February 18, 2023
Review RecipeChicken Fajita Casserole
The perfect dinner meal cooked in one dish, this chicken fajita casserole will satisfy all of your Mexican food cravings.
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This chicken fajita casserole recipe is the perfect dinner dish for a busy night that is delicious and filling for the whole family. This Mexican-inspired casserole is baked in the oven and has tender chicken, melted gooey cheese, and loads of veggies for a guaranteed family favorite.
Chicken Fajita Casserole Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 2 pounds of chicken tenders
- 1 packet fajita seasoning mix (approximately 4 tablespoons), divided
- ½ green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ½-inch strips
- ½ red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ½-inch strips
- 1 medium onion, sliced into strips (approximately 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1½ cups shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- ¼ cup Mexican crumbling cheese (Cotija)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
CHICKEN: We loved the chicken tenders in this, but boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs would also work just as well. You could also make this recipe really easy by using leftover rotisserie chicken.
PEPPERS AND ONION: You can use any color of bell pepper that you prefer. The same goes for the onion, any color will be delicious! The amount of veggies included in your casserole is really up to you. You can add more, or less depending on your preference and maybe your audience!
CHEESE: Other cheeses or combinations of cheeses, such as cheddar cheese, Mexican blend, or mozzarella cheese can be used in your fajita casserole.
BEANS: This meal is really low carb, making it super healthy and diet-friendly. However, if you’d like to add some carbs to it, you could add beans and/or rice as a side dish with your casserole.
TORTILLAS: You could also scoop the chicken fajita bake into warmed tortillas. It’s delicious that way! I like to serve it as is with some fresh, crunchy lettuce, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream.
COTIJA CHEESE: If you can’t find the traditional Mexican cheese at your local grocery store, you can substitute parmesan cheese or feta cheese instead.
How To Make This Chicken Fajita Casserole Recipe
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
You can assemble this dish the day before and then bake it before serving.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
STEP TWO: Lay the chicken tenders in the pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the fajita seasoning on the chicken. Then, bake the chicken for 20 minutes, or until it is completely done. Drain the drippings and cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Set both the pan and the chicken aside.
PRO TIP:
While the chicken is baking for 20 minutes in the oven, you can work on steps 3 through 5.
STEP THREE: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green and red bell peppers and onion and sauté for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions have begun to caramelize. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set them aside in a small bowl.
STEP FOUR: In the same large skillet used in Step 3, melt the butter over medium heat. Add cream cheese and melt, stirring often, so that it does not burn.
STEP FIVE: Add the remaining fajita seasoning and ½ cup Monterey jack cheese. Stir until the Colby Monterey Jack cheese is melted. Remove the skillet from the heat.
STEP SIX: Add the chicken and vegetables to the skillet and combine with the creamy cheese sauce. Spread the mixture into the 9×13 pan.
STEP SEVEN: Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted.
STEP EIGHT: Garnish if desired with the crumbling cheese and cilantro on the top.
How To Serve
Be sure to complete either of these meals with this delicious Mexican corn salad or this Spanish rice on the side of your plate. For those wishing to add carbs to this meal, red beans and rice could be served with the casserole. The casserole can also be scooped into warmed tortillas.
If you like our chicken fajita casserole recipe, then you will love this layered taco salad and this Mexican casserole.
MORE MEXICAN DISH RECIPES
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Leftover fajita chicken casserole should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s a great dish for reheating on a busy weeknight. Just pop it in the microwave.
MAKE AHEAD: You can also make your casserole ahead of time. Just assemble the dish and place it in the fridge, covered, until you’re ready to bake. It can stay in the fridge for 1-2 days like this. When ready, just follow the baking instructions above. You may have to add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time for the chilled dish, keep an eye on the cheese to tell you when it’s done.
Chicken fajita casserole is an easy, Mexican-inspired dish that makes for a healthy and delicious dinner. Serve it as is to keep it low carb and diet friendly, or add rice and tortillas. Either way, it’s delicious. This is one of my family’s favorite baked casseroles!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use taco seasoning for the fajita seasoning?
While they use many similar ingredients, taco seasoning has more chili powder and oregano than fajita seasoning while fajita seasoning has more cumin. In a pinch, taco seasoning could be substituted.
Can I use homemade fajita seasoning?
If you have a preferred recipe for fajita seasoning you certainly can use it!
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
This casserole is a great dish to make the day before and store in the fridge until you are ready to pop it in the oven.
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- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
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- Pull Apart Pigs in a Blanket
- Sheet Pan Fajitas
- Dill Pickle Dip
- Chicken Tenders
- One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta
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- 30 Minute Chicken Chimichanga
Chicken Fajita Casserole
The perfect dinner meal cooked in one dish, this chicken fajita casserole will satisfy all of your Mexican food cravings.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenders
- 1 packet fajita seasoning (approximately 4 tablespoons), divided
- ½ green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ½-inch strips
- ½ red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ½-inch strips
- 1 medium onion, sliced into strips (approximately 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1½ cups shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- ¼ cup Mexican crumbling cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- Lay chicken tenders in the pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the fajita seasoning on the chicken. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes, or until done. Drain the drippings. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Set both the pan and chicken aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and onion and saute for 8 to 10 minutes. The onions will begin to caramelize. Remove vegetables from the skillet and set them aside.
- In the same large skillet used in Step 3, melt the butter over medium heat. Add cream cheese and melt, stirring often so it does not burn.
- Add remaining fajita seasoning and ½ cup Colby Monterey jack cheese. Stir until Colby Monterey Jack cheese is melted. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Add the chicken and vegetables to the skillet and combine with the cream cheese mixture. Spread the mixture into the 9×13 pan..
- Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake 5 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.
- Garnish if desired with the crumbling cheese and cilantro on top.
Video
Notes
- You can assemble this dish the day before and then bake it before serving.
- While the chicken is baking for 20 minutes in the oven, you can work on steps 3 through 5.
Nutrition
Calories: 796kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 65g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 1529mg | Potassium: 1090mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2880IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 459mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Gloria says
A new family favorite for dinner! Easy to make and has great flavor.
Janice says
This was very good and easy. I also added a poblano pepper to the pepper mix. I served with flour tortillas.
Stephanie Bachman says
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Stephanie – we haven’t tested it like that so I’m sure it could be an option but I don’t have recipe specifics. Let me know if you try it out!