Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This amazingly delicious casserole is an entire dinner that cooks in one dish! There’s no need to boil the rice, cook the chicken, or sautĂ© the veggies — just dump the raw ingredients into a pan and pop it in the oven! The end result is a cheesy, flavorful, and soul-satisfying Fiesta Chicken and Rice Bake!
Easy Fiesta Chicken Bake – Low Prep
Oh goodness, I love this dinner! It’s got everything that you want in a meal…and it’s SO EASY to throw together. That’s right — I wouldn’t even call it “prep work,” because there’s not really much prepping involved.
Have you tried risotto before? It’s a fairly time-consuming dish to prepare because you have to stand at the stove and continually stir a pot of rice, slowly adding the liquid in small, regular intervals. While the rice simmers and absorbs the liquid, it releases starches that thicken the sauce and create a creamy consistency.
As soon as I tasted my first bite of this Fiesta Chicken and Rice Bake, risotto instantly came to mind — and it’s not really surprising, actually. As the rice bakes slowly in this dish, it releases starches that thicken the “sauce” — in a process that’s very similar to making risotto…with one HUGE exception: there’s no need to stand over a pot, constantly stirring the rice.
Instead, the oven does all of the work, making this chicken and rice bake the “Lazy Girl’s” version of risotto! I’ll take it…
What You Need;
- Chicken breasts
- Rice
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Cream of chicken soup
- Cream od celery soup
- Cheese
- Water
If you’re a busy home chef who can use a few shortcuts in the kitchen, then you’re definitely in the right place. My dump-and-bake recipes make weeknight meals a breeze, and this Fiesta Chicken and Rice Bake is no exception!
The uncooked rice, raw chicken, and raw veggies are combined with a thick, creamy sauce and finished with gooey, melted cheese. You’ll only have one dish to wash at the end, and your carbs, protein, and veggies are all cooked together in one recipe. Serve it with a salad on the side for fresh greens if you like, but that’s not even necessary!
By the time you pull the casserole out of the oven, everything will be cooked to perfection. There’s no need to stand over a hot stove, and there’s no need to babysit a pot of rice. Just dump, bake, and EAT!
More Dump And Bake Recipes You Might Like;
- Dump and Bake French Toast Casserole
- Dump and Bake Chicken Fajita Quinoa
- Dump and Bake Taco Casserole
- Dump and Bake Crispy Garlic Butter Shrimp
Dump-and-Bake Fiesta Chicken and Rice Bake
Ingredients
- 1 sweet bell pepper any color, finely diced
- 1 cup finely diced sweet onion
- 1 ½ cups uncooked regular white rice
- 1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (NOT diluted)
- 1 10.5 ounce can cream of celery soup (NOT diluted)
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb. thin-sliced chicken breasts or chicken breast tenders diced into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Optional garnish: sliced green onion additional diced red pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), stir together bell pepper, onion, uncooked rice, chicken soup, celery soup, water, and uncooked chicken.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour (or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through).
- Remove cover, stir, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with sliced green onion and diced red pepper just before serving.
I love that you don’t even need to cook the rice before throwing everything together! Such a pretty dish, Blair! Those fiesta flavors are calling my name. Looks so hearty and comforting!
So simple, right? It doesn’t get any easier than this! 🙂
Hi Blair
Keep these dump and bake recipes coming as I and my Hubby really luv them and best part they are tasty
Hi, Sonia! I’m so glad that you enjoy the recipes! I definitely have more coming your way soon! 🙂
You know I think that I may change it up a little bit & cook it in the crock pot…. I bet the results will still be tasty & delicious!!
Sounds great, Dannette! Let me know how it works out! 🙂
This looks so good! One of those recipes the whole family would love!
Exactly! Thanks, Kristy!
Would this work with cooked chicken? Would I need to adjust the liquid? Thanks!
Yep, it should work just fine with cooked chicken. You do not need to adjust the liquid. Hope you enjoy!