Cheesy Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole
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This Cheesy Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole is creamy, cheesy, and full of mild Tex-Mex flavor. Made with cooked chicken and rice, diced green chiles, peppers, sour cream, and plenty of cheese, it comes together quickly and bakes in about 30 minutes. You can even use canned chicken, which makes this a great pantry-friendly dinner.
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Easy Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole
My family has always loved recipes with green chiles. I personally prefer the flavor of green chiles over jalapeños because you get plenty of flavor without quite as much heat. I have several more green chile recipes here if you love them too.
This casserole is fairly mild as written, but you can easily add a diced jalapeño or use pepper jack cheese if you like things a little spicier.
I actually make a similar cheesy green chile rice casserole as a side dish for tacos or enchiladas. For today’s version, I doubled the rice mixture, added a generous amount of chicken, and turned it into an easy dinner casserole.
Why Make This Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole
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Quick to assemble – The chicken and rice are already cooked, so most of the prep is just sautéing the vegetables and stirring everything together.
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Mild, family-friendly flavor – Green chiles add lots of flavor without making the casserole overly spicy.
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Great for leftover chicken – Rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken works perfectly.
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Pantry-friendly: If you keep canned chicken, rice, canned green chiles, and shredded cheese on hand, this is one of those dinners you can usually pull together without a grocery-store run.
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Great leftovers – This casserole reheats really well and may be even better the next day.
Ingredients and Substitutions
One of the things I like about this casserole is that it is mostly made with ingredients I usually have on hand. If you keep canned chicken, rice, green chiles, and shredded cheese around, this is a great dinner for one of those days when you really need to go to the grocery store.
- Cooked rice: Use fully cooked white rice. Brown rice also works as long as it is already cooked. Leftover rice or microwave rice are both easy shortcuts.
- Cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken works great, but this is also a handy pantry meal if you keep canned chicken on hand. Just drain the canned chicken well before adding it to the casserole.
- Green chiles: Two small cans of diced green chiles add plenty of flavor without making the casserole overly spicy. I usually use mild green chiles, but you can use hot green chiles if you want more heat.
- Onion: I usually use a small yellow onion, but white onion works too.
- Bell pepper: I used a yellow bell pepper, but red, orange, or green bell pepper can be substituted.
- Sour cream: This adds creaminess to the casserole. You can substitute an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt, including non-fat plain Greek yogurt.
- Cheese: I like a combination of white cheddar and pepper jack, but Monterey Jack or a Mexican-blend shredded cheese works well too.
- Milk and egg: These help bind the casserole together as it bakes. I have not tested substitutions for either one, so I would use them as written.
- Seasonings: Cumin, cayenne, salt, and black pepper add the Tex-Mex flavor. If you like more heat, you can increase the cayenne a little.
Good to Know: Start With Cooked Chicken and Rice
Both the chicken and rice need to be fully cooked before you assemble the casserole. The 10-minute prep time assumes you already have cooked chicken and rice ready.
Rotisserie or canned chicken and leftover rice make this one especially quick. I will sometimes use Minute Rice from the microwave too.
How to Make Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole
1 Prep the dish and vegetables: Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 2½- to 3-quart casserole dish. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in olive oil until softened and beginning to brown.
2 Combine the casserole: Add the cooked rice, chicken, sautéed vegetables, green chiles, sour cream, 1½ cups of the cheese, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper to the casserole dish. Stir until well combined.
3 Check the seasoning: Taste the rice mixture before adding the egg and adjust the salt, pepper, or cayenne if needed.
4 Add the milk and egg: Whisk the milk and egg together in a small bowl. Pour it over the rice mixture and give everything a good stir so it is evenly distributed.
5 Top and bake: Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese (or more, if you like it extra cheesy) over the casserole and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Pro Tip:
Taste and adjust the seasoning before adding the milk and egg. That way you can safely add more salt, pepper, or cayenne if needed.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to start with fully cooked chicken and rice.
- Drain the green chiles well before adding them to the casserole.
- I like white cheddar and pepper jack together, but Monterey Jack works well too.
- If you prefer more chicken, you can increase the amount without changing the rest of the recipe.
- Canned chicken works well here too: Just drain it thoroughly before adding it to the casserole.
- A 2½- to 3-quart casserole dish is a good size for this amount of filling.
Variations
- Make it spicier: Add diced jalapeño, use pepper jack cheese, or increase the cayenne.
- Change the cheese: White cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or a combination all work well.
- Add more chicken: If you prefer a higher chicken-to-rice ratio, simply increase the cooked chicken.
