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Nacho Casserole—does that sound like a dream or what? This Chicken Nacho Casserole is our favorite Mexican weeknight meal! Throw it together, bake it, and enjoy this easy, cheesy, spicy Tex Mex casserole in just minutes!
5-Star Review
“The easiest fastest delicious meal ever. Yummy to my tummy😉” -Charla
Chicken Nacho Casserole
If you’re a nacho fan like me, you’ll love them in casserole form in this super easy Chicken Nacho Casserole. I’ve always had a soft spot for casseroles because they’re simple, quick, and usually loaded with cheese.
This easy Tex Mex Casserole is a total crowd-pleaser—layered with crunchy tortilla chips, spiced chicken, melty cheese, green chiles, and more. It bakes up hot, bubbly, and full of bold flavor!
(Super Easy) Chicken Nacho Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1 ounce packet Old El Paso Taco Seasoning or homemade
- 1 cup cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup cheddar cheese soup from a can
- 1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 4.5 ounce can Old El Paso chopped green chiles
- 16 ounces Mexican blend cheese divided
- 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 6 cups tortilla chips store bought or homemade, lightly crushed and divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat.
- In a large bowl, toss the cubed chicken in olive oil, taco seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, 1 1 ounce packet Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
- Toss the coated cubed chicken into the skillet and cook for approximately 7-10 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Make sure to flip chicken as it cooks. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, stir together the soups, tomatoes, chiles, beans, cilantro, and ¾ of the Mexican blend cheese. Stir in the cooked chicken.1 cup cream of chicken soup, 1 cup cheddar cheese soup, 1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes, 1 4.5 ounce can Old El Paso chopped green chiles, 16 ounces Mexican blend cheese, 1 15 ounce can black beans, ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- Start by placing 1/3 of the crushed chips in the bottom of your casserole dish. Then top with ½ of the chicken mixture.6 cups tortilla chips
- Top with another layer of chips and then the rest of the chicken mixture. Put your last layer of chips on top and then cover with the remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until hot, bubbly, and melty and enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Chicken Nacho Casserole Step by Step
Get the oven going: Preheat oven to 350F.
Preheat a skillet: Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat.
Season the chicken: In a large bowl, toss the 4 cubed boneless chicken breasts in 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 ounce taco seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the chicken: Toss the coated cubed chicken into the skillet and cook for approximately 7-10 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Make sure to flip the chicken as it cooks. Set aside.
Combine the other ingredients: In another large bowl, stir together the 1 cup cream of chicken soup, 1 cup cheddar cheese soup, 1 10 ounce can of Rotel tomatoes, 1 4.5 ounce can Old El Paso chopped chiles, 1 15 ounce can black beans, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, and ¾ of the Mexican blend cheese. Stir in the cooked chicken.
Prepare the first layer of the casserole: Start by placing 1/3 of the 6 cups of crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of your casserole dish. Then top with ½ the chicken mixture.
Prepare the second layer: Top with another layer of chips and then the rest of the chicken mixture. Put your last layer of chips on top and then cover with the remaining cheese.
Bake and serve: Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until hot, bubbly, and melty and enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven so chips can crisp up, though they may not be as crunchy as when you first served the casserole. I don’t recommend preparing this dish in advance or freezing it as you won’t get the same crispy texture when made fresh.
Serving Suggestions
A meal in itself, this nacho cheese casserole does beg for a few Mexican-inspired dips like guacamole and salsa. You can also serve it with a side of cilantro lime rice and don’t forget the churros for dessert.
more tex mex recipes to try!
This was delicious, but I was pretty confused about how much soup to put in. You mentioned half-cans in a comment, but the directions specify one cup of each kind soup, and there is exactly one cup of soup per can, so I used two full cans of soup. Turned out to be the perfect amount — I think the equivalent of just one can wouldn’t have provided enough liquid. Anyway, we liked the crunchiness and the heat from habanero Rotel tomatoes, as well as all that cheese, so I’ll definitely be making this again.
Sorry for the confusion, Helen! The cans of soup we used were 10.5 ounces, which is just a bit more than a cup. The measurements on the recipe card are correct!
⁰Question…what would you consider to be the approximate weight of the chicken you use in this recipe? The chicken breasts I buy are quite large and four of them could add up to close to three lbs.
We usually look for chicken breasts between a quarter and half a pound each, so 1-2 pounds should be fine!
Was looking for something quick and easy. This hit the spot. I didn’t have cream of chicken so I used only the can of cheese. I will definitely make this again.
Thanks for sharing!
How far in advance can this be made?
Looks very tasty!
Can I ask.. do you actually make the can of soup first? I too have to use con queso because my store didn’t have cheddar cheese. thanks!
Nope, you just toss it in straight from the can :)
One cup of soup is basically a full can, so I went with it, (doubling this recipe would feed an army). Maybe that was too much, seemed a big stodgy and dull. Some added liquid to reduce the condensed soups perhaps. Also I did a layer of chips and cheese on top, that glued all together, should have added the cheese when it was out of the oven. Will try again, this should be a great casserole, mine was ehhh.
Sorry, this didn’t quite work out for you, David. I hope you give it another shot!
The easiest fastest delicious meals ever yummy to my tummy😉
Thanks, Charla! I’m so glad you loved it!!
Company loved it, but had to make some minor changes. Used boneless, skinless rotisserie chicken. Added chicken & Taco seasoning into bowl with other ingredients. Had to use Salsa con Queso, as cheese soup wasn’t available. Served 12 easily. Still yummy!
That sounds yummy! I’m glad everyone loved it!
You’re welcome, Rasthra!
I want to make this recipe for a crowd but noticed this recipe doesn’t have a serving size so I calculate the ingredients I need to feed a crowd.