This Salsa Chicken Casserole Recipe is the perfect busy weeknight meal. The flavor of this easy recipe proves that you can create a main dish that the whole family will love with just a little bit of effort. Perfect for using leftover cooked chicken! Add this to your list of Mexican favorites!
This is one of my go-to easy weeknight dinner recipes. The chicken mixture paired with all my favorite toppings creates the best easy Mexican chicken casserole that we all crave. One dish dinners like this also make the perfect recipe in terms of flavor – and clean up. I love not having to spend a ton of time cleaning up the kitchen, and I can just put up my feet after dinner and relax.
Mexican recipes like this offer so much flavor and are easy to incorporate into any meal plan. I love that you can use shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover boneless chicken breasts to add easily to this dish!
Speaking of simple casseroles, be sure to check out this Keto Chicken and Rice Casserole for another fun and yummy recipe.
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Ingredients
- Cooked chicken – Any cooked shredded chicken will work for this recipe.
- Salsa – You can use fresh salsa, chunky salsa, or store-bought of any kind.
- Sour cream – Makes the sauce rich and creamy.
- Cottage cheese – Large or small curd works fine.
- Taco seasoning – Helps to add seasoning and flavor.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – I also like to use Pepper jack cheese as my melty cheese of choice.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Salsa Chicken Casserole Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish.
Step One: Mix the sour cream, salsa, cottage cheese, and seasoning. Stir well.
Step Two: Add one cup of the cheese. Stir in the chicken.
Step Three: Put the mixture into the baking dish. Add the remaining shredded cheese to the top.
Step Four: Put the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and hot.
Top Tip💡
If your salsa is very watery drain it through a fine mesh sieve. Otherwise, the sauce may be too thin.
Substitutions
- Green chilies – If you don’t want to add salsa, you can use green chilies instead. Pico de Gallo is a great option, too.
- Seasoning – If you don’t have a prepared taco spice mix on hand, you can add chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and even red pepper flakes for a bit of spice and flavor. Or swap in any of my homemade seasonings: Chicken Taco Seasoning, Keto Fajita Seasoning, or Homemade Taco Seasoning.
Variations
- Add other toppings – You can use fresh cilantro, additional salsa, or lots of cheese to the top of this casserole. Dice green onions, sprinkle on black beans, or even crush tortilla chips up and place them on top.
- Fresh tomatoes – If you’re not a fan of salsa, use fresh tomatoes instead.
- Add rice – Add cooked brown rice or white rice under the chicken mixture.To keep it low carb add cauliflower rice.
Equipment
A mixing bowl and casserole dish are all that is needed to make this simple recipe.
Storage
If you have leftovers you will be able to enjoy a nice lunch tomorrow! Make sure that you let the casserole cool down to room temperature, before storing the leftovers in an airtight container.
Keep the container in the fridge, and eat within 2-3 days of making it. You can reheat in the microwave or oven.
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe due to the creamy sauce.
Common Questions
Absolutely! You can compile it all in the baking dish and then bake it when you’re ready. This is a simple way to have a filling meal ready to go, and then have it hot and ready to eat and enjoy.
No, the chicken has to be cooked before adding to the casserole dish. Otherwise the sauce will be very watery. You can easily cook the chicken in the casserole dish first. Drain the cooking liquid and then proceed with the recipe.
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Salsa Chicken Casserole Recipe
This Salsa Chicken Casserole Recipe is the perfect busy weeknight meal. It is easy, flavorful, and a great way to use up leftover chicken.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
-
Combine the salsa, sour cream, cottage cheese, and seasoning. Mix well.
-
Add one cup of the shredded cheese.
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Mix in the cooked chicken
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Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
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Top with the remaining cheese.
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Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
Salsa: If the salsa is watery drain it first.
Cottage Cheese: If you don’t like cottage cheese you can substitute softened cream cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 297Carbohydrates: 5.1gProtein: 30.8gFat: 16.7gSaturated Fat: 8.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.9gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 106.5mgSodium: 648.8mgPotassium: 545.7mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 2.9gVitamin A: 668.1IUVitamin C: 2.2mgCalcium: 250.7mgIron: 0.6mg