An easy chicken enchilada casserole that bakes in the oven for simple big batch meal prep and no-fuss cleanup.
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This chicken enchilada casserole is one of our favorite big batch dinners for three reasons: it’s easy, it’s healthy, and it’s great for when you’re eating on a budget. Not to mention it’s delicious – it tastes just like chicken enchiladas in a bowl! It’s the perfect recipe for your weekly meal prep, especially if you’re a sucker for Mexican food, because it easily makes enough food for you to enjoy all week long.
Oh, and it smells incredible. There’s nothing like the aroma of saucy, warm enchilada casserole wafting through your kitchen on a cold day!
What Is Chicken Enchilada Casserole?
Chicken enchilada casserole is like taking the filling out of traditional enchiladas and dumping it in a casserole dish. Essentially, you’re making chicken enchiladas without the tortillas! Which means more nutritious ingredients like protein-packed chicken and black beans and fiber-rich brown rice in each bite.
But it’s not really a chicken enchilada casserole without any tortillas at all. So for our recipe, we top the casserole with a single layer of flour tortillas. Just the right amount to give this casserole the flavor and texture of traditional enchiladas, with a little less effort!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole Ingredients
For this chicken enchilada dump casserole recipe, we took what is normally found in enchiladas and mixed it all together in a baking dish:
- Shredded chicken
- Brown rice
- Black beans
- White onion
- Jalapeno
- Diced green chiles
- Lime juice
- Flour tortillas
- Enchilada sauce
- Shredded cheese
You can use a rotisserie chicken to make this recipe super easy! Or, you can easily boil chicken breast and then shred it while the rice is cooking. We’ve included instructions on how to do this below and in the recipe card.
Canned beans, canned diced green chiles, and store-bought enchilada sauce also make this an easy big batch meal prep recipe. We love using fire-roasted diced green chiles for an extra punch of flavor in this casserole! You can also choose between mild, medium, or hot enchilada sauce, depending on if you like things spicy or not. We typically use the 365 brand medium enchilada sauce since it’s super flavorful but not too spicy.
How To Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Making oven baked chicken enchilada casserole is as easy as this: dump the ingredients in a casserole dish, then top with flour tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese and bake for 30 minutes!
You can easily prepare the shredded chicken and brown rice ahead of time, then stick these two ingredients in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble dinner. In the time it takes to steam the rice, you can also boil and shred the chicken breast. To prepare your own shredded chicken (instead of using a rotisserie chicken):
- Slice chicken breast into equal pieces, roughly the size of your palm
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil
- Add the chicken and boil for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through
- Drain and shred the chicken
Then, once you’re ready to assemble dinner, here’s how to turn your ingredients into a delicious and easy chicken enchilada casserole:
- Add beans, onion, jalapeno, green chiles, shredded chicken, and cooked brown rice to a 9×13 baking dish and stir to combine.
- Add lime juice, half of the enchilada sauce, and half of the cheese and stir to combine.
- Smooth the casserole into an even layer and flatten the top.
- Rip flour tortillas into triangles, then lay them across the top of the casserole.
- Top evenly with the remaining enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Optionally garnish this chicken enchilada casserole with chopped cilantro and serve hot with a side of tortilla chips and salsa!
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
Since this chicken enchilada casserole is so perfect for meal prep, you’re probably wondering how long it will last in the fridge and how to reheat it. The answer is as easy and straightforward as the recipe:
- You can store chicken enchilada casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
- Reheat single servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
This chicken enchilada casserole recipe is really one of the best big batch meals to eat all week! It’s easy to prepare and you can portion out single servings into microwave-safe containers. Store them in the fridge, and just grab and go when you need an easy work lunch or a quick dinner. Just don’t forget a fork!
Try our recipe for easy chicken enchilada casserole below and don’t forget to rate, comment, and share! We hope you love this meal prep staple – it’s certainly one of our new favorites. For more meal prep recipes, visit our index of big batch meals here.
Love this recipe? You may enjoy these recipes, too:
- Vegetarian Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Easy Baked Penne
To browse more of our latest recipes and seasonal dishes, visit our homepage here.
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Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup brown rice dry
- 15 oz canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 med white onion diced
- 2 med jalapenos diced
- 4 oz canned diced green chiles
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 6-inch flour tortillas
- 28 oz enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- Cilantro chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- First, prepare the chicken. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and slice chicken breast into pieces that are roughly the size of your palm. Boil until cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and shred chicken, then set aside.
- In the meantime, prepare the rice. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan, then stir in the rice. Cover and turn heat to low and steam until all the water has been absorbed and rice is fluffy, about 25 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add beans, onion, jalapeno, green chiles, shredded chicken, and cooked brown rice to a 9×13 baking dish and stir to combine.
- Add lime juice, 1 cup of the enchilada sauce, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese to the casserole dish. Stir gently to combine, then flatten into the dish and smooth the top of the casserole with the back of a spoon.
- Rip each tortilla into 8 equal triangles, then lay them in a single layer to cover the top of the casserole.
- Top the casserole with the remaining 1 cup of enchilada sauce, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is golden-brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
- Optionally garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, then serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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