increased heat to 450 cooked another 50 minutes (uncovered). Once it was finally done it was delicious! Unsure why mine took so long to make!
I’m not 100% sure why it took so long, Claire! Are you sure your measurements were correct? Glad you enjoyed it regardless of the hiccup!
Delicious!! Served it with a black bean salad and guacamole and chips! I will definitely make it again. I had never used the rice before but I will again. Thank you for the recipe. I made sure everyone knew I got the recipe from Southern Bite!
Thanks so much, Sherry!
Loved the flavor and was easy to make.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m planning to convert this recipe to make in my instant pot using a non-stick liner using long grain regular rice. I will measure the liquids used in this recipe for the rice which will be 2 cups long grain rice and 2-1/2 cups liquid. After reading the comments, I will add a can of rinsed black beans as well with all the ingredients. I can even add raw chicken since it uses the same amount of time as the rice too cook. but leave out the cheese and sour cream. I’m going to use the usual time it takes to cook the rice which is 4 minutes pressure and 10 minutes natural release. Stir in the cheese and sour cream when it’s done. Oh, I just realized that a can of crushed tomatoes and canned green Chiles or jalapeño would be good in this recipe in place of the Rotel. Sounds good to me.
Exciting! Please come back and let us know how it turned out!
This was delicious! After reading the comments, I added drained and rinsed black beans and my own frozen corn. I also sauteed fresh onion and green peppers instead of the frozen ones. Also used a rotisserie chicken. Will definitely be making this again!
So glad you were able to add your own spin and that it turned out great for you!
Sounds good! I’m headed to the store today to pick up what ingredients I need to make it. My husband loves rice, son loves Mexican/TexMex, I love it all so I think it will be a winner!
Hope y’all enjoyed it!
SO EASY and DELICIOUS!!! I received an email yesterday with this recipe from Stacey! I had most of the ingredients on-hand already and picked up the rest. I followed the recipe but added a can of drained black beans. My husband wanted seconds, and I think I had thirds ahahah! Thanks, Stacey!!!
Oh! And I put pickled jalepenos on top of the cheese and served with extras!
Sweet!! Love hearing that y’all enjoyed it!
Could you use the same recipe with steak??
I don’t see why not! Enjoy!
Can the fajita casserole be made without the rice?
I’ve not tested it, but I don’t see why not. You probably won’t need the chicken broth without the rice in there to absorb it.
Just made this recipe. I cheated and used a rotisserie chicken, so I double the fajita seasoning and tossed the chicken in the seasoning before I added the rest of the ingredients. It turned out great! Wonderful recipe and thank you for sharing with us!
Smart swap! So glad it turned out great for you!
How many servings does this make?
It really depends on the serving size, but I’d suggest around 6.
Family loved it! I used cheddar soup instead of cream of chicken. Loved it!
Awesome! Great idea!
someone at work was heating leftover chicken fajita casserole for lunch and the smell had us all drooling. She gave us the recipe and I had it at home that weekend. It was awesome!!!
Ha! That’s hilarious! I’d say “word of mouth” is the best advertisement, but I guess this is “word of nose!”
Does it have to be instant rice?
I would suggest sticking with instant rice so you don’t have to make other adjustments to the recipe.
I have made this recipe with cauliflower rice because my husband is diabetic.
It worked just fine. Our family loves this recipe. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that, Julie! Glad y’all enjoyed it!
How much cauliflower rice did you use? Did you change any baking time or anything else?
This casserole was easy and has great flavor! When my husband says, “You can make this again!,” I know it is good!
Awesome! Those are my favorite types of reviews!!
My chicken is cooking now . Excited about trying this . I think I’ll shredsome pepper jack cheese for the interior because,I need to use it up and put Mexican blend on top. Crossing my fingers! Thanks for all your recipes.
Sounds great! I’d love to hear how it turned out for you!
Question. I don’t use instant rice, have you used regular rice or even cooked rice? Thank you. I enjoy up your posts
I’ve only tried it with the instant rice, so I can’t say for sure.
Just made this tonight. Only change was I used Perdue Shortcuts Fajita seasoned chicken and left out the packet of seasoning. My family loved it. Will definitely add to the rotation! Thanks for a great and easy meal.
So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing that shortcut!
Made this tonight and it was great!! Only thing I did differently was I used fresh onion and bell pepper cause the store was out of the frozen ones. Tasted good and was so easy to make. The family devoured it, next time will have to double it since I’m feeding teenage boys 🙂 Will definitely keep this recipe!
Awesome! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
I made this ..and the flavors are delicious! The chicken very tender and good texture. Just a hint..be sure to follow instructions and use INSTANT rie. I did not; tus the rice just wasn’t cooked even at the 45 minute cook time . If I had used instant rice it would have been spectacular
Thanks, Cindy! Yes, instant rice is crucial here.
This was a hit with the whole family! I made it the night before and it turned out great! Only thing I added was some jalapeños, we like heat. Will be making again very soon.
