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Home One Pot Recipes

One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole

By:Nagi
Published:12 Oct '15Updated:24 Apr '20
257 Comments
Recipe v

Easy, effortless midweek meal! Rice with shredded chicken cooked in a homemade enchilada sauce (or use store-bought!), topped with cheese. All made in one pot!

One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole - the flavours of chicken enchilada, in a rice casserole, all made in ONE POT on the stove!

All you need is chicken, rice, tomato passata (or canned tomato) and a handful of pantry essentials to make this incredible flavour loaded, comfort-food-central meal. Oh wait – cheese. Of course you need cheese. This would not be “Enchilada” without cheese!

I’ve been overloading on Mexican over the last couple of weeks, sharing my Mexican Shredded Beef and Freezer Friendly Beef Burritos. I feel a bit silly sharing yet another Mexican(-esque) recipe today, but I hadn’t actually planned to! I had Cashew Chicken all ready to go, then I got the sweetest message from TWO readers in one day asking me to please share more one-pot recipes because they loved my One Pot Greek Chicken & Lemon Rice so much. 🙂 So I decided to shuffle my posting calendar a bit and share this today. I hope you don’t mind!

I love this kind of food for midweek. I call it Couch Food. The definition of Couch Food is “any meal that can be served in a bowl and eaten with a fork or spoon without taking your eyes off the TV”.

This qualifies. 100%. 🙂

One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole - the flavours of chicken enchilada, in a rice casserole, all made in ONE POT on the stove!

One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole - the flavours of chicken enchilada, in a rice casserole, all made in ONE POT on the stove!

One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole - the flavours of chicken enchilada, in a rice casserole, all made in ONE POT on the stove!

There are quite a few spices required for this recipe because the sauce the rice is cooked in is essentially homemade Enchilada sauce. I’ve marked the ingredients that make up the Enchilada Sauce with an asterisk (*) so you could in fact substitute with a store bought Enchilada Sauce and it will become even easier to make!

My key tip for making this is to take it off the stove while it is still quite saucy because the rice will continue to absorb water while it is resting – and even while you are serving it. You want it pretty saucy – not sloppy, but not dry.

And please please please don’t overcook the rice so it is mushy! The liquid quantities I’ve provided will not yield mushy rice – I like mine tender but firm (it’s an Asian “thing”), but I know some people have a tendency to get stressed that the rice isn’t cooking and add more water. Which is totally fine, cook the rice to your taste but just don’t let it turn into baby food! 🙂

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Back on Wednesday with something a bit different – but super easy, super tasty and totally irresistible! – Nagi x

PS Check out how bubbly and golden it looks…..ugh. Help me. I just want to dive in and grab a spoonful.

One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole - the flavours of chicken enchilada, in a rice casserole, all made in ONE POT on the stove!

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One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole - the flavours of chicken enchilada, in a rice casserole, all made in ONE POT on the stove!

One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Dinner, One Pot
Tex-Mex
4.93 from 71 votes
Servings5
Tap or hover to scale
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  • 1592
Everything you know and love about the flavour of Chicken Enchiladas.....but in the form of a rice casserole! And all made in ONE POT on the stove! I like the flow of this recipe because you don't need to measure everything out in advance. After cooking the bell pepper (capsicum) add the passata and chicken broth, then while that comes to a simmer you can gather all the spices. Saves time! This recipe makes a LOT. Because it is carb heavy, I think it is enough to feed 6.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 400g (13oz) chicken breast, about 1/3"/1cm thick, sliced horizontally into thin steaks (Note 1)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 red bell pepper/capsicum, diced
  • 680g (24oz) tomato passata or crushed canned tomatoes* (Note 2)
  • 3 cups chicken broth or water (750ml)
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn (250g)
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper* (spicy - adjust to taste)
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano*
  • 2 tsp cumin*
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander*
  • 2 tsp onion powder*
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar*
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups (270g) white rice (short, medium or long grain , uncooked (Note 4)
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (about 125 - 150 g)

