Easy Taco Chicken Casserole

This Easy Taco Chicken Casserole or Mexican Style Baked Chicken was my first ever blog post from several years ago. It is still a favorite in our household and worth update and the reshare! For anyone that may be new around here, this recipe is easy to make, doesn't require a lot of dishes, and is filling.

The sauce that covers the chicken is lightened up by using half Chobani Greek yogurt (I use whole milk Greek yogurt, but whatever your household buys would work fine!) instead of straight mayo for the sauce (not saying it's completely light-- it is covered in cheese after all!). The spiciness level can be adjusted based on personal preferences-- just add more or less hot sauce (I suggest Cholula!) and chili powder.

I first discovered a version of this recipe in college-- in the cafeteria. I know that doesn't sound like the most appetizing place to have found a favorite meal, but I promise that it's worth a try. It was me and my roommates' favorite dish that they served! I knew I had to recreate it.

Ingredients

• mayonnaise
• plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• lemon
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• cumin
• hot sauce, I use Cholula
• chili powder (to taste)
• shredded Jack cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
• crushed tortilla chips
• boneless, skinless chicken breasts

NOTE: If you want, you can omit the 3 spices (garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin) and sub in 3 teaspoons of taco seasoning instead.

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Instructions for Easy Chicken Taco Casserole

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a small bowl mix together mayo, yogurt, spices, hot sauce, and the juice of one lemon.

• Slice chicken breasts to be thin cut so they cook quickly and evenly, and place pieces on the bottoms of a glass casserole dish.
• Cover the chicken with sauce.
• Crush up tortilla chips with hands and sprinkle over the chicken and sauce. Top with cheese.
• Cook for 22-25 minutes, depending the thickness of your chicken.

Toppings for Taco Chicken Casserole

Although we generally enjoy this as is, it can be fun to add toppings to this chicken dish once it comes out of the oven. Think anything you would put on top of a taco!

• black beans
• green onions
• cilantro
• jalapeno
• salsa
• avocado
• diced tomatoes
• lettuce

Can you cook rice into this chicken taco casserole?

We are saucy people in our household and this recipe produces enough sauce to pour a little extra over rice on side. Speaking of rice, that is definitely the way to go when serving this! It's an easy accompaniment that fits perfectly with the style of this dish. Think of it as your mother's chicken and rice casserole with a kick.

I like keeping the rice on the side, as it allows the dish to cook faster and for the sauce to not all be soaked up in the rice cooking process. If you would prefer to have this all in the casserole together, I suggest using cooked rice. This way the cooking time doesn't change. To alter: Mix cooked rice in with the prepared sauce. Place on top of chicken in the baking dish. Crumble tortilla chips and shredded cheese over top and bake.

What to serve on the side with this casserole?

We love to serve it with peas! They are so easy to grab out of the freezer and reheat on the stove or the microwave.

What makes this an easy weeknight meal?

This Mexican Style Baked Chicken is a great weeknight meal for when you don't have a lot of time or energy to be doing loads of chopping. Although I know a lot of us love being in the kitchen and making a full on feast, sometimes that just isn't happening! Recipes like this are good to have in your back pocket for such occasions. As long as you have chicken breasts thawed and ready, the actual prep work this dish requires amounts to less than 5 minutes.

Can this recipe be made keto?

Sure can. Just omit the tortilla chips and it becomes a super easy and delicious keto (and gluten free!) dinner. Serve with cauliflower rice if you would like!

Interested in more delicious chicken recipes? Check these out!