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.

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (1)

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.

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (2)

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

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (3)

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

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (4)

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.

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (5)

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.

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (6)

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (7)

  • Enjoy every delicious bite.

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (8)

helpful items for this recipe:

  1. 8 x 8 inch baking dish– a favorite dish that comes with a nice lid for transporting or storing leftovers.
  2. Knives– these are a nice set of knives for chopping. They come in fun colors. Great for gift giving too.
  3. Skillet– a great non stick skillet that cleans up so easily.

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Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (9)

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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

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.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Print

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
  • teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil crushed
  • teaspoon ground cumin
  • 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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Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (10)

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Join The Discussion

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  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. HillaryA says:

    How many servings does this recipe make?

  4. Six Sisters says:

    Hi Hillary!

    There are 8 servings. You could serve more or less depending on your serving size portion.

  5. 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!

  6. Julia@SouthernColor says:

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

  7. 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

  8. 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!

  9. Jackie Reich says:

    Anyone know the calories on this dish?

  10. Carrie North says:

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

  11. 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 :(

  12. 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!

  13. Darla Martinez says:

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

  14. Rachel says:

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

  15. Amber says:

    How calories?

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. Jessica says:

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

  19. Cyd says:

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

Low Fat Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (12)

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

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.

What is in casserole dish? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

Can you use brown rice instead of white rice in a casserole? ›

I also like the texture of brown rice for a casserole: when I tested it with white rice, the rice tended to clump together, so it had a mushy effect. You can substitute an equal amount of long-grain white rice for brown. If you do this, you'll likely only need to give the casserole 30 minutes of time in the oven.

Can you add raw chicken to rice? ›

it's a one pan dinner – the raw rice and chicken are cooked together at the same time; completely hands off – unlike cooking rice on the stove which requires more attention, you just put the pan in the oven, set the timer and walk away; quick to prepare – active prep time is under 10 minutes; and.

What are 3 common Tex-Mex dishes? ›

For many us, Tex-Mex comfort foods such as tamales, tacos, and fajitas are filled with nostalgia.

What are two typical Tex-Mex dishes? ›

Examples of Tex-Mex food include fajitas, nachos, and any dish that uses beef, black beans, canned vegetables, wheat flour, or yellow cheese. These ingredients are not popular south of the Rio Grande or the Mexican border.

What makes Tex-Mex different than Mexican? ›

One of the major differences is that Tex-Mex tends to use beef, which is readily available in Texas, whereas authentic Mexican uses pork. Tex-Mex may also use other ingredients not typically found in Mexican dishes, such as: Yellow cheese. Wheat flour.

Can I eat rice and chicken and lose weight? ›

Yep, chicken and rice is a solid meal choice for weight loss. Chicken is a great source of lean protein, meaning it'll supply more protein for less calories than other cuts of meat like lean steak or salmon. Plus, the combo of carbs and protein will keep you satisfied for hours.

What sauce is good with rice and chicken? ›

Soy Sauce:Traditional soy sauce is a classic choice for chicken fried rice. It adds a savory, salty flavor that complements the rice and chicken. Oyster Sauce:Oyster sauce has a rich, savory flavor with a touch of sweetness. It adds depth and umami to the fried rice and pairs well with chicken and vegetables.

Is it healthy to eat chicken and rice all the time? ›

A chicken and rice diet can be beneficial when incorporated into a well-balanced meal plan that includes a variety of other nutrient-dense foods. This diet can promote weight loss and muscle building, and provide essential nutrients when practiced with moderation and proper portion control.

What is the oldest known casserole? ›

Macaroni and cheese is the oldest written casserole recipe found in 1250.

What are 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!

Should you cover casserole when baking? ›

The primary reason for covering a casserole as it bakes is to trap moisture inside the dish. This will not only keep the casserole itself moist, but it will also help get the casserole up to cooking temperature.

Why did my rice not cook in my casserole? ›

Maybe you cooked it at too high of a temperature, evaporating the water long before the rice actually cooked. 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.

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.

Do you add rice before or after cooking? ›

Fill the pot with water (no need to measure) and salt it — just like you do with pasta water. Bring it to a boil and then carefully add your desired amount of rice.

Does rice need to be cooked properly? ›

Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The spores can survive when rice is cooked. If rice is left standing at room temperature, the spores can grow into bacteria. These bacteria will multiply and may produce toxins (poisons) that cause vomiting or diarrhoea.

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