Everything you love about a burrito in one simple dish, this chicken burrito casserole is the perfect weeknight meal! Filled with rice, shredded chicken, beans, and veggies, and topped with cheese, this recipe works well as a healthy lunch, dinner, or meal prep idea.
There is nothing like a one-pot meal that you can throw together, walk away, and let the oven do all of the work, and this chicken burrito casserole is exactly that! Not only is this dish incredibly easy to prepare (and I mean incredibly!), but it’s a well-balanced meal complete with carbohydrates, protein, and fat that works well for lunch and dinner alike. Packed full of rice, beans, and plenty of veggies, it’s a great meal prep idea, or a simple weeknight dinner idea that will leave you with leftovers for days to come.
This chicken burrito casserole calls for cooked chicken, so it’s the perfect dish to make with leftovers, or grab a whole roast chicken at the grocery store to save yourself some prep work!
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Chicken Burrito Casserole
Packed full of protein, fibre and veggies, this healthy chicken burrito casserole works well as a meal prep idea or simple weeknight dinner.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 55 minutes
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Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
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Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Category: Mains
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Cuisine: Gluten-Free
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Cuisine:Ingredients
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 1 cup dry long-grain white rice, basmati or jasmine
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen
- 14oz can black beans, strained and rinsed
- 450g cooked chicken, shredded (6 cups or 3 chicken breasts)
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 150 grams Monterey Jack or Havarti cheese, grated
- Cilantro, to serve
- Green onion, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. (If you don’t have cooked chicken, bake the chicken breasts in the oven for 25 minutes. Once cooked, place chicken on a cutting board and use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.)
- In a large baking dish (I used 9 x 13 inch), add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, rice, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano and salt and stir to combine.
- In a seperate bowl or measuring cup, combine chicken broth, tomato paste and olive oil and whisk until well combined.
- Transfer broth mixture to the baking dish and stir to combine with the rice mixture.
- Add chicken, black beans and corn to the baking dish and give it one final stir until everything is well incorporated.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil and then transfer to the oven to bake for 50-60 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Once complete, remove the baking dish from the oven, remove the aluminium foil, and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Return the baking dish to the oven for a final 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted and is slightly golden.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve with a sprinkle of fresh coriander and spring onion as desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 361 calories
- Sugar: 4 grams
- Fat: 11 grams
- Carbohydrates: 37 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 28 grams
How many calories does the recipe have
There are 361 calories per serving, all of the nutritional information is noted below the instructions. 🙂
I made this recipe exactly how it says to and it was delicious! The only problem is that it was more a soup than a casserole. Has this happened to anyone else?
Assuming the rice was raw and it was covered, it probably just needed a little more time in the oven. Exact oven temperature can vary from one oven to the next so, depending on your oven, it may require extra time to absorb all of the liquid.
I just made this for the first time and found it delishious but a little wet even though the rice was very well cooked. Next time I will add just a bit more raw rice. I think my jasmin rice doesn’t need quite so much liquid. Will definitely make again! Good recipe to drop off to a family or sick friend.
Absolutely perfect just as it stands. This is definitely a keeper!! Delicious.
★★★★★
So happy to hear it! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Can you substitute with cauliflower rice?
No, it will not work as it will affect the liquid ratio since cauliflower does not absorb water as rice does.
Hi, I have made numerous times and always a hit.
It has happened once but I had used a different size dish so I just had to put back into oven for longer and then it soaked up liquid.
Hope that helps.
Hi Stephanie, Can I make this in bread tin ?
No, it will not fit.
Greetings from Germany! This went down a storm with my teenage son! He ate 3 portions for dinner and finished the leftovers for breakfast!! Very quick and easy to prepare, nutritious and tasty! I used Basmati rice but next time it will be long grain. I wouldn’t use Jasmine, too sticky and mushy. Only thing I added were some chipotle flakes and I used turkey breast pieces that I light fried for a few minutes. Delicious! Thank you for a great recipe, I’m off to explore the rest of your recipes.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for sharing, I’m so happy you and the family enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Have you ever tried using quinoa instead of rice? Just wondering if it would work out ok.
I’m not sure, I’ve never tested it.
Is the rice cooked prior to combining the other ingredients or uncooked ?:)
It’s uncooked! You add it dry and it will cook in the oven.
I make this for my family quite often. Everyone enjoys it. ??
This was so easy to put together and tastes delicious. My entire family loved it! I have a couple picky eaters and they loved it! Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you and the family enjoyed it, thank you for the rating!
Could you sub brown rice with the same cooking time?
You’d likely need to extend the cooking time about 20 minutes. Although I have not tested it, I would not suggest it as it could potentially dry out the other ingredients.
Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
★★★★★
If I want to serve this OVER rice instead of putting in (some low carb folks in our fam), how should I adjust liquid?
