Chicken Fajita Casserole
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Our Chicken Fajita Casserole recipe makes a high protein meal with south-of-the-border flavors. The best part? It’s a quick and delicious one-pot dinner!
If you’re looking for a comfort food casserole with the delicious flavors of fajitas but not as many calories or fat, look no further!
There are loads of reasons to make our chicken fajita casserole. First, everything cooks in one pot, meaning fewer dishes and less clean-up for you!
This healthy dinner recipe packs in 40g of protein per serving, and it has all of the elements of traditional chicken fajitas. So, it’s both nutritious and satisfying.
Chicken Fajita Casserole is a staple in our weeknight dinner rotation, and I think you’re going to love it, too!
Liz’s tips for Chicken fajita casserole
- Use an oven-safe pot. You’ll start cooking the meal on the stovetop, but it finishes in the oven. You’ll save a lot of time (and dishes) by using a Dutch oven or other heat-safe pot or pan.
- Customize your spice level: If you don’t like spice, omit the jalapeno; conversely, if you really like a spicy dinner, add a little extra!
- Shred the cheese yourself. The flavor is much better than pre-shredded cheese, and it melts better, too.
Want other Mexican-inspired recipes that are just easy to make? Check out our recipes for crock pot chicken fajitas and Mexican chicken casserole!
Ingredients
You don’t need any special ingredients to make this recipe, so grab your shopping list and add these items to it:
Notes and Substitutions
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts can be substituted with boneless skinless chicken tenders or chicken thighs.
Cooked or Par-Cooked Brown Rice: Using frozen cooked brown rice will shave quite a bit of time off of your dinner prep. It’s typically stocked in the freezer section at grocery stores, and I usually get mine from Walmart or Trader Joe’s. Do not use dry (uncooked) rice products, and do not substitute the brown rice with white rice.
Brown rice has more texture and fiber, so it’s a bit healthier than white rice. Frozen rice works best here, but the packages of microwaveable rice found in the dry goods aisle will also work. Important—don’t cook the rice! Take it straight from the bag and add it to the pan. We haven’t tried using quinoa or any other grain in this recipe, so we don’t know whether or not it will work.
Jalapeño – Jalapeño is optional; omit it for less spicy heat.
Taco Seasoning– I recommend making your own taco seasoning because it has less sodium than store-bought seasoning. But, store bought taco seasoning is fine to use.
Cheese – Mexican, cheddar, and pepper jack cheese all work well in this recipe. To reduce the fat in your chicken fajita casserole, you can omit the cheese.
Garlic: If you don’t have fresh minced garlic, substitute with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
Onion: If you don’t have fresh onion, substitute with 1 teaspoon onion powder.
How to make chicken fajita casserole
This is just a summary of the steps involved in making the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions, or click on the Jump to Recipe button, below.
- Season and cook the chicken for a couple of minutes per side. Remove it and set it aside.
- Sauté the vegetables and garlic. To prevent the garlic from burning, wait until the onions are translucent before adding it.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the frozen brown rice, Greek yogurt, half of the cheese, and the seasonings.
- Add the chicken back to the pot. Cover with foil and bake until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165° F. in the center.
- Uncover and add the rest of the shredded cheese. Set the chicken fajita casserole under the broiler of your oven until the cheese melts and is starting to crisp.
We love this instant-read thermometer for checking the internal temperature to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly!
serving Suggestions
Honestly, this chicken casserole is great on its own. It’s a complete meal with protein, healthy fats, and carbs. It can be eaten as-is, or in whole wheat tortillas or with tortilla chips.
Of course, you can add toppings, too! Diced red onion, fresh cilantro, guacamole and/or avocado slices are nutritious choices. We also like to add either Pineapple Mango Salsa or Corn Salsa) as well.
You could also add a dollop of sour cream and enjoy with a Skinny Margarita or Cucumber Vodka Cocktail with Lemonade.
storage
Refrigerator: Pop it into an airtight container and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: You can freeze this casserole if you want, but we do not recommend it. We’ve found it can get a little mushy after it thaws.
Reheating: You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a 350°F. oven until the center is warmed through
Other healthy casserole recipes
We love healthy casseroles! Here are some of our favorites:
Chicken Fajita Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3-4 breasts depending on size ) pound to even thickness. Should be no more than 1.5 inches thick
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning divided 2.5 for chicken and ½ tbsp, for rice mixture
- 1 cup bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon jalapeño deseeded & minced- OPTIONAL
- 3 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup nonfat greek yogurt
- ½ cup Mexican blend cheese or cheddar, divided
- 16 ounces frozen brown rice-uncooked
Instructions
- Note: You want to use a pan you can transfer to the oven (stainless steel, cast iron , or a cast iron enamel braising pot are all great. Do not use Teflon or anything with a plastic handle).
- Spray a pan with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Season the outside of the chicken with 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning.
- When the pan is hot, brown the chicken on each side for about 2 minutes per side. When it’s brown on each side, remove it and set aside on a plate.
- Add in the onion, pepper, garlic, and jalapeño to the pan. Sauté for 2 minutes or until translucent.
- Move the pan off the heat and add in the frozen brown rice, Greek yogurt, ¼ cup cheese, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir together then place the chicken breasts on top.
- Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 25-27 minutes or until the chicken is 165 in the center.
- Remove the foil and add the remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese is melted and starting to crisp.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, garnish with fresh pico and avocado and serve.
Video
Notes
- Use an oven-safe pot. You’ll start cooking the meal on the stovetop, but it finishes in the oven. You’ll save a lot of time (and dishes) by using a Dutch oven or other heat-safe pot or pan.
- Customize your spice level: If you don’t like spice, omit the jalapeno; conversely, if you really like a spicy dinner, add a little extra!
