Dinner

Chicken Taco Casserole Recipe

ByVictor Layne October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Introduction

This Chicken Taco Casserole is a flavorful and comforting dish perfect for busy weeknights. Loaded with tender chicken, black beans, and melty cheddar cheese, it brings all the best taco flavors together in one easy bake. Serve it with your favorite toppings for a crowd-pleasing meal.

This image shows a rectangular white baking dish filled with a casserole that has three main layers. The bottom layer is golden and crumbly, likely some kind of crust or cornbread. The middle layer is creamy and pale yellow, possibly a cheese or sauce. The top layer is colorful and textured with melted cheese that is golden and slightly browned, halved cherry tomatoes in red and yellow, sliced black olives, chopped green avocado, and bits of green seasoning. A woman's hand holding a silver serving spoon is scooping a portion from the dish, revealing the inside layers. Around the baking dish, there are fresh basil leaves on the left and a small white bowl with red and yellow cherry tomatoes on the right, all set on a white marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 lb chicken tenderloins (cooked and diced; chicken breast or rotisserie chicken also fine)
1 can black beans (14.5 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 small white onion
1 red bell pepper
½ packet taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 lime (juiced)
2 tbsp green onions (diced)
Cooking spray
Sour cream (for serving)
Avocado slices (for serving)
Jalapeño slices (for serving)
Tortilla chips (for serving)
Salsa (for serving)

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Step 2: Strain and rinse the black beans. Dice the white onion and red bell pepper into small pieces using a vegetable chopper or knife.
Step 3: In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked and diced chicken, sour cream, lime juice, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Stir gently with a rubber spatula and fold in ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Step 4: Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Add the black beans, diced peppers, and diced onions to the dish and mix to combine evenly.
Step 5: Spread the chicken and sour cream mixture evenly over the black bean and vegetable base. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top and garnish with diced green onions.
Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Step 7: Serve hot, topped with dollops of sour cream, fresh avocado slices, jalapeño slices, crumbled tortilla chips, and your favorite salsa. Enjoy!

Tips & Variations

Use rotisserie chicken for a quicker version without compromising on flavor.
Add a can of corn for extra sweetness and texture.
Swap cheddar cheese for Monterey Jack or a Mexican cheese blend.
For extra heat, mix in chopped fresh jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce into the chicken mixture.
Serve with warm tortillas instead of chips for a softer texture experience.

Storage

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warm, or microwave in short intervals to avoid drying out. This casserole also freezes well; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

How to Serve

A white rectangular dish filled with a baked cheesy casserole with a golden brown melted cheese top layer, scattered slices of black olives, halved cherry tomatoes, diced green avocado pieces, and chopped green herbs. A wooden spoon is placed inside the dish on the right side, slightly scooping out some of the casserole. To the side, a woman's hand is holding a white bowl filled with red and yellow cherry tomatoes. The background is a white marbled surface, with a bunch of fresh green basil leaves nearby. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use chicken breast instead of tenderloins?

Yes, chicken breast works perfectly. Just cook and dice it before mixing with the other ingredients.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

Yes, this casserole is naturally gluten-free as long as your taco seasoning and other ingredients don’t contain gluten. Always check labels to be sure.