Unfortunately, the recipe can not be adjusted that way since rice is the base of the dish.
I did this by doing half the liquid. It worked great. I don’t eat rice either so it worked perfect.
★★★★★
I made this tonight and it was pretty good. My husband liked the amount of corn and beans—not too much. I should have added an additional jalapeno or some Cayenne pepper to the mix prior to baking since we like it spicy, but bottled sauces sufficed for heat. I also had a few extra toppings available: avacado, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips; Otherwise the recipe was made as-in and I’ll definitely make it again.
★★★★
I made it exactly as written and it was great. Desiring a vegetarian version, I cut the chicken and added an extra cup of corn and a can of mixed beans also drained and rinsed. Also desiring to use my instapot, I cut the liquid to 3 cups. I cooked it on high pressure for 3 min and let rest for 10 min and then released the pressure. I stirred it, transferred it to the casserole pan, added cheese and finished it under the broiler. Turned out awesome.
Such great ideas and so happy it turned out! Sounds delicious.
Can this be frozen before baking?
I would not recommend freezing before baking, however, it can certainly be frozen once it’s cooked.
What temp and how long to cook after cooked/frozen?
To reheat after cooking, preheat the oven to 350°F, place your in an oven-proof casserole dish covered with foil, and heat a single portion for 10 minutes or an entire pie for 30-40 minutes until warmed through. To reheat from frozen, follow the same instructions but extend the cooking time to 60-90 minutes to ensure the entire casserole is completely warmed through.
Delicious! And so easy to make. Will certainly make it again.
★★★★★
Can this be made with minute rice instead
No, unfortunately, it can’t be made with minute rice. Since minute rice is pre-cooked and de-hydrated it will affect ingredient ratios, cooking times, and the liquid will not absorb, only long-grain rice will work.
Love this dish!! So flavourful. Great for a week night dinner, with lots of left overs.
★★★★★
Can you substitute ground beef instead of chicken?
I haven’t tested it but it should work!
Simple and delicious, and a perfect comfort meal – especially on a cold day!
★★★★★
My grandchildren love this recipe and it is so flavourful the adults like it too.
We have it as one of our staples.
★★★★★
My fave recipe I think! Top with plain yogurt, cilantro and hot sauce! The best, and a crowd pleaser!!
★★★★★
Looks do simple and basicslly in one dish
★★★★★
Every time we roast chicken I make 2 to make this! It is so filling and my teens love it!!!!I cook Stephanie Kays ‘s allergy pills!
★★★★★
Easy to make. Wonderful flavours. Good reheated next day. A regular in our meal rotation.
★★★★★
One of my first Stephanie Kay recipes that I made and the whole family loved it!
★★★★★
Really good!!! I have made it a couple of times and everyone loves it!
★★★★★
I’d love to make this as a crock pot meal. Think it can be done?
Hey Melanie! Unfortunately, no, I would not suggest making this dish in a crock pot.
Think this will work in the crock pot?
No, I would not recommend it.
I followed the recipe exactly as written but after 50 minutes it’s still a consistency fo a soup and the rice is hard. 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth is correct?
Hey Shelly! Yes, the 3 1/2 cups is correct. To confirm, what type of rice did you use? And did you cover the baking dish with aluminium foil in the oven?
Can I omit the beans and could I use chopped bell peppers in it’s place?
Yes, just be sure to add 1 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (and/or corn) to keep the ratios accurate.
Very tasty. Great flavors. There is only 2 of us so I split the recipe.
★★★★★
So happy to hear it, thanks for sharing!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! I made this for my extended family and they loved it. It is great for lunch leftovers too!!
★★★★★
Just made this for dinner tonight and my husband said “Wow, this tastes like it’s from a restaurant”. So happy I decided to make this, it’s nutritious and delicious!
★★★★★
Hey. I cooked this recipe with jasmine rice and after 50 minutes the consistency is of a soup. What can j do?
Assuming you used raw rice, depending on the exact temperature of your oven (interesting, it can actually vary from one to the next) it may simply need more time. Also, some raw chicken contains added water, so if you used raw chicken this may be contributing to the liquid. I would leave it covered for an additional 10-15 minutes and then check it again, or you can scoop out some of the extra liquid and return it to the oven until it’s absorbed.
I have to say I was skeptical as I do not have good success with casseroles that depend on cooking the rice in the pan with all ingredients, but this recipe was Awesome! It turned out well according to directions and was really tasty! I took another commenter’s advice and topped with fresh tomatoes, avocados, black olives, and served with crumbled tortillas chips. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Very tasty, healthy ingredients, but took much longer to cook the rice than was stated in the recipe. After 35 minutes it was still a soup, so increased the temperature to 375, and it still took over 45 minutes more. I’ll make this again, but plan ahead for the extra time. I served this with warmed flour tortillas and toppings (salsa, chilies, cheese, sour cream) so we could build our own burrito – worked out great! Oh, I’m cooking for little ones, so did not use the jalapeño in the casserole, but sliced some fresh for people to add at the table – my husband said he liked it better that way – “it tastes fresher”.
