Easy Chicken Taco Casserole (Dump-and-Bake!)

This creamy taco casserole comes together with 5 minutes of prep & no pre-cooking! Simplified with pre-cooked chicken (like rotisserie chicken), taco seasoning, and with no rice or tortillas, and without canned soup; it’s topped with crunchy chips & melty cheese for a simple, satisfying 30-minute dinner.

Now On Weekly Repeat: Chicken Taco Casserole

You know I love a good shortcut, and of course this easy weeknight dump-and-bake dinner has a ton of them. In order to speed up prep time, you only need to chop one red bell pepper (woo!). And I used simple pantry staples like canned black beans + canned corn to streamline things even more.

Of course, you can swap in any beans you have on hand, along with fresh or frozen-defrosted corn. And to shortcut the cooking time even more and make this a true dump-and-bake casserole, I like to use rotisserie chicken or my slow cooker chicken breast.

Okay, now, when it comes to ingredients, we’re spicing things up with fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel) and your favorite taco seasoning, both of which add the perfect amount of spice and allows you to adjust to your liking. Then cooling sour cream binds it all together along with shredded cheese, both of which makes it so we can make this chicken casserole without canned soup.

Last but not least, I chose to create this recipe without rice or tortillas, to really focus on the protein and veggies. But I still wanted to add those deliciously crispy corn chips on top for essential crunch & saltiness, just like my walking taco casserole. Note though that if you reheat this in the microwave, those chips might soften a bit. You can always add a sprinkle of fresh chips upon reheating if you’re looking for that good crunch.

Welcome to My Kitchen – Let’s Chicken Taco Bake Casserole!

Tips to Simplify Your New Go-To Chicken Casserole Dinner

• Use Pre-Cooking Chicken: I tested this with cubed sautéed chicken breast, and it came out bland; so precooked chicken is definitely the way to go.
• Keep it Creamy: I also tested this casserole with full-fat Greek yogurt which worked great, but low-fat yogurt separated and made everything watery, so sub low-fat yogurt at your own risk. 
• Crunchy Topping: Feel free to use whatever crunchy chips you like such as Doritos or Fritos – I usually go for lightly-salted corn chips.
• Make Ahead: This taco casserole makes ridiculously good leftovers, since it freezes well, if you want to batch-prep your meals.

5 stars (10 ratings)

Easy Chicken Taco Casserole (Dump-and-Bake!)

by Robyn Conley Downs

Servings: 6 servings

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

This creamy taco casserole comes together with 5 minutes of prep & no pre-cooking! Simplified with pre-cooked chicken (like rotisserie chicken), taco seasoning, and with no rice or tortillas; it’s topped with crunchy chips & melty cheese for a simple, satisfying 30-minute dinner.

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Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can of corn, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups fresh or frozen-defrosted corn)
• 1 (10 ounce) can of fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies (such as Rotel), drained
• 1 medium red bell pepper, small diced
• 2 Tablespoons mild taco seasoning
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups cooked chicken, such as from a rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), see notes
• 1 ¼ cups Mexican cheese blend, divided
• 2 cups crushed corn chips

Equipment

• Baking Dish

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease a large 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes with green chili, bell pepper, taco seasoning, salt, chicken, sour cream, and ¾ cup of the cheese, stirring until well combined.
• Smooth the mixture into an even layer, then top with the corn chips and remaining ½ cup cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 5-10 more minutes, until brown and bubbling.
• Let sit for 5-10 minutes to set, then serve with toppings if desired.

Notes

• Yogurt or Sour Cream: I tested this with both Greek yogurt and sour cream. Sour cream adds a creamy, rich texture; while Greek yogurt adds a bit of tang and a protein boost. I found non-fat yogurt separated, however, so I recommend 2% whole for best results.
• Drain Well: Drain the canned tomatoes and chiles well (as well as beans and corn), otherwise it’ll add too much liquid.
• Spicy or Mild: Use a mild or spicy taco seasoning, based on your preference. And be sure to test-taste it & add a little more salt if needed.
• Before Serving: Your casserole might look a little loose when it first comes out of the oven; just wait 5-10 minutes before slicing it so it can firm up.

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 393kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 719mg, Potassium: 284mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 890IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 251mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition disclaimer

Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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