I’m still all about these easy, one dish dinners. This one is very similar to the ultra popular Taco Chicken Bowls, but it’s made in the oven and takes about an hour, as opposed to eight in a slow cooker. The directions go something like this: dump, stir, cover, cook, eat, be happy.
One little jar of salsa adds so much flavor to this dish that I almost feel like it’s cheating and the little bit of cheddar on top really made it rich and satisfying. Next time I might even try a little dollop of sour cream! Either way, this recipe was a no brainer to make and a definite tummy pleaser!
I used a couple Budget Bytes tricks to make it more affordable. As usual, I used reconstituted bouillon for the broth instead of canned chicken broth. I’ve also been buying big 2lb. bags of shredded cheese and then dividing them into four freezer bags (2 cups each, the same size as normal bags of shredded cheese) and this really saves me a lot. Then there’s the chicken. I still only buy my chicken breasts on sale. I can usually get them for $1.99/lb. (sometimes less!) if I really keep an eye out. I know not everyone will be able to find this deal, but it’s worth mentioning and looking out for!
Salsa Chicken Casserole
Salsa Chicken Casserole
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice ($0.33)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed ($0.52)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($1.39)
- 1 16oz. jar salsa ($1.99)
- 1 cup chicken broth ($0.15)
- 1/2 Tbsp chili powder ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.03)
- 2 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs. total) ($2.99)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($0.94)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.17)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain and briefly rinse the black beans. Add the dry rice, black beans, corn, salsa, chicken broth, chili powder, and oregano to an 8×8 inch casserole dish. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Cut the chicken breasts into three pieces each. Push the chicken pieces down into the rice salsa mixture in the casserole dish. Try to push them down as far into the liquid as they’ll go. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil. Bake for one hour.
- Take the casserole dish out of the oven, test the rice with a fork to make sure it is tender. If it is not, recover the dish, return it to the oven, and bake for 10-15 minutes more. When the rice is tender, sprinkle the cheese over top and return the casserole to the oven for a few minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Add the sliced green onions on top after baking and serve hot.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
Add the rice, beans, corn, and salsa to an 8×8 casserole dish. BUT, drain and rinse the beans first and thaw the corn first. I didn’t thaw my corn and it slowed my casserole down.
Add a cup of chicken broth to give the rice enough liquid to cook in (it will also get some liquid from the salsa). I decided after the fact to add a little extra chili powder and oregano, but you don’t have to stir the other ingredients together first. Stir those spices right in.
Cut each chicken breast into three pieces. My chicken was still partially frozen (I forgot to put it in the fridge the night before). If it was completely thawed, I would have flattened these pieces out a little bit more.
Push the chicken pieces down into the rice mixture – probably more so than I did here (I learn as I go, too).
Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil to hold all the steam in, and bake it in a preheated 375 degree oven for one hour. After an hour, use a fork to test some of the rice and make sure that it’s tender. If it’s not, simply recover the dish and bake a little bit longer (10-15 minutes). If your chicken and corn were thawed (unlike mine), you probably won’t need to put it back in the oven.
Once you know the rice is fully cooked, sprinkle some cheese over top and pop it back in the oven for just a few more minutes to melt the cheese. Then, when it comes out, add the sliced green onions on top. The end!
Want to look closer? Why not! nom.
Easy dinners make me happy.
I had to take a break from eating a bowl of this casserole to post a comment about how great it is. I love how easy it was to throw together; it took about five minutes. Great for a weeknight where I really didn’t feel like cooking something elaborate. I used brown rice and after reading other comments, I was a little concerned about how it would cook, but I had no problems with it. The chicken turned out great and the flavor is amazing. I might add in some more spices and a jalapeno or two next time, but it’s delicious as is. It’s definitely being added to my rotation.
This was very good! I used 2 cups of brown rice, red and black beans, 2 cups jarred salsa and 2 1/4 cups chicken stock. I added more seasonings: tumeric, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper. My rice came out perfect. I did microwave the salsa and the chicken stock so they were piping hot when I poured it into the rice mixture. My oven was also pre-heated.
Hey Beth, I’m thinking of making this for some company we’re having over (4 people total). Any ideas on what I could serve along with it? I wouldn’t want to just have a casserole on the table by itself. Although, maybe that’s the point of a casserole? I’m kind of sort of trying to impress the company but still be myself. One person can’t eat pork or I would have made the herb crusted pork loin!
Have you made this one before or will it be the first time? Some people are having a hard time getting the rice to cook properly, so it would be a shame if that happened when you had company over. You might try the Southwest Chicken Skillet, which has virtually the same ingredients, but is cooked in a skillet on the stove top (and in half the time!). You could do something like Bold Black Bean Salad for the side (even though there are beans in the skillet, it’s still fresh, light, and cold so it contrasts), or maybe some cornbread?
