Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (2024)

You'll love this easy chicken and rice casserole dish that's so easy to prepare. It fills you up, but not full of heavy ingredients. It's topped off with a handful of cheese that takes it over the top. And surprise....our kids LOVED it. WIN for everyone.

This chicken and rice casserole is an easy dinner for a busy night. And we have been trying to eat a little healthier. This doesn’t have any creamed soups or loads of butter added. A no-guilt dinner.

This Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole is one of those great recipes that you could eat every week. Super easy to make and bursting with Tex Mex flavors. Topped with a layer of cheese. YUM.

We were so surprised when our kids devoured this chicken and rice casserole. I think we might make a double batch next time. It has just the right amount of kick. The kids still like it.

can you use other flavors of rice in this recipe?

We love the chicken and rice vermicelli mix with this recipe. But you could easily swap for other flavors of rice.

If you are looking for an even healthier option, you could add in cooked brown rice. You may want to add in some extra seasonings of your choice if it tastes a little bland.

Some other boxed rice flavors that might be delicious are a cheddar cheese flavor of any kind, chicken and garlic, or a long grain and wild rice. The options are endless.

chicken breast or precooked chicken?

We like to buy frozen chicken breasts in the 4 pound bag and use them in a lot of recipes. It’s a better price when buying it in larger amounts. Then we thaw and cook the chicken breasts as needed in so many recipes.

If you are short on time, a rotisserie chicken is great in this recipe. Just pull the chicken off the bones and dice into bite sized pieces.

You can also use frozen chicken already cooked and seasoned. That would also be tasty in this Low fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole.

Looking for more Tex Mex recipes? Try our Tex Mex Cheesy Chicken Soup!

how to make Low Fat tex-mex chicken and rice casserole

This recipe is so easy and we love that it is made up of ingredients that we usually have on hand in our pantry. No running to the store for ingredients you may never need again.

In a sauce pan cook onion in oil over medium heat until tender.
Stir in rice package with seasoning packet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Add in chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (liquid will not be fully absorbed)

5. Transfer the rice mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in chicken, tomato, chiles, chili powder, basil, cumin, and pepper.

6. After it is all mixed together, transfer the mixture into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

7. Baked covered at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and cover with shredded cheese. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Then serve.

Enjoy every delicious bite.

helpful items for this recipe:

8 x 8 inch baking dish– a favorite dish that comes with a nice lid for transporting or storing leftovers.
Knives– these are a nice set of knives for chopping. They come in fun colors. Great for gift giving too.
Skillet– a great non stick skillet that cleans up so easily.

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here are more healthy chicken recipes:

You will love these chicken recipes to prepare for your family.

Healthy Chicken Fajita Soup
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Tostadas
Healthy Honey Baked Chicken
Chicken Lime Lettuce Wraps
Skinny Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Serves: 6

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

½ onion chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6.9 ounces chicken flavored rice and vermicelli mix 1 package
14 ounces chicken broth 1 can
2 cups water
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and diced
2 tomatoes chopped and seeded
4 ounces mild diced green chilis 1 can, drained
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil crushed
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

In a saucepan cook onion in hot oil over medium heat until tender.
Stir in rice and vermicelli mix (including seasoning package); cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Stir in broth and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes (liquid will not be fully absorbed).
Transfer the rice mixture to a large bowl. Stir in chicken, tomato, chiles, chili powder, basil, cumin and pepper.
Transfer to a 8 x 8 inch casserole dish.
Bake, covered, at 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle with cheese.
Let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Notes

The leftovers are also great reheated and wrapped in a tortilla!

Nutrition

Calories: 262 kcal · Carbohydrates: 30 g · Protein: 18 g · Fat: 8 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 46 mg · Sodium: 458 mg · Potassium: 456 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 628 IU · Vitamin C: 18 mg · Calcium: 105 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

Saucepan
8x8-inch baking pan
Knife
Large Mixing Bowl
Large Skillet

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

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Leslie Shelton says:

Looks wonderful. To really make this healthy, though, I'm going to try to use brown rice and no packaged / flavored rice to reduce sodium and preservatives. By adding additional broth instead of water, I'll bet it will still be flavorful!
Anonymous says:
See Also
Gelatin Uses, Benefits, & Recipes

Well, yum!
Diana says:

I made my usual chicken and rice dish into a texmex tonight, patterned after your recipe. It was fabulous. Just wanted to say thanks.
HillaryA says:

How many servings does this recipe make?
Six Sisters says:

Hi Hillary!
There are 8 servings. You could serve more or less depending on your serving size portion.
Kim says:

We've been counting calories at our house lately, but I was getting tired of the "chicken & vegetables" that we were having for almost every meal. I miss casseroles! This hit the spot, and I am going to use this idea and make a chicken & broccoli casserole next week using a different rice mix, etc. We'll see how it turns out!
Julia@SouthernColor says:

I made this last night for dinner and it was DELICIOUS!! My husband even went back for seconds! Thanks for recipe!
nikki says:

I actually made this last night, but doubled the spices and added black olives and 1/2 c light sour cream (I can't resist sour cream). It was delish
Georgia says:

I made this with a few modifications and it was so delicious!
I used low sodium rice & vermicelli mix as well as low sodium chicken broth. I also used a single can of diced tomatoes with diced green chiles already added in (probably adding some of that sodium back in too, ha!)
I will be making this again in the future!
Jackie Reich says:

Anyone know the calories on this dish?
Carrie North says:

Making this right now, and it looks like I made the same modifications as Georgia! Looking forward to having this tonight!
Andrea says:

How much water is suppose to be left in the pan before you put it in the casserole dish? It seems like alot. I hope it turns out :(
Carol says:

