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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Mexican

    Healthy Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

    Published: May 6, 2019 · Modified: Mar 24, 2020 by Susie Weinrich · This post may contain affiliate links. 10 Comments

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    A Healthy Mexican Chicken Casserole that is full of lean protein, plenty of veggies, and tons of flavor! Not only is this Mexican dinner delicious, it is an all-in-one dinner recipe, everything is cooked together in one pan- including the rice. 

    Healthy Mexican Casserole in a glass baking dish topped with queso fresco and limes

    Every layer of this dish is seasoned with the delicious flavors of Mexican cuisine. The base of this casserole, the rice, is herbed with cilantro, and then cooks in the enchilada sauce for an added layer of flavor. The chicken is seasoned with chili powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Then the veggies are tossed in a delicious chili lime vinaigrette, giving it a bright and fresh note. The queso fresco, added at the end, imparts just the right amount of salty cheesiness. Every bite will be full of bright flavor.

    Mexican Chicken and Rice on a plate garnished with limes

    Tips for Making Mexican Casserole

    Since this is an all-in-one dinner recipe, there are a few tips I want to share make sure your Mexican casserole turns out perfectly:

    • Use the store-bought red enchilada sauce that you love! I happen to love Target’s Market Pantry Mild Red Enchilada Sauce because it has the perfect vinegar tang that I love. But any red enchilada sauce will do.
    • Cover your casserole pan tightly with foil. You cannot skip this step, it is what allows the rice to cook. If you do not have foil- either go to the store or make another recipe, like this veggie enchilada recipe, it has a lot of the same ingredients but doesn’t need foil to bake.
    • Let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. You may notice there will be a little extra liquid in the pan when it is done cooking. It will absorb and thicken as it sits.   
    Chili Lime Vinaigrette for the veggies

    What Rice to Use in your Casserole

    A lot of casseroles call for the rice to be cooked before you assemble. I am not interested in pre-cooking rice before I even start making dinner!! So for this recipe the rice will cook right in the casserole dish along with the veggies and chicken.

    bowl full of zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and black beans for a healthy mexican casserole

    It is SUPER important that you get the correct rice for this casserole! You will want to look for a rice that is parboiled, like Minute Rice, meaning that it is already half cooked. (This recipe was tested using Uncle Ben’s Parboiled White Rice and Minute Parboiled Brown Rice) It will be near the regular dry rice in the grocery store. It will say “parboiled” specifically on the package ingredients. Instructions for white or brown parboiled rice are included below.

    Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

    By using parboiled rice it is able to cook alongside the chicken and veggies without any component over cooking.   

    Note: I have not tested this recipe with regular dry rice, the instructions are only for parboiled rice.

    Chicken Enchiladas

    If you are not looking for a casserole, but instead want true enchiladas, you can check out these recipes too:

    • My Favorite Chicken Enchiladas
    • Creamy Verde Chicken Enchiladas
    • Veggie Enchiladas with Chili Lime Crema
    • Enchilada Zucchini Boats

    Healthy Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe


    Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

    Healthy Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

    A healthier version of Mexican Chicken Casserole. This dish is packed with veggies and lean protein, covered in a delicious enchilada sauce. Garnish with some queso fresco and cilantro for a perfect Mexican dinner!  
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    resting time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 4 people
    Author: Susie Weinrich

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup par-boiled (minute) white or brown rice This recipe is written for par-boiled rice!! standard dry rice will not cook the same!! (tested with Uncle Ben’s White Parboiled Rice, and Minute Brown Rice)
    • 1 T cilantro, chopped
    • 2 fresh, boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise giving you 4 thin chicken breasts
    • season chicken with: chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper
    • 1 10 oz can red enchilada sauce divided
    • 1 cup **chicken broth (optional, can use water instead)
    • 1 cup fresh bell pepper, diced any color
    • ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
    • ½ cup frozen corn
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved about 15-20
    • 1 cup (heaping) fresh zucchini, ½-1 inch dice
    • 4 green onions, white and light green parts chopped
    • ½ small jalapeno, diced **optional can use more if you like the heat!
    • Queso Fresco crumbled

    Lime Vinaigrette

    • 1 T Olive Oil
    • zest of 1 lime
    • 2 T fresh lime juice (1-2 limes depending on size)
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • ½ tsp kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon chili powder

    Garnishes

    • lime wedges, extra cilantro, guacamole, or fresh diced avocado
    Prevent your screen from going dark while you are cooking!

