One casserole dish is all it takes for this incredibly versatile chicken fajita casserole. Layer thinly sliced chicken breasts with bell peppers, onions, cheese, and some seasonings and lime and you have a meal that works just as well for dinner as it does for a wrap filling for lunch the next day. Keep it as is for a low-carb dinner, pair it with some broccoli rice for something more substantial, or go all out and add rice, sour cream and fresh avocado for an insanely delicious meal the whole family will love.
Chicken Fajita Casserole Bake
Jump to:
Everyone in our house loves this dish, including all 3 kids.
And we all know how hard it is to get everyone in the family 100% on board with a meal!
It is:
- incredibly easy, involving simply slicing and layering and popping everything into the oven;
- low carb;
- keto-friendly;
- meal prep friendly;
- great as a leftover chicken fajita wrap the next day;
- so easy to put together you can even get the kids involved;
- super quick to put together, making it the perfect weeknight meal.
Ingredients
To make this the ultimate weeknight meal experience I have kept the ingredients for this chicken fajita casserole super simple.
All you will need is:
- chicken breasts: (or if you live in Australia and have access to chicken tenders you could remove one step from the prep time and use those instead)
- brown onions: you can sub in some red onion or yellow onion if you prefer;
- bell peppers/capsicums: I used a mixture of red bell peppers, green bell peppers and yellow bell peppers because the kids thought that was great, but use what's on special or what you have on hand;
- ground cumin;
- ground paprika;
- fresh garlic: you can always sub in with some prepared garlic or garlic powder;
- cheese
- lime
- cilantro/coriander: this can be left out for those that don't like it;
- jalapenos if you like a little spice. I add mine at the end to keep it kid-friendly, but you can always add during cooking time if you want the flavor infused with the rest of the dish.
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
You will also need a good casserole dish, baking dish, or large skillet that is large enough to fit enough food for 4-6 people but small enough to fit into the oven.
It is always easier if you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
Once prepped, we are simply going to layer all of the ingredients into a baking tray, pop into the oven and bake until cooked through.
Be sure to lightly grease the casserole dish with olive oil or cooking spray before adding the ingredients to make sure it does not stick.
What Type Of Cheese?
I use shredded mozzarella cheese in this version as I love a good melty gooey cheese on top.
However, you can mix it up, and use whatever cheese you prefer.
Why not try some cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, a Mexican blend, or any other shredded cheese of choice.
Adding dollops of cream cheese throughout the layers will give you more of a creamy cheese sauce when combined with the juices from the other ingredients.
Can I Use A Spice Mix?
Absolutely.
I use a simple blend of ground cumin and smoked paprika to keep things easy, but feel free to use some taco seasoning or a homemade fajita seasoning (like this one from Little Sunny Kitchen).
Chicken Tips
Chicken breasts work really well in this recipe as being topped with the other ingredients and cooked together leaves you with juicy chicken full of moisture and flavor.
If you are in Australia go on ahead to sub in some chicken tenders to cut down on the extra step of cutting the chicken.
You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken.
However, if you choose to use rotisserie chicken, chop it up and stir it through the rest of the casserole once cooked.
We don't want any dry chicken.
Can This Be Cooked In The Slow Cooker?
Absolutely.
Simply follow to assembly instructions, but in the bowl of the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
How To Serve Up Chicken Fajita Casserole
If you are following a low-carb or keto diet then serve it up as is and away you go.
If you aren't following such a diet, or just like something a little bit more substantial then here are some ideas I have tried:
- serve with broccoli rice or cauliflower rice (still low carb)
- with a side of black beans (or you could add the beans to the casserole itself)
- serve with brown rice, white rice or orange rice like you get in a Mexican restaurant
- with a side of tortilla chips
- with a dollop of sour cream, avocado, more lime juice from squeezed lime wedges, refried beans, and some jalapenos or other green chiles
- as an actual fajita in a flour tortilla or corn tortilla, or if you are wanting to keep it low carb you could track down some lo carb tortillas
- as a wrap with some sour cream and avocado
- in a green salad on a bed of lettuce or spinach leaves
- in lettuce leaves instead of tortillas if keeping it low-carb and/or gluten-free
It really is a versatile meal and lends itself well to being served up in a multitude of ways.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 or 2 days and simply reheat before serving, or enjoy cold.
Need More Easy Recipes
One-pot meals like this chicken fajita casserole become so important when life gets busy and you don't have hours to spend in the kitchen.
Even though I cook almost every day, I have a few staples I rely on during busy times:
- One-pot oven-roasted chicken in immunity-boosting broth
- Instant pot lasagna soup
- Rustic one pot white bean and sausage soup
- One-pan creamy garlic chicken with potatoes and garden herbs
- One-pot creamy garlic and tortellini soup
If you have a favorite one-pot meal be sure to leave a comment and inspire us with some more ideas to make a busy week that little bit easier.
Happy eating.
xx
Recipe
Insanely Easy Chicken Fajita Casserole
Equipment
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs (about 750g) chicken breasts cut lengthwise to make them nice and thin (chicken tenders work well also)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 limes juiced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 colored bell peppers (red, green and yellow) seeded and cut into strips
- 1 onion peeled, halved and each half cut into 4
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella grated
- 1 jalapeno chopped (optional)
- cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream to serve
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 435F (225C) and lightly grease a casserole dish
- Combine the cumin and paprika in a small dish. Add salt and pepper if you like and stir to combine.
- Place the sliced chicken breasts (see notes) into the casserole dish. Drizzle on the olive oil and lime juice, sprinkle on half the paprika mixture, and all of the garlic.
- Top the chicken breasts with the bell peppers and onion. Sprinkle on the rest of the spice mixture, followed by the mozzarella cheese. At this point add some chopped jalapenos if you are adding them.
- Pop into the oven and bake for roughly 25 mins, or until the chicken is cooked through (see notes).
- Serve as is or in tortillas etc. For more serving options see the list in the post above.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Don’t forget to follow Whole Food Bellies on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration! Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post! Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group!
Jerika says
YUM! so delish! I will be sharing this with my fam. Thanks!:)
Tracy says
Insanely easy AND loved by 3 kids? Say no more. This is exactly what we need for our busy weeknights, especially with picky kids. Thanks for another delicious, easy recipe!
Trish Bozeman says
I can't believe how insanely easy this is! We are all about the one pot meals with a toddler and a busy schedule. Plus, the whole family loves it. Thanks for the great recipe, Donna!
Gloria says
This looks like a great dinner for any night of the week. You can never have too many casseroles in your rotation. This would also be a great take along to a pot luck too.