My Ground Chicken Taco Casserole is an easy weeknight dinner that my family absolutely loves! Made with seasoned ground chicken, a jar of salsa, corn tortillas, black beans, and plenty of melted cheese… everything bakes into a cozy, cheesy casserole. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Everyone Loves This Ground Chicken Taco Casserole!
Taco night looks a little different around here when I make this Ground Chicken Taco Casserole — and honestly, I think my family loves it even more than regular tacos. It’s cozy, cheesy, filling, and everybody gets excited to pile on their own toppings at the table. I put out bowls of shredded lettuce, avocado, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and taco sauce and suddenly dinner feels fun without much extra work from me.
This casserole is layered with corn tortillas, seasoned ground chicken, black beans, corn, jarred salsa, green chiles, and lots of melty cheese for an easy dinner that works on busy weeknights. If your family loves taco-inspired dinners too, make sure to try my vegetarian taco casserole with elbow noodles and my easy stovetop taco soup too — both are reader favorites around here!
Ingredients + Helpful Tips
- Ground chicken — Lean, easy to cook, and perfect for soaking up all the taco flavors. If you twist my arm I will tell you that yes, ground beef and turkey are both “ok” to use too.
- Mild salsa — I like using a thick and chunky mild salsa to keep the casserole flavorful but family-friendly. If your crew likes heat, use medium or hot. I found a jar of Chi-Chi’s salsa at the grocery store and it brought back big kid memories so I bought it!
- Diced green chiles — They add extra flavor without making the casserole spicy. If you grow peppers in your garden, homemade green chiles are so easy to make (and stock up for Winter!).
- Black beans — I never rinse or drain them! The liquid helps keep everything saucy and flavorful.
- Frozen corn — No need to thaw first. Throw it in frozen.
- Corn tortillas — My favorite for texture and flavor, but flour tortillas work fine too. For the bottom layer, I usually just stack a few corn and cut them into rough strips with kitchen scissors. Nothing fancy — you actually want uneven pieces a little because they overlap better and create more layers.
- Cheese — I love a cheddar and Monterey Jack blend because it melts beautifully and gives that classic taco casserole flavor.
- Toppings — The more the better my kids say! Lettuce, avocado, red onion, cilantro, sour cream, taco sauce, and crushed tortilla chips make this extra fun for serving.
Let’s Make My Ground Chicken Taco Casserole!
Spread a little salsa in the bottom of a baking dish.
Cook the ground chicken and minced garlic in a skillet.
Stir in salsa, green chiles, black beans, corn, and seasonings. Let it all warm together for a few minutes.
Now grab your tortillas and cut them up into strips. I use my handy kitchen scissors for this!
Layer tortillas first..
Now chicken mixture….
And finally cheese.
Repeat everything one more time.
Cover and bake until hot and bubbly. Now uncover and add even more cheese! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Let it rest a few minutes, then serve with your favorite toppings.
I love lettuce and guacamole for mine. And lots and lots and lots of salsa verde (sorry, forgot to take a picture!).
While my kids will add sour cream to everything!
Enjoy!! We really love this meal!
Got leftovers? I’m surprised!
This taco casserole stores really well, which makes it great for meal prep or easy lunches the next day. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, microwave individual portions until warm or reheat larger portions in the oven covered with foil until heated through. If the casserole thickens up in the fridge, a spoonful of salsa on top before reheating helps bring it back to life.
Pin for later:
Ground Chicken Taco Casserole with Corn Tortillas
PrintIngredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounce jar thick & chunky mild salsa
- 15 ounce can black beans I never rinse or drain them!
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 6-inch corn tortillas cut into strips
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese divided (I like a cheddar/monterey jack combo if you can find it)
- Your favorite taco toppings: shredded lettuce, diced red onion, cilantro, taco sauce, sour cream, avocado, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F . Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of the prepared baking dish (this keeps the first tortilla layer soft).
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it up as it browns. When the chicken is mostly cooked through, stir in the minced garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Reduce heat and stir in the salsa, black beans, green chiles, corn, chili powder, cumin, and salt and let everything warm together for a few minutes until the flavors come together.
- Layer half of the tortilla pieces over the salsa. Top with half of the chicken mixture and sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and another layer of cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove foil, top with remaining cheese, and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more until melted and slightly golden.
- Let rest a few minutes before serving. Finish with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy! If you liked the recipe, please leave me a comment/rating – I love reading them! 🙂
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