So glad to hear y’all enjoyed it! The jalapeños sound like a great addition!
Made it all the flavors and it was delicious but the rice wasn’t done…. I have jasmine rice and I had to leave it in oven until it’s soft. 😫 but still crunchy?
Instant rice is key here. It cooks faster than regular or jasmine rice.
This sounds delicious–and we love Fajitas! I might try cooking the rice in the chicken broth separately, then adding it to the casserole. I’m going to try this recipe, but I’m from Hawaii. We never use instant rice. I may even use half rice and half quinoa (cooks in a rice pot just like rice does). @Stacey, does instant rice triple in volume the way regular rice does?
Instant rice is closer to double. Hope you enjoy it! Let me know how it turn out!
Rarely do I make a recipe as directed. I always tweak to my flavor palette…I made this one as written. Absolutely amazing. Thank you!!
Thanks so much for the trust, Erin! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
Followed recipe & used Ben’s Instant brown rice and went with 2 cups uncooked. The resulting casserole after 25min at 350 in oven was great; but rice was jot done – still very crunchy. Any reason why or what could have gone wrong?
Instant brown rice actually takes longer to cook that instant white rice. According to the packages, twice as long. I think that’s the issue here. I’m guessing about 10 more minutes should have gotten it tender.
this is delish. when my husband likes a casserole type meal, i know it’s good. i do make mine in the crock pot though
Thanks, Lori! Glad to hear ya’ll have enjoyed this one! I’d love to hear how you adapt it for the crock pot!
Stacey,, bad thing is, i have a habit of adjusting recipes as i please which is ok if it works out. LOL I started by cooking the chicken in the crock with the chicken broth, skimming out anything if necessary. when the chicken started to shred, i added the rest of the ingredients with the exception of the rice. the rice i had cooked stove top. what i do is place an amount of rice that i choose to eat and top it with the crock ingredients including the entire amount of cheese. gotta laugh, i believe an earlier time i cooked the rice stove top then placed it in the crock when the chicken started to shred along with the other ingredients. either way, after it STARTED to shred, i left it in the crock at least for another hour on high. i know, not a very reliable recipe, but it worked!!!
Thanks so much for sharing, Lori!!
Mark, brown rice never cooks to the same consistency as white rice does.
Love recipe. How many servings do think the recipe makes?
It just really depends on the serving size. I’d say 6 to 8.
I absolutely loved this it was so yummy and had nothing left over. I did do it a little bit different because I used my leftover chicken fajitas I had for dinner last night for the chicken mixture and followed the rest of the recipe, thank you very much!!
Sounds great! Glad you enjoyed it!
I love all the ingredients in this recipe, but my husband dislikes rice. Would it work to alternately layer this mixture (minus the rice) with tortillas before baking?
I haven’t tried that, but I think it should work. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
I used mini Penne pasta instead of rice to make it go further for a family birthday dinner it was excellent thank you so much for the recipe!!!!
Great idea! Glad it turned out great for you!
Wasn’t my favorite
Sorry to hear that, Susan. This recipe usually gets high marks from my readers. What was it that you didn’t care for?
This was so easy to make, my son’s and I all loved it.
Glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!
Hi Stacey,
Absolutely love the recipe and have officially renamed it “Mexican Sloppy Joes.” I halved the recipe except for the soup and Ro*Tel, used canned chicken, and left out the onion/peppers just ’cause I’m lazy and don’t like peppers. Maybe halving it allowed it to be as ‘sloppy’ as it was, but that’s the way I liked it. Next time, I’ll make the full recipe.
Cheers,
Donna
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
This turned out delicious! The only change I made was I used fresh bell peppers because I couldn’t find frozen ones. I’m currently on maternity leave and have been testing out easy dinners for when I return to work – this recipe definitely made the list! It’s super easy to prepare – I prepared it during the day and then popped it in the oven when it was dinner time.
Awesome! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Congrats on the little one!
First off CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BABY! and thank you for thinking of us for quick weeknight recipes!
Excellent dish and the bonus is that it is so quick and easy to put together! Had company over for dinner and they loved this dish! Will definitely be making it again with a few additions! Thank you!
Thank you so much for trusting this recipe when company was coming!
This dish is delicious! I made it last night for my husband and it was a huge success. I cooked two large bone in chicken breasts in the air fryer for about 30 minutes then chopped them into bite size pieces. I also used fresh onions and peppers that I sauteed in olive oil for a few minutes. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. My husband ate his over tortilla chips with salsa, sour cream and quac. It does make a large portion. I think I’ll freeze some for another day. Delicious!
Love the idea of serving it over chips! So glad you guys enjoyed it!
Fixed this tonight and will definitely fix it again. I cut it in half, used brown rice and rotisserie ckn I had. It was fabulous. Can’t wait for the left-overs.
Thank you so much!
