Mexican Chicken Casserole smothered in a simple sour cream, green chili and cheese sauce. The bubbly cheese sauce seals in the chicken juices so it bakes up tender, juicy and flavorful. Everyone needs an easy chicken bake for unexpected company. You won’t believe the easy sauce!
Some of our favorite recipes are Mexican-inspired like Ceviche, or Fish Tacos (the #1 recipe on our site right now). This chicken bake satisfies the craving for Mexican food.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Mexican Chicken:
We love easy Mexican chicken recipes. They are a fun way to explore new flavor combinations and change up your dinner routine. The green chilis give this really great flavor without being spicy. This Mexican Chicken Casserole is also a really easy party dish. The kids loved it because it was creamy, cheesy and the green chilis were very mild.
One of our readers, Judy, wrote in and shared this recipe with us and it was an instant hit. Thank you Judy! We really can’t get enough of this 3-ingredient sauce:
Tips for Making Mexican Chicken Casserole:
Even though this is a crazy easy recipe, here are some pitfalls to avoid (because I know it’s super tempting to improvise with an easy recipe):
- Don’t overload the chicken in the casserole dish. Increase everything proportionally and use a larger baking dish if scaling up the recipe.
- Arrange Chicken in a single layer in the casserole dish – you want the sauce to cover each piece of chicken.
- Don’t over-bake or the chicken will get dry. Remember the chicken is already cooked through.
- Use green chilis with their juice – do not drain.
The avocado, tomato, cilantro garnish is optional but highly necessary. You can also serve this with fresh Pico de Gallo. We love this Mexican Chicken Casserole served over white rice.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes:
- Avocado Corn Salad – so fresh and healthy for summer
- Mango Shrimp Salsa – this always disappears fast!
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili – so easy with tender chicken
- Beef Tacos – with the easiest ground beef meat sauce
- Hot Shrimp Dip – loaded with shrimp and artichokes
Watch Natasha Make Mexican Chicken:
I hope you love this easy peasy chicken bake! Let me know what are YOUR favorite Mexican foods in a comment below.
P.S. Have you subscribed to our Youtube Channel yet? Once you do, click the bell icon to be notified when we post a new video. THANK YOU for subscribing!
Mexican Chicken Casserole

Ingredients
Mexican Chicken Casserole:
- 2 lbs chicken breasts, (4 small or 3 medium)
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 8 oz shredded Mexican cheese, divided
- 1 cup sour cream, (full fat)
- 14 oz diced green chilis (two 7 oz can with their juice
To Serve:
- 1 small avocado, diced
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F and butter a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add chicken in a single layer and cook about 3 minutes per side or until golden and just cooked through with an internal temperature of 165˚F. Cook chicken in 2 batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan and add more oil as needed.
- Arrange sautéed chicken in buttered casserole dish so they are flat and not overlapping too much.
- In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 of your Mexican cheese, 1 cup sour cream and 2 cans of green chilis with their juice. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle the top with 1/3 remaining cheese and bake uncovered at 400˚F for 15 min or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling at the edges.
- Serve garnished with diced avocado, tomatoes and chopped cilantro.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
instead of sour cream what can I used is-it possible to use mayo or philadelphia cheese…
Hello there, I haven’t tried anything else so I can’t say if something like Greek yogurt or mayo would stay cream or separate in the sauce. If you want to do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
We made the receipe. Enjoyed it very much but was very runny. How do you avoid it from being so runny.
Hi Maureen, I haven’t had that experience. There should be some sauce to it but not runny. Was anything altred in the recipe?
Love the Mexican chicken
Thank you Joe .
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Joe! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Can you freeze?
Hi Mary, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I sub out green chiles for a can of Rotel. Family loves it even our 4 year old.
Nice! Thanks for sharing and for the tip!
I have tried your cheese steak sandwiches and they are so good, i have tried the chichen terrazinne and it was wonderful. tonight is chicken enchilada.
Very nice thank you for sharing that Julie. Tonight is going to be a good night then!
Thanks for our new weeknight dinner, Judy and Natasha! We make this at least once a week (twice if I’m lucky). So delicious every time 😊
Hi Erin. Glad to know that this recipe is a favorite! Thank you for your feedback.