★★★★
Happy you enjoyed the recipe, Joy! Just to clarify, the recipe says to preheat the oven to 400°F and cook for 50-60 minutes, which will help with the texture and cooking time. 🙂
This was a delicious casserole and will be made again. Even my husband liked it minus jalapeño peppers and less chilli powder since he can’t handle spices. Followed the instructions and it cooked perfectly in 50 minutes. However I found it wasn’t clear on the oven temperature. I went through the comments and found one that clarified the temp. Other than that not one complaint-thanks so much.
★★★★★
This was very good and perfect for leftovers! I cut back on the chili powder and jalapeño so it wouldn’t be too spicy for my kids. At 60 minutes in it was still very soupy and the rice wasn’t cooked so I transferred it to my Dutch oven and cooked it until the liquid was absorbed, about 5 minutes. Then put it back into the oven to finish it. I’m wondering if the size of the casserole dish makes a difference? I used a 2.5 quart that was about 3” deep but maybe 9”x7” and it was filled to the top. Will try next time in a more shallow and longer dish.
★★★★★
This was SO good & easy to make. My whole family liked it. I did leave out the red pepper and jalepenos. I really liked the flavor that came out of the combination of cumin, garlic, oregano, chili powder, chicken broth and tomato paste. SO good. Will definitely make this again. 🙂
★★★★★
This was so good! I skipped the onion and jalapeno, used 2 tsp chili powder, 3 cups chicken broth, and Zatarain’s parboiled rice! It was perfectly cooked at 50 minutes, then 5 to melt the cheese! Great recipe!
★★★★★
Great recipe! Super easy to follow and tasted great! Made for two people, and we’re both already looking forward to the leftovers!
★★★★★
Followed recipe as written except for leaving in oven an extra 20 minutes because of extra liquid. Delicious, will keep in rotation.
★★★★★
Really like this recipe! Lots of yummy stuff in a casserole. Freeze the leftovers and have an easy dinner for another night. ?
★★★★★
Most of your ingredients are in cups or spoonfuls but I don’t know how to figure the grams on the cheese.
150 grams is roughly 1 cup of grated cheese!
I have made several times! It comes out perfect every time. Everyone I have it for just loves it. This is a true keeper, thank you for such a nutritious and great tasting recipe! So appreciate it!!
★★★★★
Thank you for sharing! I’m so happy everyone enjoys it. 🙂
Would love to make this but there is an ad blocking step 2 in the recipe.
Can you provide step 2 please?
Thanks!
Melissa
The remainder of the step in just below the ad. To confirm, it’s “In a large 2 or 3-quart baking dish, add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, rice, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano and salt and stir to combine.”
Hi!
How many servings does this make?
The nutrition information for the recipe is based on 8 servings, but you can make the portions as big or small as you like. 🙂
Adding this to the dinner rotation. I like the family will enjoy this.
Can you make this with raw chicken? Has anyine tried it with another protein, like grind handburg or steak?
You can certainly make it with another protein, such as turkey, pulled beef, ground beef, ground chicken, etc, however, it would need to be cooked before baking.
I’m trying this tonight, but just wondering how the chicken doesn’t get dried out cooking it ahead of time? Seems like it could just be cubed up and mixed in, since the dish takes so long to bake anyway. Has anyone tried this?
Absolutely delicious! I almost made it more into a taco casserole and added avocado, sour cream and salsa on top and woooowwww it was amazing!
★★★★★
First time making it and consistency was perfect. Next time would customize with little more spice but jalapeño is always a guess on spice level. Definitely a keeper recipe!
★★★★★
So happy you enjoyed it, and a little more spice is always a good idea. 🙂
soooo good. soooo easy. soooo tasy!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
OMG! This recipe is incredible. We topped it off with sour cream and avocado.
I put the bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion in my food processor so it was sooo incredibly easy. An instant staple in our household. Can’t wait to search your archive of recipes for more to try!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you liked it, thank you so much for sharing!
i only had instant rice so i used 1 cup and half of the liquid. Baked for 30 minutes covered. Turned out perfect!
★★★★★
So happy you liked it and thanks for sharing! 🙂
Yum! This looks tasty.
It’s a tasty one for sure!
We loved this so much!! I left out the corn but added kidney beans and used a jack/cheddar mix for the cheese. AMAZING!!! Thank you so much!!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you enjoyed it and I love the swaps and additions. Thank you so much for sharing!
Adding this to the menu plan for this week.
So fun, hope you enjoy it!