Official verdict: Keeper! My husband loved it, and it was super simple to put together. I bought a rotisserie chicken and stripped it and chopped the meat, which was exactly the right amount. I did not have frozen onions and bell peppers, but I did have fresh sweet onion and bell peppers in the garden, so I just chopped up some and sauteed them before I added them to the mix. I also added a can of refried beans and a small can of sliced black olives, and used shredded extra sharp cheddar because I didn’t have any shredded Mexican. The volume was greater, so I baked it for 35 minutes (and it took a larger baking pan, but I figured that.)
Hub went back for a second helping, and we’ve got plenty left. I think I’ll recycle it with some tortilla chips; I’m sure it’ll go down great. Thank you so much for sharing! It was quick, easy, tasty and didn’t take long to bake, which I appreciated, given how hot it’s been.
Awesome! So glad to hear that it turned out great for you! Thanks for sharing your variations, too!
I made your casserole last night and my husband said it’s the best thing that’s ever come out of our kitchen…and we’ve been married for 52 years lol. Thank you for all you do. You are a gem.
I am so glad he enjoyed it!
Loved this recipe. Can it be frozen before baking? If so ow long would you thaw it out before baking? Thank you for this great recipe.
I don’t see why not. I might move it to the fridge the night before I bake it and allow it to completely thaw.
Can I just say this is one of the best casseroles I have made in quite some time!! ❤❤❤Will definitely be putting this in my dinner rotation. Thank you so much for your his tasty recipe!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it.
Followed this recipe using shredded chicken from my Instant Pot. Slapped a couple spoonfuls on a warmed tortilla rolled that baby up and WOW!! Very tasty recipe. It WILL be made again when it gets cooler outside. Great flavor and it fills you up!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Ray!
Made this in two 8″ pie dishes so I could freeze one since it is for only one. Turned out beautiful and tastes wonderful. Definitely going into my favorites.
Great idea! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
This was a delicious meal. I will say that next time I would add fresh jalapeños because I like the flavor & the spice, but It was incredibly hearty & tasty. Highly recommended.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! The jalapeños sound like a delicious addition!
This was delicious! Added tortillas on top then cheese! So easy & excellent! Thanks
Awesome! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
So I bought some Chicken Fajita meat in the clearance section of my grocery store, I asked Google what to do with it and your recipe came up. I made it exactly as the recipe states, adding a can of black beans and a can of corn. It was incredible! The taste combination gets better with each bite. It’s almost addicting, I could not stop eating it. And it makes so much!! I am a single person and will be eating it all week and still freezing some. I gave some to a friend and she could not stop raving about it. Passing along the recipe to her now. I’ve been cooking more during this pandemic and have tried many new recipes. This has been the best and I can’t wait to try more of your concoctions. Thank you so much!!
Thanks so much, Deb! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this one so much! Hope you find lots more you love just as much!
I accidently bought bar-b-que rotisserie chicken. Could I use this in this recipe?
Hmmm… I would guess that it would work.
I made this for supper tonight. The only things I did differently were chopped my own onions and peppers and cooked for 45 minutes. My husband and I loved it. We’ll be adding this to our recipe box for sure. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
So, so glad you enjoyed this!
I cut the recipe in half. It took almost an hour to cook the rice and not be soupy. I ended up serving it with chips as a dip. It tasted good!
Sorry to hear you had trouble! Did you use the instant rice?
After reading all of the comments I made it following the recipe but tweaked it a little. I used seasoned yellow rice half cooked , two packs of fajita seasoning , I drained the Rotel partly , and used a little of the black bean juice . Used wayyy more cheese , added black beans and ommited the broth to avoid it being soupy! amazing
Well look at you making it your own!! Glad you enjoyed it!
delicious recipes
I want to thank you for posting such wonderful recipes. I am partially disabled which makes it very painful to stand more than a few minutes. Your recipes are easy to follow and short prep time makes it very doable for me. Also, the ingredients for your recipes are normally very common.
Sincerely,
Julia from Florida
Thank you so much, Julia! These kinds fo comments just make my day!
I also am only able to stand a few min.; I rely on a bar stool for cooking & dishes.
Could you make this in the morning and then just keep it in fridge until you are ready to put it in the oven?
Hmmm… I’ve not tried that, but I think it might work.
Do you any nutritional info on this? Do you know how many servings in this dish? I looked but couldn’t find that info. Thanks in advance!
Hi Lori! I don’t keep up with nutritional information because it can vary so much based on ingredient brand and selection. Sites like My Fitness Pal are a great way to find it though as it allows you to put in the exact ingredients you have on hand and get a more accurate idea.
I have made this several times and it is so good thank you!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
MY Attempt had too much liquid when first cooked. SAT in fridge overnight, was fine the second day and even better the third.
Some things do improve with age. Glad it eventually turned out great! 🙂
Stacey, thanks so much for your patience with all of us! I am utterly amazed at how you respond to everyone, when the same questions come in over and over. And we do understand about the ads. So carry on and keep up the good work! By the way, your recipes are soooo good! Well worth wading through ads to get to!
And I sure appreciate your kindness, Phyllis! Have a GREAT day!
