Spicy Ground Chicken and Black Bean Casserole
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Spicy ground chicken and black bean casserole is a flavorful and hearty dish that’s easy to prepare and packed with wholesome ingredients. Whether you are looking for a quick dinner idea or a satisfying meal to share, this recipe delivers bold flavors and plenty of comfort.
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What makes this recipe a must-try:
Here is what you will need
Ingredient List
How to Make Chicken and Black Bean Casserole
Prepare the ingredients: chop the onion, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes. Measure the black beans and spices and shred the cheese. Heat a skillet over medium to high heat.
STEP 1: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, once the pan is hot add the bell peppers, onions, and garlic to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Next, add the chicken and spices; reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
STEP 2: Once the chicken is cooked, stir in the tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and black beans. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cilantro, and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes longer and turn the heat off.
STEP 3: Coat the bottom of an oven-proof casserole dish with oil and place two tortillas in the dish. Top the tortillas with one-half of the chicken and bean mixture.
STEP 4: Top the chicken filling with one-half of the cheese, and place the remaining tortillas on top and repeat with the chicken mixture and another layer of cheese. Cover the casserole and bake until the casserole is heated through and the cheese melts.
Tips for making the best spicy chicken casserole
- Make a double batch of this recipe and freeze one casserole for another night, see instructions below.
- Avoid soggy tortillas. We don’t mind the tortillas a little on the soggy side, but if that’s not for you, assemble the casserole just before putting it in the oven.
Recipe variations
Change up the Meat – Ground chicken can be substituted with ground turkey, ground beef, ground pork or shredded chicken.
Vegetarian – Replace the meat with 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or a block of crumbled firm tofu or add an extra cup of beans. Or you can try this vegetarian enchilada casserole recipe.
Beans – Use any combination of beans such as white beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans.
Rice – Instead of tortillas, layer the bottom of the casserole dish with a cup of cooked rice and top it with the chicken-bean mixture followed by the cheese.
Crunchy – Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of crumbled tortilla chips on top of the cheese for 5 to 10 minutes before removing the casserole from the oven.
Olives – Add 1/2 cup of sliced black olives to the chicken and bean mix for a salty flavor.
More Vegetables – Add more vegetables to the casserole such as corn, or diced zucchini.
Make-ahead and freeze or refrigerate
Chicken and black bean casserole is perfect for making ahead of time. If you plan on using it within a few days, you can refrigerate it for two to three days or store it in the freezer in an airtight freezer container for up to three months.
Here is how to make black bean chicken casserole ahead of time:
- Prepare all of the ingredients according to the instructions in the recipe card and layer them into the casserole dish except for the top layer of cheese.
- Cover the casserole and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days or the freezer for up to three months.
- Remove the chicken black bean casserole from the refrigerator at least half an hour before baking it. Top it with freshly grated cheddar cheese and bake it according to the recipe instructions.
- Defrost the frozen casserole in the refrigerator overnight and move it from the refrigerator at least a half hour before placing it into the oven.
How to store leftovers
This is one of those dishes that tastes great the next day, so leftovers are a good thing! Here is how to store and reheat your leftover chicken and black bean casserole:
Store room temperature leftover chicken and black bean casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Heat it up in the oven or in the microwave for a quick dinner or easy lunch. You can also freeze it in a covered freezer-proof container for up to three months.
Leftovers are also easy to reheat! If your casserole dish is freezer to oven-safe, you can place the casserole in the oven while it’s still frozen and bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes or you can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and bake it at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
My family loves Mexican food, and this recipe has all of the Mexican flavors. It tastes great garnished with something as simple as chopped fresh cilantro and a spritz of lime juice.
You can also add some shredded lettuce, chopped green onions, homemade guacamole, fresh garden tomato salsa, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and a simple side salad.
Looking for more ground chicken ideas? Here is a round-up of ground chicken recipes!
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Recipe FAQs
Yes, I use canned beans for convenience, but you can easily swap in cooked dried beans instead.
While corn tortillas are best, you can also use flour tortillas.
You can cut out the heat by leaving out the jalapeno pepper or only use half.
You can leave the cilantro our or use and equal amount of parsley if you don’t like the taste of cilantro.
Try These Mexican Recipes
- Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken and Black Beans
- Slow-Cooked Chipotle Chicken Stew
- Easy Healthy Turkey Chili
- Healthy Beef Tacos
- Ground Chicken Picadillo
- Easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Bison Chili
- Black Bean Sheet Pan Nacho Salad
- Ground Chicken and Pasta Casserole
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Mexican Chicken and Black Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus about a teaspoon to coat the casserole dish
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers
- 4 tablespoons [chili powder]
- 2 teaspoons[ cumin]
- 2 1//2 cups chopped tomatoes – about two large tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups canned and rinsed or cooked
- black beans
- 4 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 ounces of cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and heat it over medium to high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the bell peppers, onions, and garlic to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
- Next, add the chicken and spices; reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through.
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and beans, stir in the cilantro and simmer on low for 5 minutes and turn the heat off.
- Coat a casserole dish with the remaining teaspoon of oil and place 2 tortillas in a single layer in the dish.
- Place half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas and then half of the cheese.
- Place the remaining 2 tortillas on top of the chicken mixture and then the meat and the cheese.
- Bake at 350 covered for 20 minutes
- Remove the cover and bake for 5 minutes more.
Video
Notes
- Substitute fresh garlic with 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder.
- pre-cooked chicken (leftover) can be used to make this recipe by adding cooking the vegetables first and adding the chicken with the seasonings
- this recipe can be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and adding 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or 1 cup crumbled tofu
- canned tomatoes can be used in place of fresh
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days
- Make this casserole ahead of time. Store in refrigerator for up to two days before baking
- Serving ideas: guacamole, sliced avocados, lime juice, Greek yogurt or sour cream
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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This looks so hearty and wholesome. I love black beans and this casserole looks like a perfect one pot meal you can have on a weekend for us. Saving for later.
I’m loving all the flavors in this casserole! This would make a delicious weeknight dinner. And I love how easy it is to transition this to a vegetarian dish.
I can’t resist a good casserole. I have almost all of these ingredients, so this is definitely happening soon in my kitchen!
Tex-Mex food is a favorite of mine. This looks super flavorful and perfect for a winter evening!
I love that you can make this ahead of time! This sounds so delicious. Plus, it’s gorgeous.
This looks delicious! I’m always looking for recipes using ground chicken!
So colorful and flavorful! What’s not to love?!?!?!
My crew will love this meal! I love that I can make it ahead of time. Perfect!
I love an easy casserole like this one for a weeknight dinner. Ground chicken is a favorite of mine to cook with as well.