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This Fiesta Chicken Casserole is loaded with all the Tex-Mex/Mexican flavors that you love, in a super quick and easy dinner you can make any night of the week.
A creamy pasta with chicken, and all the Mexican flavors that you can top with whatever you like…That is my kind of dinner! Casseroles kind of get a bad rap, but this one doesn’t have canned soups or any strange ingredients, so it is going to be a winner for sure!
I love a quick and easy dinner recipe I can get on the table with just a couple minutes of work, and that I will get no complaints from my family about. Usually pasta or anything with Tex-Mex/Mexican flavors does the trick! I am pretty sure my family would eat Sour Cream Enchiladas twice a week, every week and be happy. Especially if they can get Homemade Guacamole on the side!
This combines everything they love, and the ease and quickness I love into one delicious dinner, that I get nothing but rave reviews about.
Why You’ll Love Fiesta Chicken Casserole
- Easy – You have to cook the pasta for this, but the oven does the rest. You just mix everything together and bake. Even those who don’t think they can cook, can master this one!
- Versatile – I used rotisserie chicken for this to make it super easy, but you can use leftover chicken, ground beef or just about any protein you like. Don’t like corn, skip it. Want extra beans, go for it!
- Comforting – pasta is just comfort food for so many, and this is no exception. You can use protein pasta, gluten free pasta, traditional pasta, egg noodles, or whatever you have and enjoy.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Cooked and Shredded Chicken
- Corn
- Black Beans
- Salsa – use whatever your favorite is for flavor and spice level
- Sour Cream
- Pasta
- Taco Seasoning
- Cheese – I use a Mexican blend cheese, but you can use cheddar or whatever you like
If you want to cut down on the sodium and processed ingredients, you can make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning. Great to have on hand for taco night or whenever you want to add it to any recipe.
How To Make Fiesta Chicken Casserole
- Cook Pasta. Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil, and cook the pasta for 2 minutes short of package directions.
- Mix Sauce. In a large bowl mix together sour cream, salsa and taco seasoning until well blended.
- Combine. Stir in the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and 1 cup of cheese. Mix until well combined.
- Bake. Once the pasta is cooked add it to the mixture and then pour into a large casserole dish. Top with the rest of the cheese and bake.
- Serve. Once the cheese is melted and everything it hot and bubbly you can take it out of the oven and serve with whatever your favorite toppings are.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- Rotisserie Chicken. I always pick up a rotisserie chicken when I am at Costco. I break down the chicken and freeze in bags of 2-3 cup portions, so I can take it out for recipes like this, Chicken Pot Pie Noodles or add to soups.
- Can I make it spicy? By default, this is not spicy. Even if you use a spicy salsa, mixing it with sour cream and pasta will really cut down on any heat. But you can make it spicy! Add a diced jalapeno or cayenne pepper to the sauce to get your desired heat level.
- Don’t like black beans? You really can use any beans you like here. I suggest pinto beans if you want a different option, but really kidney beans or anything you like will work great.
- Under cook the pasta. Make sure to under cook the pasta by 2 minutes. This will mean that after baking, your pasta is not mushy. No on likes mushy pasta!
Storing Fiesta Chicken Casserole
This is great leftover, just store in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat in the oven until warmed through or in the microwave for a quick lunch.
Freezing – you can definitely freeze this casserole. It will last for up to 3 months, you can let it thaw in the fridge overnight before warming in the oven to serve. The texture will be slightly different after it thaws. If you do plan to freeze, I highly recommend using full fat sour cream and cheese, so you have less water and moisture to deal with.
Topping Ideas
This is where you can get creative! This chicken casserole is loaded with flavor, but at the same time everything is baked, so there isn’t a lot of texture. So add cool and crunchy toppings to brighten it up and add more flavors.
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jalapeno
- Cilantro
- Black Olives
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
Anything goes, whatever your favorite taco toppings, go ahead and add them when you are serving.
More Tasty Mexican Recipes
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp
- Taco Casserole
- Enchilada Pasta Casserole
- Flautas
- Baked Chicken Taquitos
- Fish Tacos
Fiesta Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup sour cream
- 10 oz pasta
- 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta 2 minutes short of package directions. Drain10 oz pasta
- In a large bowl mix together sour cream, salsa and taco seasoning.1 cup salsa, 1 cup sour cream, 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
- Add shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and 1 cup of cheese. Mix until well combined.2 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken, 1 cup corn kernels, 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed, 2 cups Mexican cheese blend
- Stir in the cooked pasta until evenly combined. Pour into a large casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is hot and bubbly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Fiesta is the best word to describe this casserole. I made it, and it was a party in my mouth!
Oh my goodness! This casserole look rich and irresistible! It’s my new favorite!
This is so comforting and satisfying! Perfect for weeknights!
This casserole looks so flavorful and so yummy!
Can I make this in the crockpot?
Yes, because everything is cooked, I would cook on low for a few hours.
have you ever made this ahead of time and frozen it? If so….Did you bake it first and then freeze it or freeze it first and then bake it?
Yes, if you are going to freeze it, I like to do it unbaked. Let it thaw completely and then bake until hot and cooked through.
Thank you for responding.
My family and I love this recipe so much! What a great, easy way to stretch out a little bit of (or use up leftover) shredded chicken. I’ve made it with my homemade salsa verde and it’s come out so good I won’t be switching from that.