Made this tonight for dinner. It was not a hit. It was more like a dip that would be served with chips at a party, but definitely not dinner worthy. The flavors were all good, just looked like mush on a plate.
I sure hate to hear that it wasn’t what you had hoped.
I just made this and it’s delicious BUT it seems overly runny! Will it firm up??
Yes, it usually will. Did you swap anything in the recipe out for a different ingredient?
Has anyone tried it using frozen cauliflower rice instead of instant?
Well it’s the new year and sitting in my fridge is a half turkey breast I was going to cut up today and freeze. But no longer it’s going in this recipe. Crossing fingers. Since there is just me I think I’ll line two 8×8 cake pans and freeze one and bake one.
Hope it turned out great for you!!
Do you know if I would have to make an adjustment in the amount of chicken broth if I used instant brown rice instead of instant white rice? Also would I have to cook the casserole longer?
Measurements and cooking times should be the same. Enjoy!!
I have made this several times and it always turns out delicious. It’s a keeper!
Love hearing that, Karen!!
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Yes. It freezes pretty well. 🙂
How much of the minute rice is 2 cups? Is that 1 bag or 2? I know it expands when cooking but my kids tossed rthe box since we have 1 bag left lol
I don’t use the bagged rice much, but if I remember correctly, 1 bag equals about 3.5 cups when cooked. That said, 1 bag should work just fine in this recipe.
STACEY, Thank you for sharing an Advantium recipe. I have had the 120 version now for several years and love it, but haven’t used to to full potential, just tried to convert using similar recipes as in their cookbook. The Advantium is definitely one of GE’s most amazing products!
We enjoy all kinds of different “Mexican” foods so I can’t wait to try this one.
Thanks!
I sure hope you’ll enjoy it!! I sure LOVE my Advantium!
This sounds yummy, but my husband is not a fan of rice and egg noodles are not his thing.
Can I prepare this without the rice or noodles and will it still come out okay?
I’ve not done that so I can’t say definitively. You would need to probably cut back on the liquid if doing so.
So easy. So quick. So delicious. So making it again!
Ha! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Beverly!!
I made the Fajita Caseerole tonight for dinner and ot was absolutely wonderful . My husband loved and I will definitely Malle it again very soon .
I had salsa , sour cream and chips on the side. This recipe is very easy to make.
SO glad you enjoyed it!!
Do you think this recipe would freeze well for a “freezer meal”? If so, would you cook it first or not?
I don’t do a lot of freezer cooking, but would imagine it should work. I’m not sure about freezing the rice uncooked, though. I think I might cook it first.
This looks yummy. If I did this in the crockpot would it be with raw chicken instead of cooked? I saw a comment that you mentioned cooking it 4-6 hours on low. I don’t have instant rice so I’ll use regular.
Thanks!
You can use raw chicken and then just shred it up before serving. 🙂
I made this for my family last week and I am dying to make it again already!!!
SOOOOOO GOOD!!
Thank you for sharing!
Wooo hoo!! So glad y’all enjoyed it!!!
Had this before and it’s delicious. Now I’m on a ketogenic diet and wondering if the casserole will hold up if I use no rice? Or will it be ruined?
I think it will work just fine.
I made as instructed except bought rotisserie chicken and just shredded what ever meat I got from it. Was outstanding and got great response even from picky sister-in-law. Quick and easy meal thanks for sharing
So glad y’all enjoyed it!!
This looks really tasty. It took a while to get to the bottom of all of these comments….now I forget what I was going to say. Oh, tasty…right. Fajita chicken…this pin is going on my Mexican Food board. YUM!
Ha, yep! Lots of great comments on this one! Folks just love it!
I have made this 3 times now and it is delicious!!
That’s the ultimate compliment! So glad you’ve enjoyed it!!
I have made this 3 times now and we love it!
Amazing recipe, Stacey! I did make homemade cream of chicken soup (me and cans have issues) and added 1 teaspoon of cumin. This recipe will be used over and over again!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!!
Hi Stacey. I’m making this Fajita Chicken Casserole again tonight, at my husband’s request. We both really love it. Since I make this so frequently, I just wanted to comment again (since my last comment back in March of 2016). I wanted to let you and your readers know that last time I made it I realized I didn’t have any more fajita seasoning in so I used a packet of taco seasoning, the McCormick Chipotle Taco Seasoning packet. The casserole came out so good, with a bit of a smoky flavor. We liked it so much that I’m going to make this dish with that packet from now on. Thanks again for this recipe, Stacey!
Awesome! Love hearing that! So glad y’all have enjoyed this one!
So just wondering if you could use refried beans and add a little tortilla chips on top?
Absolutely! 🙂
Made this tonight and it was a hit. Will definitely be making it again.
Love hearing that! Glad everyone enjoyed it!
How long would you cook it in a regular oven?
There are regular oven instructions right below the Advantium instructions.
“Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, uncooked rice, cream of chicken, sour cream, diced onion and bell pepper, tomatoes with chilies, chicken broth, fajita seasoning, and about half of the cheese. Mix to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and spread it evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the remaining cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.”