What to Serve With Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole
This casserole is filling enough to serve on its own, but I usually like something fresh on the side. A simple green salad works well, or you could serve it with steamed vegetables, sliced avocado, tomatoes, or your favorite Tex-Mex toppings.
Storage Suggestions
Store leftover chicken and rice casserole covered in the refrigerator. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through. If the rice seems a little dry after refrigeration, I like to add a small spoonful of sour cream on top.
I have not personally tested freezing this casserole, so I can’t say for certain how the texture will hold up after freezing and thawing.
Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole FAQs
Is green chile chicken casserole spicy?
No, not especially. Canned diced green chiles are generally fairly mild, and the rice, chicken, sour cream, and cheese help balance the flavor. If you want more heat, add diced jalapeño, use pepper jack cheese, or add a little extra cayenne.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts for this casserole. Just dice or shred about 10 ounces of cooked chicken before adding it to the rice mixture.
Can I use canned chicken?
Yes. Canned chicken works well when you need an easy pantry shortcut. Drain it well before adding it to the casserole.
Do the chicken and rice need to be cooked first?
Yes. Both the chicken and rice should be fully cooked before assembling the casserole. The 10-minute prep time assumes those ingredients are already cooked and ready to use.
What size casserole dish should I use?
A 2½- to 3-quart casserole dish is a good size for this recipe. A larger dish will make the casserole shallower and it may heat through a little faster.
If you give this casserole a try, I’d love to hear what you think. Be sure to leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments.
More Recipes You Might Like
- 30 Minute Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Family Favorite White Chicken Chili
- Creamy Chicken and Noodles Skillet
- Easy Tex-Mex Pasta Bake
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Cheesy Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: oven
Description
Creamy, cheesy chicken and rice casserole made with green chiles, peppers, sour cream, and plenty of melted cheese. An easy family dinner with mild Tex-Mex flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles, well drained
- 10 ounces cooked chicken, diced or shredded
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups shredded cheese, divided (I like white cheddar and pepper jack; Monterey Jack is also delicious.) Use more cheese if you like it extra cheesy.
- 4 cups cooked rice
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 2 1/2- to 3-quart casserole dish with a small amount of the olive oil.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until softened and beginning to brown.
- Add the cooked rice, chicken, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, green chiles, sour cream, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and sautéed onion and bell pepper to the prepared casserole dish. Stir until well combined.
- Taste the rice mixture and adjust the salt, pepper, or cayenne if needed.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Pour over the rice mixture and stir thoroughly so the liquid is evenly distributed throughout the casserole.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese on top is melted and bubbly.
- Serve warm with an extra dollop of sour cream, if desired.
Notes
- The chicken and rice should both be fully cooked before assembling the casserole.
- The 10-minute prep time assumes you are starting with precooked chicken and rice. Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut.
- For more heat, add diced jalapeño or extra cayenne.
- You can increase the chicken if you prefer a higher chicken-to-rice ratio.
- Add extra shredded cheese on top if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 490
- Fat: 24
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Protein: 30
Do you have a family favorite casserole that can be put together in a flash? If so, share in the comments below!
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If I could give this recipe 10 stars, I would! It was absolutely delicious!
I made this as the recipe called for using canned chicken and a red bell pepper. It was very good. I figured up the calories and 1/8 of the casserole came to 300 calories with a dollop of sour cream. I did not count olive oil and I don’t have to count avocado slices which works out great for my Energized Health diet.
Could this dish be frozen before baking?
I have not tried it, but I dont see why not. I would think for best results you will want to bring it to room temp before baking, otherwise you may need o increase the cook time.
The end product was wonderful but the prep time and all the pans/bowls to wash took much longer than 10 minutes. cook chicken, cook rice, chop and cook onions and pepper, mix, then put in casserole. Lots of prep even if you don’t count washing all the bowls and pans.
The recipe calls for preccoked chicken and rice, so I did not cont that in the prep time. (Nor do I count wahing dishes) I’ll think a bit on whether I want to change that or not. (Maybe I wil ad it as a note in the note sectiom.)
Oh, my! This is so good! made this last night and everyone loved it. I used two packages of cauli rice from Costco. I cooked it first and squeezed out the water somewhat. I added an extra egg and used two cans of chicken. Perfect! I plan to make this often. We are trying to stay low carb but it would be great with a can of black beans.
Do you stir in/combine the milk/egg to the rice mixture or simply pour it over the top before adding the cheese? Thanks!
I give it a good stir so it is combined throughout the dish.
Good recipe, tasted great. I used pork loin. Great with Tostitos or cornbread.
Very Good, but I added sautéed Broccoli.
I tried it! It came out great!