I made this a few nights ago and it was really good!! I did add some sliced black olives to it but that's the only change I made. It was super easy to make and my entire family loved it. I will make this again. Thanks for sharing!
Darla Martinez says:

I made this casserole today!! It's very delicious!! I will definitely make this again!
Rachel says:

Made this tonight! Super easy and just the right amount of spicy!
Amber says:

How calories?
Cyd says:

Just click on the MAGIC button under the picture and then click on NUTRITION. It will give you the servings and calories per servings, weight watcher points and all nutritional information on this recipe. It's our sister site - MyRecipeMagic.com. It has over 20,000 recipes. Hope you'll stop by and check it out.
Vicki says:

Would it be so hard to just list the calorie count? The link to Myrecipemagic doesn't take you to the recipe it takes you to the homepage. Myrecipemagic's search function is painfully slow and that's IF you get a result. UGH! More times than not it just blanks out.
Jessica says:

Do you think this could be made as a freezer meal?
Cyd says:

The rice might get a little mushy as a freezer meal. You could try a small amount before freezing the whole recipe.

About The Author:

Elyse Ellis

Elyse lives in northern Utah with her husband and her four kids: 2 boys and 2 girls. She loves working out and movie theater popcorn.

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Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to add to chicken and rice for flavor? ›

Slice up baby carrots, peel then chop a couple large carrots, or go the easy route and use shredded carrots. Homemade seasoned salt. My four ingredient, homemade seasoned salt is responsible for adding a ton of flavor to this recipe. It's a simple yet effective combo of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Does rice need to be cooked before adding to casserole? ›

Can you put raw uncooked rice in a casserole? Yes, you must put it raw and uncooked into the casserole. The liquids used will cook it to the perfect texture.

See Details ›

What does the binder of a casserole do? ›

The binder, a liquid that holds the other ingredients together. – Fat-free milk, broth, fruit juice, soup, eggs, or a thickened Béchamel/White sauce.

Learn More Now ›

How to keep rice casserole from drying out? ›

Cover and Moisten (Optional): Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. If the casserole looks dry, consider adding a splash of chicken broth or milk before covering.

View Details ›

What seasoning makes rice taste better? ›

Stir in a tiny bit of ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and/or cloves — exercise restraint and be sure to taste. Add up to 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon, sausage, chorizo, or chopped ham. Add up to 1/2 cup dried shrimp or a couple of mashed anchovies. Season with any spice mixture .

Know More ›

Why is my rice still hard in casserole? ›

Hard or Chewy Rice

After cooking for the recommended period of time, if the rice is still hard or chewy, add a little bit of water to create more steam (for every cup of uncooked rice used, add about 2 tablespoons of water). Cover the pot tightly and place over very low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

Explore More ›

Why is the rice in my casserole hard? ›

Maybe you took the lid off of the pot too early, letting the steam escape. Maybe you didn't add enough liquid to begin with. Whatever the case, if your rice is looking dried out, or the texture is still hard or crunchy when all the liquid has been absorbed, add up to ½ cup water and return to a simmer with the lid on.

Find Out More ›

Is it okay to put raw chicken in a casserole? ›

Can I Cook Raw Chicken In Casserole? Short answer: Yes! Long answer: Chicken has to be cooked to 165F internal temperature. If you cube your chicken and put it in a 400F preheated oven, it will most definitely cook to that internal temperature within 15-20 minutes.

Do I bake my casserole covered or uncovered? ›

Uncovering the foods promotes browning and crisping, and reduces the amount of liquid in the finished dish. If a casserole looks soupy when it's ready to bake, bake it uncovered unless the ingredients include pasta or rice, which absorb liquid.

Discover More Details ›

What does mayonnaise do in a casserole? ›

Mayo Is The Glue That Holds A Casserole Together

It's basically food glue that also provides other added benefits. Think of it as a culinary adhesive that offers more than just stickiness. Additionally, mayonnaise enhances the juiciness of dishes without making them overly moist.

What are the 5 components of a casserole? ›

Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!

Read On ›

How do you thicken rice casserole? ›

Whisk together equal parts cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl. Use one tablespoon of cornstarch per cup of liquid you would like to thicken. Stir out all the lumps. A few minutes before your casserole is done, add it a little at a time until you are happy with the thickness.

See Details ›

How to make a casserole less rich? ›

If your food is too rich...

Add an acid such as lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, or pickled vegetables (such as jalapeños).

Show Me More ›

Can you reheat chicken and rice casserole? ›

The best way to is to cover it and put it into a cold oven. Covering the top will trap the steam in and keep it moist while it reheats. Set the oven temperature to 350°F and heat it to an internal temperature 165°F. Use an instant read thermometer to check that the it has reached a food safe temperature.

Discover More ›

How can I add more flavor to my cooked chicken? ›

Make a Rub

Just because the chicken is already cooked doesn't mean it can't benefit from a rub. Before reheating, make a custom blend of your favorite spices like paprika, cayenne, onion or garlic powder. Mix in dried herbs or a bit of sugar for beautiful caramelization, then sprinkle it evenly over the skin.

Keep Reading ›

What enhances chicken flavor? ›

Brining your chicken is a foolproof way to not only add flavour to your roast but also to ensure you don't overcook the meat. Essentially a mix of salt, sugar and water, we love adding herbs, garlic or whole spices such as fennel and cumin to flavour the brine.

How to add Flavour to bland chicken? ›

There are several simple and delicious ways to enhance the flavor and moisture of bland and dry chicken: Marinade: Marinating chicken before cooking can infuse it with flavor and moisture. You can use a mixture of olive oil, herbs, spices, and acid (like lemon juice or vinegar) to create a flavorful marinade.