Made this casserole for dinner tonight. It was wonderful!!! The entire family enjoyed it! It was just the right amount of spice to add flavor but not so much that your mouth was on fire all evening. It was a great meal for a cold wintry night. I’ll definitely be making this one again! Thanks!!!
Love hearing that, Linda! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
This looks so good – can’t wait to try it! Just one question re the Rotel; in the ingredients it says undrained, then in the prep, it says drained. Do you add the juice?
SO sorry for the confusion! It should all say undrained now. That liquid adds great flavor. Hope you’ll enjoy!
This was a great dish! My family absolutely LOVED it!!! I will be putting this in my rotation. Thank you so much!!!!!
There’s not higher compliment in my book! So glad y’all enjoyed it!!
I always make a big batch of Chicken Fajitas and there never as good as left overs, I freeze that chicken mix with onions peppers and sometimes mushrooms, this is a great easy way to pull that chicken mix out of the freezer mix in a fews cans of things on hand some cheese and in an hour putting a great homemade comfort food on the table {i make a half recipe alot in a smaller pan}
That’s genius, Larry! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for the recipe with the Advantium directions. We’ve owned an Advantium since 2002 and wouldn’t be without one. I’ll have to give this a try.
Hope you’ll enjoy this. We sure enjoy it and our Advantium!
Could you use cauliflower rice as opposed to regular/instant rice?
I’ve not tried that but I think it would work just fine.
Ok, thank you!
So glad you mentioned using regular rice in this recipe. I really dislike instant rice and even if it soaked up all the goodness of the other items, it would still taste like wet cardboard to me. Try this with Tex-Mati rice or Jasmine rice, yum-yum. Also like the idea of adding beans of some sort. It’s getting cold here tonite,(Tenn.) think I’ll try this!
Stay warm and enjoy!! 🙂
Any side dish recommendations?? Also, would adding ranch style beans change anything? Thanks!
We often have just this casserole and some salad. I think adding the beans would be great!
Did you cook the onions an peppers or did you add them in frozen?
Add them frozen.
Fantastic recipe! Thank you!!
Thanks, Kathy!
I made this for dinner last night! I used cooked brown rice and omitted the broth. It turned out really tasty! I will be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lisa!!
How do you cook your chicken breasts for this recipe?
I usually use a rotisserie chicken when I’m short on time. Otherwise I roast them or cook them in water low and slow with salt and pepper.
If I already have cooked rice how much of the broth should I use? Or should I not use any? And how long do I cook it if the rice is already done? Also how much cooked rice do I use? Sorry for too many questions I just want to get it right 🙂
I’d use about 1/3 of the broth and just cook until it’s heated through. I’d use about 3 cups of cooked rice. Good luck!
Packed full of flavor! I added a can of drained corn and garnished with fresh cilantro- delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this tonight. Delicious! I used regular rice & it had to cook about an hour.
Thanks for the tip! Glad you enjoyed it, Alison!
I’m wanting to make this for a friend in advance. So I could make it, give it to them the next day, then they take it home and reheat it and I’ve never done this before so I’m lost. Thanks in advance.
If I make it and freeze it, how do I reheat it? Does it have to thaw first or can I just put it in the oven?
You can either thaw it first or start it in a cold oven. You just don’t want to put a cold dish in a hot oven – it might break.
Would like to try this recipe, it looks delicious! Wondering if I used regular rice, knowing that the cooking time will be longer, do I still need to use precooked chicken?
I would still opt for the precooked chicken.
Do you think I could leave out the rice and it still prepare and cook the same? I try to avoid the carbs and my family are not big rice eaters. Thanks!
Sure! Just cut back on the broth too.
I also do low carb and am going to substitute califlower rice. I am so excited as it the casserole sounds so delicious. I am making it tonight as i just bought all of the ingredients.
Hope it turned out great!
Are you supposed to cook the minute rice first? I used instant rice and didn’t cook it prior but it didn’t cook right! I did 25 minutes, then added cheese and went about 4 more minutes. The rice was hard! It had great flavor so I’m hoping to get it right next time. Any tips?
No, the rice should cook right in the casserole. I’ve not had that trouble with instant rice in this case. Was the casserole dry?
I just made this recipe tonight. I used (uncooked) Instant Rice as posted in the recipe. The rice would not cook. After 30 minutes the rice was still hard. Had to cook it for almost an hour. Ended up all dried out. But the flavor was very good. Next time I would definitely cook the rice before combining everything and putting it in the oven.
Hmmm… That doesn’t really make sense as to why the rice wouldn’t soften. Sorry you had trouble.
Well this is a hit with my son. I used instant brown rice. He didn’t even notice!
Great idea to sneak in a little nutrition, Wendy! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
Love the recipe but you have so many pop up ads on this page that it kept taking me off the recipe while I was making it!! Very aggravating!!!
I agree with Kelly. There are so many ads to load it takes forever to actually see the recipe. Making it now. Hope it’s worth the wait because I doubled the recipe : ) Let’s eat!