To Serve

  • Chopped cilantro/coriander optional

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil over medium high heat in large skillet.
  • Add chicken and cook each side for 2 minutes or until cooked, then remove onto a plate.
  • Add extra oil if the skillet is looking dry. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 1/2 minutes until starting to soften.
  • Add bell peppers and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients except rice and cheese. Bring to simmer, then add rice.
  • Stir, cover with a lid and turn down heat to medium low. Cover and cook until rice is cooked but not mushy and most of the liquid is absorbed - about 15 to 18 minutes. (Note 3). Do not stir while it cooks.
  • Meanwhile, shred or roughly chop chicken.
  • When rice is cooked, quickly stir chicken through, sprinkle with cheese then pop under broil / grill until golden and bubbly.
  • Serve, garnished with fresh cilantro/coriander if desired.

Recipe Notes:

1. Slice the chicken into thin steaks just so they cook faster on the stove. You could bash them thinner using a meat mallet or rolling pin if you prefer (place the chicken between cling wrap). Or if you had a bad day. It's very therapeutic.
2. Tomato passata is just pureed tinned tomatoes. Nowadays it is readily available in supermarkets, usually alongside pasta sauces. It costs just a tiny bit more, sometimes the same, as canned tomatoes. If you can't find it, puree canned tomatoes or use crushed canned tomatoes.
3. Add extra water if required because many variables can affect the amount of water required to cook rice. When you finish cooking, you want a bit of liquid left in the rice so it is a bit saucy. Also remember that the rice will continue to absorb liquid even when you take it off the stove.
4. This recipe is suited to short, medium or long grain (aka "normal") white rice. It is not suited to brown rice, risotto, calasparra (paella) rice or wild rice. I am pretty sure it will work with Jasmin and Basmati because they water to liquid ratio is the same and the cook time is similar. But I can't say with 100% certainty because I haven't tried it.
* These ingredients are the "Enchilada Sauce" in this recipe. You can substitute all these ingredients with 24oz/680g of store bought Enchilada Sauce if you prefer.
5. STORAGE: This will reheat fine in the microwave from the fridge or thawed after freezing.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 443gCalories: 490cal (25%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings.

One Pot Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole Nutrition

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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257 Comments

  1. lucky says

    December 30, 2019 at 3:28 pm

    Hi Nagi, im really excited to try out this recipe but as a beginner to cooking im unsure how to broil? And at what temp? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 31, 2019 at 10:40 am

      Hi Lucky, you can use a broiler or grill – on a high heat or simply turn your oven up to a high heat and watch for the cheese to melt and go golden – N x

      Reply
  2. Bev Theato says

    November 3, 2019 at 9:01 pm

    5 stars
    This was lovely – very tasty and left overs will be lunch at work.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 4, 2019 at 8:12 pm

      Thanks so much for letting me know Bev ❤️

      Reply
  3. Mia says

    September 5, 2019 at 10:22 am

    I used Jasmine rice and it stuck to the bottom of the pot so found i had to stir the rice at least 4 times. Still yum though, thanks Nagi

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 5, 2019 at 8:26 pm

      Hi Mia, try a slightly lower heat – N x

      Reply
  4. Ani says

    August 24, 2019 at 10:47 am

    5 stars
    Even though, despite being warned, I overcooked rice (it does absorb a lot of liquid!), it was still amazingly delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe Nagi!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 24, 2019 at 2:01 pm

      I’m so glad you still enjoyed it Ani!

      Reply
  5. Ariel says

    August 22, 2019 at 6:20 am

    This dish was delicious! My husband also enjoyed it immensely. I shared it with my BFF too! This will become a staple.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 22, 2019 at 12:45 pm

      Wahoo, that’s great to hear Ariel!!

      Reply
  6. Jane says

    June 5, 2019 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    One of our favourites. Full of flavour and so easy to make. I wish I had found your recipes sooner!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 6, 2019 at 7:31 pm

      That’s great!

      Reply
  7. Veganizer says

    May 29, 2019 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I totally veganized it with faux chicken, a whole can of black beans, brown rice and made my own vegan cheese sauce to top! It was so delicious and flavourful! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 29, 2019 at 7:22 pm

      Woah, sounds like you nailed it!!!

