Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole

Chicken enchilada rice casserole is a hearty, easy-to-make dish loaded with shredded chicken, cooked rice, black beans, and red enchilada sauce, all topped with melty cheese. Perfect for busy weeknights, this comforting casserole comes together in under an hour and is a great way to use up leftover chicken for a filling, family-friendly meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 472kcal

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup small diced yellow onion
¾ cup small diced red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ cup uncooked Jasmine rice, long grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth
19 ounces enchilada sauce, divided (1 cup to cook rice and remaining 1 ⅓ cups sauce to mix into the remaining ingredients)
3 cups pre-cooked and shredded chicken breast meat, see tips
15.5 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
15.25 ounces whole kernel yellow corn, drained
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar-jack cheese, Sargento brand
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
To a medium (3 quart) sauce pot with a tight fitting lid, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, yellow onion, red bell pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Add the rice, chicken broth and 1 cup enchilada sauce to the pot and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, stirring often to ensure the rice does not stick, then once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 20 minutes undisturbed or until the rice is tender and the liquid is fully absorbed.
Remove the lid from the pot and gently fluff the rice with a fork.
After transferring the cooked rice to a large bowl, add the remaining enchilada sauce (approximately 1 ⅓ cups), shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. Stir the mixture thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly coated and well-distributed. Then, transfer the mixture to the prepared 9x13 casserole dish and spread it out evenly.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9x13 casserole dish and spread the shredded sharp cheddar-jack cheese evenly over the surface.
Bake the chicken enchilada rice casserole for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Remove the casserole from the oven and garnish with a light sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro if desired before serving.

Notes

Jasmine rice was used to develop this recipe however, any long-grain white rice will work for this recipe.
You can substitute colby-jack cheese, pepper jack cheese or straight cheddar cheese or any combination of these cheeses in this recipe. I do suggest that you shred your own cheese from a block instead of buying the pre-shredded for best melting of the cheese on the casserole.
A large rotisserie chicken will typically yield 3 cups of shredded white and dark meat which works great for easy preparation of this recipe.
Alternatively, you can cook 1 ½ pounds (or 2-3 large) boneless skinless chicken breasts in the oven, boiled or in an instant pot according to the manufacturer's directions. Whatever method you choose to cook your chicken is fine as long as you are able to shred it to yield 3 cups for the recipe.

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