Delicious. Instead of all the seasonings and tomato paste, even the vegetables, I added 1/2 cup of my homemade red chili sauce. I guess I prefer a simpler “burrito” . Mine was wet as well but I prefer that over dry any day and that way leftovers are better too. I’ll be making this again. I love that everything goes in at once, except the cheese, so convenient. I also added some cotija because I had it. I’m going to try with other types of meet. After all I like different meats.
★★★★★
Sounds delicious, so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
We just made this recipe for dinner and it was delicious and simple! We did leave out the chili powder, cumin and oregano because we knew all the other ingredients would create enough flavor. It turned out absolutely delicious! We also had to use pepper jack cheese as the topper which added more flavor.
★★★★★
So happy you liked it, thank you for sharing! 🙂
I would love to make this recipe if I could use brown rice and change the cheese to mozzarella, for medical reasons I am on the MD (WOE). Thanks
In order to change the rice to brown rice, you will ned to extend the cooking time 10-20 minutes as brown rice takes longer to cook, and you could easily swap the cheese without adjustment. 🙂
This recipe was outstanding! So flavorful and simple to put together. I followed the recipe as written and wouldn’t change a thing. This is definitely going to be one of my go to meals for my family. Thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you liked it, thank you so much for sharing!
Making this tonight! So excited. Wondering if I can make ahead of time (assemble everything and then at dinner time, put it in the oven? Or will this affect the consistency of the rice?) Thanks so much!
Fun! I supposed you could assemble the majority of the ingredients, however, I would wait to add the chicken, tomato paste, olive oil, and broth until you’re ready to cook. Leaving it too long would affect the texture and potentially make the ingredients “mushy” before they are cooked.
From Australia here. I’m assuming chili powder in the US is not just powdered chilis as it is here? Two tablespoons seems a lot 🙂
Made this recipe last night, with a loss less chilli, and it is delicious. Will definitely make again. And Again.
★★★★★
Oh no! Yes, they are different things. “Chili powder” in North America is a seasoning blend of ground-dried chiles and other spices such as cumin, oregano, and paprika. The exact flavor and heat level will vary from blend to blend, and it’s definitely not as spicy as powdered chilis!
What temp is the casserole to be baked at? This recipe sounds fantastic but it need a little copy editing.
It’s noted in step 1 of the instructions; “Preheat oven to 400°F.”.
This recipe is so easy to make and so delicious! My whole family loved it.
★★★★★
I’m so happy the family enjoyed it, thanks for sharing!
So good. Perfect consistency. I added a little poblano pepper and no jalapeños. Next time I’m going to try a can of Rotel. It’s a lot for two so will try 1/2 recipe.
★★★★★
Love the swaps and the idea of adding Rotel! Happy you liked it and thanks for sharing. 🙂
New to this website and this is the first dish I tried. I found it to he a bit dry and wished it was a bit more “saucy”. I ate it the next day in a tortilla wrap with a little bit more cheese and some guacamole and it was fabulous. I would definitely make again.
★★★★
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, once fully cooked, it can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
This was so good, even the kids loved it. Made it with rotisserie chicken
★★★★★
Great idea to use rotisserie chicken! And so happy to hear it’s kid-approved. 🙂
I subbed quinoa for rice + used a rotisserie chicken (COSTCO has my fave!) + it was delish!
Because the rotisserie chicken is already so juicy, I cut the chicken stock measurement in half — also, because I am a cheese lover, I added a little extra cheese. Highly recommend putting your oven on a high broil (with the dish on the middle rack) for just 2 minutes of your final bake to get a great crust on the top of the casserole. YUM!
★★★★★
Love the swaps – so happy it turned out! And thanks for sharing, I’m happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
Love the flavor and ease of putting together. Followed the recipe except for using ground beef instead of chicken. I was hesitant because I’ve not had much luck with recipes cooking rice in the oven. Turned out perfect.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you liked it and love the swap of ground beef! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Made this with leftover pork roast in place of the chicken and it was delicious! Also added fresh squeezed lime just before eating. So good! Will definitely be making this again
★★★★★
Love the addition of lime juice, and happy you liked it! 🙂
This has quickly began a family favourite, it’s so easy to make and so tasty! I often use canned chicken, and that shortens the preparation time even more.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you and the family like it, and love the tip about using canned chicken – great idea! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Hi Stephanie,
I’m planning to make this casserole this weekend!
One little question:
When you say “dry rice”…do you mean uncooked? or uncooked and not rinsed? The instructions on my bag of basmati rice says to rinse before cooking…is that okay, or no?
Thanks!
Yes, uncooked rice! You can rinse if you’d like to, but you don’t need to.
Hmm, Gina from Skinnytaste recently posted her method for cooking rice. She doesn’t rinse her rice either. I’m going to stop bothering. If unrinsed rice is good enough for you gals, its good enough for me! 🙂
Thank you!