      Reply
  8. Cal says

    May 20, 2019 at 11:23 am

    Has anyone tried brown rice?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 20, 2019 at 12:50 pm

      Hi Cal, I talk about this in the recipe notes ☺️

      Reply
  9. michelle says

    May 7, 2019 at 12:10 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi I made this last night and it was delicious! However I didnt stir the pot as you said and when i finally opened it at end of cooking the rice was stuck badly. My oan is a heavy based very good quality one and it was just simmering. Any ideas?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 7, 2019 at 4:06 pm

      Hi Michelle, sorry to hear, it sounds like the heat may of been up a little too high 😣

      Reply
  10. Tamara says

    May 1, 2019 at 10:53 am

    Could I use chicken mince in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 1, 2019 at 6:33 pm

      Sure could Tamara!

      Reply
  11. Jen says

    April 30, 2019 at 10:26 am

    Hi, Does this freeze well?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 30, 2019 at 12:39 pm

      Sure does Jen!

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        September 5, 2019 at 11:44 pm

        To freeze, do you cook everything as directed and then freeze? thaw completely and reheat to desired temp?

        Reply
  12. Fowz says

    March 6, 2019 at 12:56 am

    Hi Nagi, what can I use to substitute onion powder, just don’t see it on our shelves. Thanks

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 6, 2019 at 2:58 pm

      Hi Fowz, how about garlic powder?

      Reply
      • Fowzia says

        May 22, 2019 at 8:23 pm

        5 stars
        Thank you Nagi. I found onion powder and pounced on it as I note it is used it a few of you dishes. This dish is now my family favorite & I am hosting my sisters next week for Ramadan so am making it again. Thank you from Cape Town 💕😁

        Reply
  13. alyssa says

    January 27, 2019 at 11:15 pm

    Hello,

    I plan on trying this meal this week. What kind of cheese do you need to use?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 28, 2019 at 9:18 am

      Hi Alyssa, you can use any cheese here, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella or even any the of cheddar or tasty!

      Reply
  14. Shannan says

    December 15, 2018 at 7:13 pm

    5 stars
    OMG! Nagi you have outdone yourself! I love your recipes but this is next level deliciousness x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 17, 2018 at 11:56 am

      Yessss, I’m so happy you love it!

      Reply
  15. Sarah Al Amri says

    December 15, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    5 stars
    This was so easy to make and so very good. I did change with the cheese. I waited until the rice was done but still a touch wet and put shredded mozzarella cheese on top and replaced the lid. A few minutes and it was melted and my dish was done.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 17, 2018 at 11:57 am

      Sounds fab Sarah!

      Reply
  16. Ana says

    November 18, 2018 at 12:35 pm

    5 stars
    So good! The final 2-3 mins of the rice cooking, I threw in a bag of spinach for some green veggies and it goes really nicely!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 18, 2018 at 6:19 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it Ana! N x

      Reply
  17. Anna says

    September 20, 2018 at 5:07 am

    5 stars
    This was easy to do and really tasty. Thank you

    Reply
  18. Roisin says

    August 14, 2018 at 10:52 pm

    5 stars
    Sooo tasty!! Great alternative to normal enchiladas which can sometimes be too heavy 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 15, 2018 at 9:18 am

      Thanks for the feedback Roisin! Glad you enjoyed this 🙂 N x

      Reply
  19. Whitney says

    April 24, 2018 at 12:40 pm

    Hi Nagi, I love your blog so much i have made so many recipes off of here and everyone has been a huge hit with my family ! I was just wondering if this enchilada rice is freezer friendly? I am studying nursing and about to do a 6 week placement and my husband is cooking challenged so I want to pre cook some meals so we’re not stuck eating hubby cooking the whole time : )

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 25, 2018 at 7:57 pm

      Hi Whitney – I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes! Yep, this is fine to freeze 🙂 YUM! N x

      Reply
  20. Anna says

    April 17, 2018 at 3:52 am

    5 stars
    Delicious

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 19, 2018 at 9:45 pm

      Terrific to hear Anna! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it – N x

      Reply
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