SO glad I doubled this. It’s really good. Sent some home with friends.
Awesome, Lisa! So glad y’all enjoyed it!
I’m so sorry, Kelly! As you know, I share the recipes with y’all for free and in turn, I’ve got the host ads to pay for all the expenses. My hosting service costs as much as many folks mortgages. Please bear with me.
Best thing to do is get the free adblock plus – you can find it on the cnet download site and know you are d/l from a safe site. It works WONDERS – I have NO problems with all the ads – GONE!
The problem with that is that then I don’t get paid for all the work I do to give y’all all these free recipes. I know they can be aggravating, but those ads are what help me feed my family.
Made this the other night and it was really good, it made alot for 2 people but I took leftovers to work and shared with co-workers, I also put it in a flour tortilla shell along with fritos and it was the bomb! Lol Thank you for a very easy recipe and tasty too.
Sounds great, Denise!! Glad you enjoyed it!
Disappointed…It wasn’t that good.
I hate to hear that. Tell me what the problem was. I’ll be happy to help, I just need a little more info.
Does uncooked instant rice get done? I always worry that it won’t.
Yes, I’ve never had it not get done.
How many calories is this ?
Hi Patricia! I don’t keep up with nutritional content. There are several sites out there where you can input the ingredients and get a general idea, though.
I’ve had an GE Advantium oven for over 2 years I love it, but have found very few recipes for it…and food places to start looking?
Have you checked out the Advantium website?
Can I use regular rice? If so how would the recipe change? Like add more liquid or just cook it longer? Thanks!
Yes. I think a longer cook time would be the only alteration.
I used regular rice. I added an additional 1 1/2 cups of broth and cooked for 90 minutes. When making this again I would cook the rice before adding to the recipe and saute the onions and peppers as they were still crunchy even after the 90 minutes. By cooking the rice prior to adding to the recipe I will be able to reduce cooking time to the 25 minutes it called for. This is very tasty and makes enough to feed a lot of people. I may cut the recipe in half the next time.
Thanks for sharing these tips!!
Just for kicks, did you drain the Rotele Tomatoes and Chilies or not. Lots of peeps asked on Plate, but it wasn’t answered…..I’m funny about knowing things like that. I used to produce a cooking TV segment and got skewered if I didn’t tell them EVERYTHING. Now I’m that person! (= Thanks.
No, there’s no need to drain it. That’s why I didn’t mention it. I’m a stickler about those things to so I always make sure to include it. Enjoy!
The directions say to drain but now you’re saying not to. I’m confused.
Well, that makes two of us! 🙂 In the end, the very small amount of liquid in there won’t make a huge difference. I’ve updated everything to make sure that it says undrained.
What is the nutritional value of meal?
Unfortunately, I don’t keep up with that.
Can this be converted to slow cooker?
I’m sure it can, though I’ve not done it that way.
do you boil chicken first or bake chicken with all ingredients ?
The chicken should be cooked ans shredded before being mixed into the casserole. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken.
Can you do this as a freezer meal for someone who just got out of hospital? Trying to make a bunch of casseroles to stock them up!
I don’t see why not! Aren’t you sweet to help out like that!
Hi,
This recipe is fantastic!! And made a ton. My grand kids were visiting and my one grandson is a eater. He and I most certainly share a love for food! We couldn’t get enough. I have made chicken casseroles before, many times. I know what makes this one stand out, it is the addition of the fajita seasoning. Love that flavor!!! And yes it freezes well. Thanks, can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
So glad to hear you and the little ones have enjoyed it so much!
I made this for dinner tonight. I, along with my three year old, am one of the pickiest people on the planet. We absolutely loved it. My one year old daughter and three year old son tore it up. I told a few friends and family members about the recipe and they can’t wait to try it. 🙂
Lizzie, comment like this just make my day. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Have you tried freezing this dish before baking?
I’ve not, but I’m sure it would work just fine.
Made this for one of my boys and my husband. They LOVED it. I was going to add a can of black beans, but forgot…..also for the rice, I used Zatarans spanish rice. Relish
So glad they all enjoyed it! I think the black beans would be a great addition.
I just tried this it came out soooooo good I put some of my own things in but it was really.
So great to hear!!!
Do u cover this dish or leave uncovered??
Uncovered. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi,
I have the Advantium 120 oven, how would this affect the cooking time for this recipe?
Just might need to cook it a little longer.
This was amazing! It was a hit with my mom and husband. I omitted the tomatoes due to my allergy and used instant brown rice. It came out great. Thank you
Wonderful! That’s so great to hear, Sha!
Do you think this would work with ground beef? It sounds delicious!
I definitely think so! Just cook, drain, and then add to the recipe just like the cooked chicken.
I made my own rice before and still put chicken broth…… Is this going to be ruined now ?
Nah. Might be a little soupy, but not ruined at all.
