Chicken Fajita Casserole

5 from 2 votes

This Chicken Fajita Casserole features tender chicken, rice, a blend of bell peppers, and onion, all tucked into a flavorful base and topped with melted cheese. A one dish dinner with a delicious twist on traditional chicken fajitas.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 513kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

4 cups cooked long grain white rice (Two bags - from a 14 ounce box - of Success brand boil-in-bag Jasmine rice used. Cooked according to package directions)
10.5 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 ounce packet fajita seasoning (Old El Paso brand used)
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat (skin removed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet yellow onion peeled and sliced into ¼ inch strips
1 large red bell pepper seeded and sliced into ¼ inch strips
1 large yellow bell pepper seeded and sliced into ¼ inch strips
1 large green bell pepper seeded and sliced into ¼ inch strips
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
8 ounce block cheddar-jack cheese shredded (Sargento brand used)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (garnish)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Cook the long grain white rice according to package directions. A boil-in-bag variety was used for this recipe. Transfer the cooked rice to a large mixing bowl.
4 cups cooked long grain white rice
To the large mixing bowl with the cooked rice, add the cream of chicken soup and fajita seasoning. Stir to evenly combine all the ingredients.
10.5 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 ounce packet fajita seasoning
Fold the shredded rotisserie chicken into the rice mixture then transfer to the prepared 9x13 baking dish. Spread the rice and chicken mixture into an even layer and set aside.
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat
To a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onion, sliced red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the peppers are tender and starting to lightly brown. Do not overcook the vegetables at this point as they will continue to cook in the oven. Remove the skillet from the heat and spoon the cooked vegetables evenly over the rice and chicken in the baking dish.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 large sweet yellow onion, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 large yellow bell pepper, 1 large green bell pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Spread the shredded cheddar-jack cheese evenly across the top of the chicken fajita casserole.
8 ounce block cheddar-jack cheese
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned around the edges. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve.
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Video

Notes

Storage:

This chicken fajita casserole can be stored in the refrigerator once cooled completely, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave for 45-60 seconds or just until warmed through. All the ingredients for this recipe can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator, in individual containers, before assembling and baking for ease of preparation for this chicken fajita casserole.

To Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: This recipe does not freeze well.
To Reheat: You can reheat the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through.

Tips:

You should yield approximately 7-8 cups of sliced bell peppers and onions for this recipe if using medium sized vegetables. If your veggies are on the very large or very small side, then you will need to adjust your quantities used accordingly.
You can substitute chicken tenderloins to make preparation easier. They can be tossed in the fajita seasoning mixture without being sliced.
When choosing your bell peppers, you can use any color combination your family prefers. I love how the different colored peppers look when this casserole is assembled and baked. Keep in mind that red and orange bell peppers will be a little sweeter and milder than yellow and green bell peppers, however they will all taste wonderful in this chicken fajita casserole.
You will have some liquids in the bottom of the casserole dish after this casserole has cooked. You can either drain the excess liquids (approximately ½-¾ cup liquid) or you use a slotted spoon, slotted spatula, or tongs to serve the chicken and vegetables.
If using a homemade fajita seasoning blend, you will need a total of 3 tablespoons for this recipe. When you make you own combination of chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, you can adjust the quantities of each ingredient to suit your taste.
For the cooked long grain white rice in this recipe, I used boil-in-bag Jasmine rice for its ease of use in preparing the casserole. Two of the pouches (bags) from a 14 ounce box yield approximately 4 cups of cooked rice. Alternatively, you can use two - 8.8 ounce pouches of a microwave jasmine rice, or you can simply make a batch of long grain white rice in a rice cooker or on the stove top, according to package directions, to yield 4 cups of cooked rice. Leftover rice also works great for this casserole to cut down on prep time.
Replace the cream of chicken soup with a dairy-free alternative, such as a homemade or store-bought dairy-free cream soup, or simply use chicken broth mixed with some dairy-free milk (like almond or oat milk) and a thickener (like cornstarch or flour) to mimic the creamy consistency. Also, you can swap the shredded cheese for your favorite vegan cheese. Make sure to choose one that melts to get a similar texture to traditional cheese.

Nutrition