Thank you, Beth!!! I have made this casserole several times before and have never had problems with the rice cooking properly – here’s hoping this won’t be the first time! The Bold Black Bean Salad looks perfect! I think I will have some cornbread available too, as you suggested.
So I made this. Yet, I too put in frozen corn, because…time. So I did have to add a few extra minutes. The one thing I did differently was to cut up the raw chicken into about 1 inch pieces and I seasoned them with salt and pepper. I added it to the remaining ingredients and stirred them and tried to bury them a bit. It was so awesome, that I ate a lava hot spoonful right out of the oven, cause I’m a piggy. It has become a favorite midweek dinner. Thanks!
I followed this recipe exactly as written. The rice was hard as rocks and the chicken was way over cooked after an hour in the oven.
Hey! This was MY idea! ;)
no but really- I do this, but with ground beef precooked already. I use cooked rice, jar (or one of the opened jars of salsa we don’t know what to do with after using a couple spoonfuls at one time), corn (or not!) taco seasonings, and cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack. I call it a “taco bake”. Personally, I would cook the chicken FIRST and shred it a bit before using it in a casserole.
AMAZING, and so easy. Had no issues with the rice, I used brown rice and measured everything out perfectly. Remember to leave the foil on tight for AT LEAST an hour, no peeking!
I think this may actually be healthy too…If you don’t overload it with cheese (which is hard).
Thanks a bunch!
Is it okay to not use tin foil? I ran out last night.
If you have a covered casserole dish, you can use that. You need to hold the steam in to help the rice cook.
I was just wondering if you know the nutritional value of this meal? I am on weight watchers and just wanted to know how many points this would be. Thanks
No, I’m sorry, I don’t. :(
You can find a recipe calorie calculator online and its easy to figure out. I use this one.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
I made this dish tonight and like some of the other comments about under cooked rice, I had the same issue. Even though I added 1 1/4 cups of broth. The rice that was under the chicken did not cook however the rice that surrounded the chicken pieces did cook. Has anyone tried instant rice? The rice issue was very disappointing but other than that it was REALLY good. I used homemade salsa that I had left over, added 1/2 tsp of cumin and topped it with monterey jack cheese. I served it with fresh guacamole and sour cream, delish! I thought about cooking this dish without the rice and just serving it over steamed rice, but cooking it all together gave it such great flavor.
I have made this dish many times and sometimes I throw in a bunch of fresh spinach leaves on top of the rice mixture before I put the chicken on … I leave it covered for most of the cooking time … maybe uncover for the last 15 minutes (put cheese on at same time) and the rice is always done. Did you keep it covered?
I’m a weirdo and hate rice (much to my family’s dismay) so I made this with quinoa. Oddly, it took longer to cook than an hour (which mildly overcooked the chicken) but it was still very tasty and I would absolutely make it again! Total cook time was 1.5 hours with the quinoa, FYI.
just found your recipe via this site – i hate when spammers do this!
http://fond-fewdie.tumblr.com/post/90689903736/salsa-chicken-casserole-1-cup-uncooked-rice-use
looks good though – i’m pinning from YOUR site
Thank you!!
After reading all of the comments about the rice/chicken not being cooked all the way, I decided to tackle this recipe. It just looked so good and so easy, how could I resist?
Mine came out just fine, and it is DELICIOUS. Topped with some sour cream and eaten with a few tortilla chips, this dish is so freakin’ good. I bet it will make good leftovers too.
Here’s some areas that might have caused the problems others spoke of. These are problems I’ve made with recipes like this in the past:
~ chicken is too thick (flatten it between two pieces of wax paper with a rolling pin)
~ not enough/eyeballing how much liquid to use
~ not pre-heating your oven
~ not following directions properly (covering the dish with foil is key in this case)
I hope some of the people who had trouble with this dish will give it another shot. It’s really good with minimal effort, and I know I’ll be making it again.
Yum! I just finished eating dinner, hubby going back for thirds! Keeps saying “Wow! This is really good!”
Those with complaints about rice. Remember ovens are all different and elevations can be a huge factor,…you must learn to adapt. I live in the desert, below sea level and I have a crappy oven. I know that when I make a rice in the oven I need more liquid. If a recipe calls for 1 cup, I put in 1 1/4 cup.
Those who have issues with raw chicken when you have already cooked the chicken for 40 minutes. Um…. Do not uncover the dish…Beth said cover the dish for 1 hour, then check.
Great dish, Beth. Thank you so much!
Yikes!!! I forgot to rate the recipe!
I also followed the instructions exactly and the rice still isn’t cooked after 1 1/2 hours. :( disappointing.