- Shred the cheese yourself. The flavor is much better than pre-shredded cheese, and it melts better, too.
Nutrition Facts
Important Note: This is not an authentic Mexican recipe. My goal is always to share recipes that are a bit healthier and made with affordable, accessible ingredients so everyone can enjoy them regardless of their food allergies or dietary restrictions.
Can we simply omit the rice as I don’t typically eat rice. I would prefer to use some quinoa or cauliflower rice.
I’m sorry, but I’ve only made this recipe with rice. Cauliflower rice will not absorb the broth, and definitely will not work. Quinoa might, but without trying it, I can’t be sure.
Quick and easy recipe with incredible flavors! I substituted cauliflower rice for the brown rice. Everyone loved it!
this was so simple to put together and yet tasted like i had spent hours preparing it. I doubled the chicken because of my 21 yr old son – I wanted to make sure I got some. Used dairy free Daiya cheese and 90 min brown rice. Topped with fresh salsa.
Looks delicious! If a Dutch oven is used, should you use the Dutch oven lid instead of the aluminum foil?
Yes. Either one works 🙂 You just need to cover it!
This Recipe is so delicious! Highly recommend and made as is!
I used left over cooked chicken, therefore didn’t need to bake.
I also used 1 tblsp less of taco seasoning….still spicy enough for me (I’m a lightweight spice person).
Very yummy!! We all loved it!!
Recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning. It said to put 2 tablespoons on chicken and 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning in with the yogurt mixture that goes into rice. Where does the other half tablespoon go? Is there a mistake in recipe?
Sorry for the confusion there was a typo. 2 tablespoons goes on chicken, 1 tablespoon goes in the rice! Just updated it
I’m not familiar with frozen brown rice. Is it already cooked? Could you use instant brown rice instead or regular brown rice.
All of our blog posts have a green substitutions section. Pasting the info about the rice here: You can find frozen brown rice in the freezer section at most grocery stores. I usually get mine from Walmart or Trader Joe’s. Do not use dry rice products. Do not use white rice. The brown rice holds texture. Frozen rice works best here, but you can also use the 90 second bags of rice in the dry goods aisle if you can’t find them. Just don’t cook them first. Take them straight from the bag and add them to the pan. We haven’t tried quinoa or any other grain in this recipe so I don’t know how it will work.
We have a dairy allergy in our home. I have a hard time finding a cheese for Mexican dishes. Mykonos works great for Italian dishes. Do you have anything you recommend to make this dairy free?
I haven’t tried making this dairy free! If you’d like to try dairy free yogurt and cheese feel free and let me know how it comes out! or if you just skip the dairy I’m sure it would also be fine. good luck 🙂
I use Daiya cheese- non dairy and love it! I use it in all recipes.
Love this recipe – made it over the summer and it was great! Could you do all the steps for this recipe except the baking a day ahead and bake the next day?
I wouldn’t recommend it, think the rice would get a funny texture. You could maybe sear the chicken/saute the veggies ahead of time, but I think you’re better off to bake it and reheat it when ready to serve
Super tasty and easy to make! Used frozen bell pepper, onions and tossed in some frozen corn and black beans. Also, used the frozen rice medley from Trader Joe’s and it came out wonderful!
This was delicious!!! I couldn’t find frozen brown rice (only had time to check Aldi) but used a 90 second quinoa/brown rice mix like the substitutions suggested. It was so good! I can’t stand Greek yogurt and was a little nervous about using it, but happy to report I couldn’t taste it at all!! My husband was a huge fan, too. Adding it to our meal rotations- thank you!
can I used chicken thighs instead of breasts? What brand of organic taco seasoning do you prefer?
can I use quinoa instead of brown rice?
Please read our substitution section.
Rice Substitutions: You can find frozen brown rice in the freezer section at most grocery stores. I usually get mine from Walmart or Trader Joe’s. Do not use dry rice products. Do not use white rice. The brown rice holds texture. Frozen rice works best here, but you can also use the 90 second bags of rice in the dry goods aisle if you can’t find them. Just don’t cook them first. Take them straight from the bag and add them to the pan.
Chicken Substitutions: Chicken breasts can be subbed with chicken thighs or chicken tenders
can I use quinoa instead of brown rice?
Ethel Sweed
We haven’t tried quinoa or any other grain in this recipe so I don’t know how it will work.
This recipe was so easy, not too many ingredients and delicious! My husband, who does not like “healthy” food enjoyed it as well!
So glad you liked it, Shawna! Thank you!
This was a HUGE hit for my family (2 kids 3 & 8 and my husband, all fairly picky!). It was super easy and so flavorful, we even fought over the leftovers the next day. This is definitely going into our weekly rotation!
Thanks, Lyndi!!
We love this casserole! Can you substitute frozen cauliflower rice?
I haven’t tried making it with frozen cauliflower rice but I think it would result in a mushy mess. If you are going to try it, I would use raw cauliflower rice instead of frozen because it will be less watery, but I honestly don’t think it will come out very good. If you try it let me know!
Wow, the brown rice really does give this a great texture and deep flavor. This one is a keeper because healthy casseroles have become an oxymoron but this one is certainly the exception. Thank you so much for this one! 😉
So glad you liked it, Griff! Thank you so much!
I ordered my groceries online for this so I received 2 lbs. of chicken. I don’t cook so I felt like this was going to be hard to make for me, but this was actually super easy. The chicken took the full amount to cook since I had to stack the 2lbs of chicken, but now I have lunch for the whole week. It smells delicious and tastes so good. I did forget the salt and pepper (whoops) but I can add that when I warm up my meal. Thanks for another great meal idea, Liz!
So glad you liked it Berni! Thank you!
So good! Easy to make, super delicious, and really filling!