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
    • In a large bowl mix together the peppers, beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, green onions, and jalapenos. Set aside.
    • Whisk together all the ingredients for the lime vinaigrette and pour over the veggie mixture. Set aside.
    • In a 9×13 glass baking dish pour the par-boiled dry rice evenly over the bottom, sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Lay the seasoned chicken breasts over the rice. Mix 1 cup of the red enchilada sauce with 1 cup chicken broth (or water). Pour that around the chicken into the rice, then shake the pan or shimmy the chicken a little to get the liquid to all the rice. 
    • Pour the seasoned veggie mixture over the top of the chicken and pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the veggies. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
      ((NOTE: YOU MUST cover the pan with foil or your rice will not cook through!! This step is not optional)) 
      Remove the foil and bake for additional time- 10 minutes if using white rice or an additional 15 minutes if using brown rice, until the liquid is absorbed into the rice and the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165 degree internal temp.
    • Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving. 
      Crumble Queso Fresco over the top of the chicken and veggies.
      Serve this Healthy Mexican Casserole garnished with cilantro, lime wedges, or guacamole!  
    Did you try this recipe? Connect with me & let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
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    If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.

    If you like this Mexican recipe, you might like these too:

    • How to Make Jalapeno Tequila
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    • Making silver jalapeno tequila at home in a glass jar, jose cuervo silver tequila and a bowl of jalapenos
    • two chicken tacos in flour tortillas
    • citrus herb glaze being poured over fresh cut pineapple
    • No Churn Key Lime Cookies and Cream Ice Cream momsdinner.net

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    About Susie Weinrich

    Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lori Erhart

      January 15, 2023 at 1:20 pm

      I did make this recipe to take to a family get-together. It was well received. A great healthy option with a powerful punch of flavor.

      Reply
    2. Kathy

      August 24, 2020 at 6:48 pm

      5 stars
      Fabulous and so fresh and tasty. Topped it with a new Queso dip I just got at Costco. Really good.

      Reply
    3. Carla

      October 29, 2019 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Loved the freshness of the veggies and vinaigrette. I added some avocado on top. I’ll definitely make again. Thank you for a wonderful healthy recipe.

      Reply
      • Susie

        October 30, 2019 at 6:35 am

        I’m so glad you love it!!! Thank you for commenting and rating the recipe.

        Reply
    4. Jo Thrasher • Jo Eats

      June 04, 2019 at 4:39 pm

      5 stars
      Lady, this looks absolutely divine for summer!

      Reply
      • Susie

        June 05, 2019 at 8:20 am

        Thank you!!!! It is definitely fresh and delish. It will be great for using up summer squash.

        Reply
      • Lindsey

        January 13, 2022 at 3:43 pm

        Hi! Just came across this recipe. Was wondering if once cooked you shred the chicken and place back in the casserole dish or do you leave it whole and grab the entire slab of chicken with the veggies? Not sure it matters but figured I’d ask how it was intended to be hehe.

        Reply
        • Susie Weinrich

          January 14, 2022 at 8:56 am

          I just kept the chicken breasts whole, but shredding the chicken would be really good too!

    5. John

      May 13, 2019 at 11:46 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! It tastes good and is healthy! A win win!!

      Reply
    6. Tawnie Kroll

      May 10, 2019 at 1:00 pm

      5 stars
      That lime vinaigrette is delicious!! Thanks for another delicious recipe!

      Reply

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