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Fajita Chicken Casserole

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This Fajita Chicken Casserole is our new favorite recipe! It's got amazing flavor and is so easy to make. Chicken, cheese, veggies, rice and a delectable sauce combine for absolute perfection!

I absolutely can’t wait for y’all to try this recipe.  Seriously.  I just know y’all are going to love it.  It really packs a punch of flavor and my family just went crazy over it.  It’s based on a Mexican Chicken Casserole I’ve been making for years that I shared over on Southern Plate a few years ago.  This one twists things around a little and adds a packet of fajita seasoning mix for some truly amazing flavor. 

The best part is it’s got your veggies, protein, and starch all right in there so you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes and only have a bowl and a dish to wash – well, that is if you use paper plates, but I digress…  🙂

This Fajita Chicken Casserole is our new favorite recipe! It's got amazing flavor and is so easy to make. Chicken, cheese, veggies, rice and a delectable sauce combine for absolute perfection!Now, I told y’all about this amazing piece of equipment – the GE Advantium 240 Wall Oven – a few months back.  Well, trust me when I say that my love for this appliance has only grown.  So I wanted to show you again just how quickly it can get supper on the table.  Now, I’ve given you both my Advantium and my standard oven versions below. 

You’ll see that the Advantium recipe cooks in about half the time of the standard oven.  Half the time!  That’s because the Advantium is a speed cook oven.  It combines convection, microwave, ceramic heat, and halogen bulbs to cook things in a flash.  The best part is you don’t sacrifice quality, flavor, or texture.

This Fajita Chicken Casserole is our new favorite recipe! It's got amazing flavor and is so easy to make. Chicken, cheese, veggies, rice and a delectable sauce combine for absolute perfection!Let’s get to cooking!  So, here are a few notes about this recipe.  Because of the short cooking time (in both methods) I’ve opted for frozen bell peppers and onions.  They cook through faster and offer a softer texture than fresh.  If you’re feeling adventurous, you can chop your own onions and peppers and saute them in a super hot skillet before mixing the casserole together for even more flavor. 

Let’s also chat about our seasoning here.  There are tons of fajita seasoning packets out there.  Feel free to use your favorite.  I’ve tasted a bunch of them and this McCormick version is my absolute favorite.  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.  This recipe also calls for a can of diced tomatoes with chilies.  I used the mild version here, but if you like heat – go for your favorite heat level.


This Fajita Chicken Casserole is our new favorite recipe! It's got amazing flavor and is so easy to make. Chicken, cheese, veggies, rice and a delectable sauce combine for absolute perfection!

Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Fajita Chicken Casserole - Standard Oven Directions

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 3 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 (like Ro*Tel), undrained
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (1.12-ounce) packet fajita seasoning ( I prefer McCormick)
  • 1 (8-ounce) shredded Mexican blend cheese ( about 2 cups)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13 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.
Making This Recipe?Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernBite using the hashtag #SouthernBite, so I can see what you're making in the kitchen!

Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Fajita Chicken Casserole - Advantium 240 Wall Oven Version

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 3 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 (like Ro*Tel), undrained
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (1.12-ounce) packet fajita seasoning ( I prefer McCormick)
  • 1 (8-ounce) shredded Mexican blend cheese (about 2 cups)

Instructions

  • Lightly spray a 9x13" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, uncooked rice, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, frozen onion and bell pepper, tomatoes with chilies, chicken broth, fajita seasoning, and about half of the cheese. Mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and spread it evenly. Place the dish in the Advantium on the metal tray and cook for 15 minutes on these settings: U=4 L=10 M=7 C=10. Remove from the oven the oven with 2 minutes remaining and add the remaining cheese, finish cooking.
Making This Recipe?Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernBite using the hashtag #SouthernBite, so I can see what you're making in the kitchen!
While the Advantium oven was provided by the amazing folks at GE, the opinions expressed here in are my own.  A positive review can never be bought.  I just really love this thing!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. 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!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

      • 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.

        Reply

        • Actually, we were talking about minute rice and instant rice being the same thing, not traditional rice and minute rice being the same.

          Reply

        • 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

          Reply

  3. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

      • 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.

        Reply

        • 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.

          Reply

          • 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.

      Reply

  4. 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.

    Reply

  6. 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!!! 😀

    Reply

    • 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?

      Reply

      • 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…

        Reply

  8. 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.

    Reply

  10. 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!!!

    Reply

  11. 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!!

    Reply

  13. 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 😉

    Reply

  17. 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!

    Reply

  18. 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. 🙂

    Reply

  21. 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

    Reply

  25. 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

    Reply

  27. 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. 🙂

    Reply

  28. 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.

    Reply

  29. 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!

    Reply

  33. 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.

    Reply

  35. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  39. 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.

    Reply

  40. 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!!!

    Reply

  42. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  43. 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!

    Reply

  44. 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?

    Reply

  46. 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.

    Reply

  48. Packed full of flavor! I added a can of drained corn and garnished with fresh cilantro- delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  49. 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 🙂

    Reply

  54. 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!

    Reply

  56. 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.

    Reply

  57. 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}

    Reply

  58. This was a great dish! My family absolutely LOVED it!!! I will be putting this in my rotation. Thank you so much!!!!!

    Reply

  59. 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?

    Reply

  60. 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!!!

    Reply

    • 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.”

      Reply

  64. 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!

    Reply

  65. 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!

    Reply

  69. 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

    Reply

  70. 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?

    Reply

  72. 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!

    Reply

  73. Do you think this recipe would freeze well for a “freezer meal”? If so, would you cook it first or not?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  74. 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.

    Reply

  76. 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?

    Reply

  77. 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!

    Reply

  78. 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

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  81. 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?

    Reply

  82. 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.

    Reply

  85. 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.

    Reply

  86. 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!

    Reply

  87. MY Attempt had too much liquid when first cooked. SAT in fridge overnight, was fine the second day and even better the third.

    Reply

  89. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  90. Could you make this in the morning and then just keep it in fridge until you are ready to put it in the oven?

    Reply

  91. 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

    Reply

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