Thanks so much Erin. It’s still a fav at my house as well…easy ,fast and yummy
Awesome, easy recipe! So I totally thought that cream cheese was part of the sauce and added it in, as well as a can of drained black beans. It made it a bit soupier but just as delicious! I topped with avocado and homemade pickled red onions! I took a photo before it was devoured but can’t seem to load it on here.
Saw reviews about it being spicy, I didn’t think that was the case, nor did my toddler and 11 month old!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Isn’t it the best when kids and the adults love the same recipe!
Loved this dish. Made it tonight for dinner & loved how easy it was & delicious it tasted. Thank you for the great recipe. I will definitely add this to my staple recipes.
You’re welcome, Jennifer! Thank you for that awesome review.
I will do this at work, however, it will be a little too Swedish, as I do not find any Mexican cheese.
I hope you love it Maria!
Its fiesta shredded cheese. Not all stores carry it titled “mexican cheese” so look for Mexican and if u cant find that look for fiesta.
My original recipe uses monterey jack cheese
Again another delish recipe.We both loved it. Sure glad I found you.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Just made this tonight for my hubs and it’s the first Natasha recipe I’ve used. IT. WAS. DELICIOUS. This one will be in my monthly rotation for sure. I used boneless skinless thighs and sprinkled them with cumin. Topped with cubed avocado, we loved it. It truly does satisfy my Mexican food craving. Thanks Natasha!
Sounds like you found a new family favorite, Hallie! Thank you for that awesome feedback!
Quick, easy, tastes authentic and kids ate it. I used the Ortega brand as pictured for the chilies and didn’t have a problem with consistency. Also didn’t cook chicken all the way through on the skillet but baked it a bit longer at lower temperature and it wasn’t dry. Paired with Mexican rice/tomato sauce. Will definitely make again
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Gray!
Fantastic casserole Natasha!! We had our nephew and his fiance over for supper last night and they loved it as did my husband and myself.It was so quick to throw together and very tasty. I will be making it again soon. I couldn’t get the green chilies in can so I added canned jalapenos with liquid and it was great.I also added black olives and green onions to the top. I love your sight and your fun to watch.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Perfect weeknight dinner! Tasty, easy and versatile.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Jenny!
Hi Natasha,
Can I substitute low fat sour cream? Or is there a reason you recommend full fat?
Hi Eve, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
This was delicious! I am desperate to find out which can opener you used! Maybe a link from amazon? Thank you so much!
Hi Becky, here is the can opener we use and enjoy. It opens the lid without creating a sharp edge.
If I use Rotisserie chicken will it be over cooked after being in the oven & would I tear into smaller pieces?
Hi Kerri, I think the meat from a single rotisserie chicken would work great here. maybe break the chicken breasts into 2-4 smaller pieces and include the thighs as well. I would add enough chicken to cover the bottom of the casserole dish to no more than 1″ thickness of chicken pieces. Let me know how it goes. I love the idea of using a rotisserie chicken – even easier!
I use rotisserie chicken for this dish every time. Always delish and a time saver! I added a bag of frozen fire roasted corn this time -and yum! We like it as a hot dip with tortilla chips or stuffed into a flour tortilla like a burrito!
That’s a great idea, Dianne! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hello, Natasha, I tried this Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe since it looks very delicious…however, the chicken did not turned out to be very tender. 🙁
Please, advise how to make it juicy and tender.
Thanks so much,
Donna
Hi Donna, be sure not to overcook the chicken when it is on the skillet. I double-check with an instant-read thermometer to make sure I am not overcooking.
I had the same issue except it wasn’t overcooked but more undercooked
Hi Natasha love your recipes. Where can I find these can chilies or can I substitute
Hi, the canned chilis are in most grocery stores, usually located in the Mexican food aisle/section. If your grocery store does not have a Mexican food aisle, try the canned vegetable section.
I made that Mexican chicken dish exactly how you said but it turned out watery.
How do I get it to turn out like yours dryer and cheesy?
Hi Beverly, I’m more than happy to troubleshoot! I haven’t had that happen, I wonder if that was due to the canned green chilis? Some of our readers mentioned some cans were more watery than others.