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Casserole dish of chicken and rice casserole with a wooden spoon scooping some of it out.
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4.72 from 21 votes

Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Casserole

A delightful cheesy Mexican-inspired chicken and rice casserole featuring tomatillo salsa verde. Put it on repeat for busy evenings!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 371kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 to 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 cup uncooked white rice*
  • 1 cup frozen fresh, or canned corn
  • 1 ¼ cups salsa verde
  • 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sea salt to taste
  • 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese divided**

Instructions

  • Prepare the Salsa Verde up to 5 days in advance if you're making it homemade. If not, use store-bought green tomatillo salsa and proceed forth!
    Green tomatillo salsa blended in a blender
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Add the bell peppers, garlic, chopped chicken, chili powder, white rice, and corn to a large (13” x 9”) casserole dish or baking dish.
    Solid ingredients for the casserole in a casserole dish
  • Stir in the salsa verde, chicken broth, and sea salt and stir well.
    Chicken broth being poured into a casserole dish with casserole ingredients
  • Similarly, stir in half (1 cup) of the grated cheese.
    Casserole ingredients in the casserole dish, ready to go into the oven.
  • Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, give everything a stir, then sprinkle with the remaining (1 cup) of grated cheese.
    Casserole out of the oven
  • Turn your oven on the high broil setting and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is golden-brown.
    Chicken casserole out of the oven with cheese on top.
  • Serve the salsa verde chicken and rice bake with any additional toppings, such as cherry tomatoes, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream, etc.
    horizontal photo of casserole dish of mexican green salsa chicken casserole

Notes

*I use basmati white rice. Go with a long-grain white rice for best results.
**Use your favorite cheese such as cheddar, mozzarella, jack cheese, etc.
If you have leftovers, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (of 6) | Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g