Made this last night, it was great! I used regular rice, cooked ahead of time so I left out the chicken broth, worked great. Next time, I think we will add a little Frank’s Red Hot Sauce to give it a little kick. 🙂
SO glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Hi Stacey, this looks and sounds yummy! A quick question, can this be frozen? There’s only 2 of us and we’d have so much leftovers. Thanks! Love your recipes!
I think it should freeze just fine.
I have a regular oven. Are the cooking times the same?
Instructions for a conventional oven are just below the Advantium instructions. Just keep scrolling down.
I don’t see the oven instructions! What temperature and how long?
They’re both there. You just have to scroll. It’s the first recipe labeled “Standard Oven Directions” – 350°F for 25 minutes.
I forgot cream of chicken, can I use cream of mushroom instead? since that’s what I have on hand.
Absolutely!!
My husband doesn’t care for rice. Anyone tried this with maybe an 8oz package of egg noodles?
I was looking for the same thing Amber. Gonna just go for it I think. 🙂
I’ve never tried it, but it sounds delicious!
You can use corn chips or torn flour tortillas instead of rice. Also can add a can of drained corn. I like to use white shoe peg corn ion casseroles and soup.
I’ve not tried it with noodles, but love the idea! I would recommend cooking the noodles first if you go that route.
You might could try layering the mixture with tortillas in lieu of rice. I’ve seen similar recipes before.
So glad I read the comments. I think I will give this a try now with “regular” rice. Me and instant rice just don’t mix together ha-ha. I don’t know what I don’t like about it but…… Thanks for sharing 😉
Good luck! Enjoy!
Very good! Made this last night! My guys said it was a keeper!!
Awesome! So glad y’all enjoyed it!!
Hi Stacey. I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! We really loved it and I’ll definitely be making this again. I love how fast and easy it was, especially since so many casserole recipes look easy but requite a lot of chopping, dicing, sautéing, and clean-up before putting everything in the casserole dish to bake. This couldn’t have been easier! Thanks!!
Yay! So awesome to hear!! Glad y’all enjoyed it!!
I’m so excited to see you posting the GE Advantium 240 Wall Oven recipes. I just had my kitchen redone and had this oven installed. We grilled a strip steak that turned out perfect, med. – rare. Can’t wait to try more recipes using it!!!
Hope you love it as much as we do!
Can you make this up ahead of time and bake later or will the rice soak up the juices?
You can certainly prepare the day before. 🙂
Stacey, I am absolutely thrilled to have found this post. We are remodeling our kitchen, and when it is done I will have the Advantium oven. I talked my husband into it, because it is pricey.
I’m sure that by following your recipes my learning curve won’t be as steep.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It’s really amazing what all you can do with it. Hop you enjoy it as much as we do.
I hate sour cream but this recipe looks awesome!! Can I omit it and use more soup? Thanks!
Sure, but it will change the flavor a bit.
You might try plain yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. I make casseroles for some extended family who, like you, dislike sour cream. I have found that plain yogurt is a good alternative in many recipes. Admittedly however, I have not tried it in this one.
That’s a good idea. 🙂
I made this tonight, and I must say that it is really good. I didn’t have any instant rice, and I had to use regular rice. I did chop up bell pepper and onion and sauteed it until almost soft. I did add over 2 cups of broth though because of the instant rice, and I didn’t drain the Ro*tel. If you don’t have instant rice, definitely cook the rice first and then add to the rest of the mixture before you bake. I will definitely make this again. Winner, winner Fajita Chicken Casserole Dinner!!! 😀
Awesome! So glad y’all enjoyed it!!
I am confused by your description, you say you added more broth and did not drain the rotel because you used regular rice instead of instant? But then you go on to say, if you do not have instant, cook your rice first? So did you add extra liquid because you used regular rice and if you cooked it first, why add extra liquid?
Since she used uncooked, regular rice she had to add additional liquid (broth) to accommodate the need to cook the rice but if you use already cooked (regular rice) the additional liquid (broth) won’t be necessary. Hope that helped…?
I plan to make tonight, think I might add some black beans for a little extra fiber…
I am such a sucker for cheesy dishes. This looks delicious! I’d love to grab a fork and dive in.
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
🙂
Have not tried this recipe but will soon. Was wondering if you’ve tried the recipe with Lawrey’s Chicken Fajita mix. It’s made by McCormicks and we love it. By far our favorite fajita mix.
I haven’t, but will certainly put it on my list!
I’m not able to copy and paste your recipe into a WORD document so I can then save it to my recipe files. When I try, it just doesn’t paste in the recipe, just the “read more…” part. I hate having to re-type recipes, especially when it usually is so easy to copy and paste.
Frustrating and disappointed in SSI.
Word doc printing. Find your receipt then open up word program and have ready. Go back to recipes and copy and paste. I have use this for a long time. Open Word copy recipe and paste.
That’s my method also – highlight the recipe, copy and then paste in WORD and then save to my file. Your recipe doesn’t allow me to highlight it. Even when I click over to print, it immediately wants to print the document and won’t allow me to highlight it for copying and pasting. Oh well, some work and some don’t. Thanks.
