Baked Chicken Fajita Casserole
Dinner is basically on autopilot once the pan goes in the oven.
When you’re tired and still want dinner to feel like dinner, this is the move: chicken, peppers, onions, salsa, and cheese baked together in one dish. It gives you the fajita flavor you want without standing over the stove, and it’s flexible enough to use whatever tortillas, rice, or toppings you already have. The chicken cooks through quickly because it’s cut small, so this works on a weeknight when your energy is low but you still want something warm and filling. Expect a cozy, cheesy casserole with a little saucy edge, not a perfectly crisp skillet dinner.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts — cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 unit bell peppers — any colors, sliced
- 1 unit yellow onion — sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fajita seasoning
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 8 unit small flour tortillas — cut into strips
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro — optional
- 1 unit lime — cut into wedges, optional
Method
- 1 Heat oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- 2 In the dish, toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, olive oil, fajita seasoning, salt, and pepper until everything is coated. Spread into an even layer.
- 3 Spoon the salsa over the top, then cover tightly with foil and bake for 12 minutes.
- 4 Remove foil, scatter the tortilla strips over the casserole, and top with both cheeses. Bake uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- 5 Rest for 3 minutes, then finish with cilantro and lime if you want. Serve as-is or spoon into bowls.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Replace the chicken with 2 cans of drained black beans and 1 cup corn, then bake as written and add the tortilla strips and cheese at the end.
- Faster swap — Use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and reduce the covered bake time to 8 minutes, just long enough to heat everything through before adding cheese.
- Easy substitutions — Swap cheddar and Monterey Jack for any melty cheese blend, or use fajita veggies from the freezer if that’s what you have.
Notes
For the juiciest result, cut the chicken into even pieces so it finishes at the same time as the vegetables. If your salsa is very thick, add 2 tbsp water before baking. Chicken is done at 165°F in the center. This casserole is best right away, but leftovers can be reheated gently in the microwave or a 350°F oven.
Equipment that helps
- 9x13-inch baking dish — It gives the chicken and vegetables enough surface area to bake quickly instead of steaming.
- Foil — It traps heat early so the chicken cooks fast and stays juicy before the cheese goes on.
Find more dinners like this
More like this