It’s actually a security feature to keep people from stealing content. The print method should work though. Even if the print dialogue pops up, just click cancel and you should be able to highlight from there.
Does anyone use Microsoft OneNote? It is a virtual binder, You are able to print any document to any section or page you want or have created; so no need to copy and paste!!! It also allows you to insert screenshots. I use it it at work and at home and i HIGHLY recommend using it as a recipe binder!!!
Click on the print button. When it opens in that print screen, click on the picture in there and see if it opens up bigger and then try to highlight it. It worked for me. Usually I just save to Pinterest though.
Thanks for the help, Susan! 🙂
Forgot to say that I am having no problem highlighting as normal though on my iPad.
So, do you think I could make this in the the Crock Pot Casserole Crock? Would there be enough liquid to get the rice done? I’m assuming you’re using Minute Rice, correct? It sounds really good!!!! Thank you!
Absolutely! Yes, there should be enough liquid for the rice. And yes, instant rice and Minute Rice are the same thing. I sure hop you enjoy it, Samantha!
How long would you cook it in the slow cooker casserole?
I would recommend 4 to 6 hours on low.
In my opinion it’s not the same thing. Only that they (yes) both rice, but not the same.(equal). Instant minute rice is faster to cook,less time, But, the regular rice takes longer. However, both equally good. Your Hispanic people probably would not think of using nothing but the traditional rice, not minute maid.
Actually, we were talking about minute rice and instant rice being the same thing, not traditional rice and minute rice being the same.
Sandy, minute maid is orange juice, not rice. And maybe you can be a little more racist in your response next time. I don’t think assuming all Hispanics use regular rice was QUITE ignorant enough
Stacey, I truly enjoy your recipes and I am so sorry to have to mention this, but my poor daughter-in-law moved to Alabama to be close to my grand-daughter who is enrolled in college there. She left her family and friends, bought a house, got a job and she is miserable and all alone. She is Mexican. Everyone loves Mexican food right? But no one loves her. She is treated with disdain; co-workers won’t even speak to her. She got another job and the same thing is happening. I’ve always heard of southern hospitality. What happened? She is a great cook and she is quite beautiful. I hope all readers of Stacey’s blog will pray for her and will be nice to everyone they encounter, no matter what nationality. It breaks my heart. Mexican food originated from Mexican people.
I dont feel she said anything racist, she just made a statement that Hispanic people mainly traditional type rice and not minute rice.
I made this tonight because I had leftover chicken from the weekend…it is amazing! I have to say I did add black beans to the recipe and it is great!
Yum! So glad it turned out great for you!
Did you use a whole can of black beans?
So to make this casserole did u cook chicken and shred before adding everything and how did u cook it
How did u make this in crock pot. Was it good
i would swear I just made this recipe with instructions for the instant por or ninja foodie. but I can’t remember the times? did you update it with those options by chance?
No, I’ve never had those cooking options.
What exactly is instant rice? Can you take a photo of the package it comes in? This sounds really good
No. Parboiled rice and instant rice are two different things. They require different cook times and different amounts of water.
If I were to use taco seasoning would this alter the taste a lot?
Probably not a whole lot.
Can I use uncle ben’s ready rice for this recipe?
If that’s the precooked stuff, yes you can. You’ll just want to reduce the amount of broth you use.
MINUTE RICE, in a red box, is our brand of minute rice around here.
5 minutes.
how much time does it take for regular rice? I used it instead of instant.
Just add 5 or 10 minutes.
wouldn’t you have to add extra liquid to use regular rice?
Yes, I’d add at least another cup of broth.
From the research I did for a post on rice, parboiled rice is NOT instant rice. It is merely a different way of processing white rice. https://www.roses2rainbows.com/2017/10/rice-brown-white-or-other.html
I have never left a comment before, but felt like I had to. Dinner is always a chore, tough to please everyone. Well, this was a huge hit! I substituted 3 cups of frozen riced cauliflower and used half the cheese. I did add a tiny bit of sofrito to make it a little more spicey. My teenage boys, who wouldn’t eat cauliflower if their lives depened on it, loved it, and didnt even know it was cauliflower. Definitely making a couple of these to have in the freezer. Thank you again.
I am so thrilled to hear y’all enjoyed this one, MJ! Thanks for the comment!
For substituting 3cup cauliflower rice instead of 2cup instant rice, do you need to reduce the broth used or alter the cooking time at all?
I’m going to have to give this a try. Looks real good.
Hope you’ll enjoy it!
Instant rice is akin to chopped cardboard… tasteless and dry
JAn, Minute Rice is “instant”. Uncle Ben’s is “parboiled’ and takes a little more time and liquid. I am sure there are other brands of each kind.
Just made this and it is awesome. Not soupy or juicy at all. Followed the recipe exactly (except used fresh vegs) and it turned out perfect. Threw more of the vegs in with a can of black beans and garlic, dinner was done! Thank you.
So glad this was a quick and easy meal for you and your family!