Mexican style rice is so popular why not spin it into a full on meal? By using the whole grain rice this Mexican Brown Rice Bake is much more nutritious making it a fabulous gluten free choice the family will gobble up. Packed with protein, this cheesy chicken dinner will become a staple in your home.
Cheesy casseroles are right up my alley.
They are usually tasty, filling and so useful as leftovers because they reheat so well.
This particular casserole is inspired by Mexican style rice, spinning the side into a spicy, zesty family friendly dinner. It is ready for you to customize with toppings like fresh avocado, sour cream or chopped cilantro.
MEXICAN BROWN RICE BAKE
This Mexican Brown Rice Bake is my homage to home cooking. I made the refried beans and the enchilada sauce from scratch, like a true home cook, which was my culture growing up.
My mom was a real housewife, but not like one from the OC, that’s for sure. 😉
She got up before everyone, packed school lunches consisting of sandwiches on homemade bread, fresh baked cookies, and fruit from our trees. Then it was onto hot breakfasts for us four kids, followed by cleaning and organizing our massive home, and picking veggies from our garden to go with dinner.
I feel like it’s a life I would love for myself. Minus the four kids, of course. Louis the cat works for us. 😉
This tastes fabulous with some creamy fresh avocado or a dollop of sour cream.
I hope you make it with love and share it with the ones you cherish. 🙂
This casserole heats up well the next day. It’s not sloppy or messy so toting it around in your lunch bag is pretty easy.
I like to spin the leftovers into a new meal and use them as a burrito filler!
HOW TO MAKE BROWN RICE:
I have two tried and true methods to cooking perfect brown rice.
Stovetop Method for Brown Rice
Instant Pot Method for Brown Rice
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE!
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- 2 cooked chicken breasts shredded
- 1 cup dry brown rice
- 1 cup refried beans
- 3/4 cup enchilada sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1/2 pepper diced
- 2 tsp chili flakes optional
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Cook brown rice --> I use this stove top method or this one for your Instant Pot
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Heat oven to 350 and grease a 9x9 baking dish
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In a mixing bowl, stir together the shredded chicken and enchilada sauce. Mix in the rice and beans and stir until it's all combined
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Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9x9 dish and top with the shredded cheese, diced peppers and chili flakes
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Bake for 25-30 minutes, then broil for 2-3 to get a bit of crispiness to the layer of cheese
This brown rice dish looks divine. Pinning it for later 😉
Thanks so much Olivia! Love the pin love. 🙂
Haven’t ever been to Mexico either; but LOVE their food. I think it would be the trip where I would actually gain weight, rather than lose. 😉 Love how easy this dish is, and plus…all that protein! & cheeseeeee!
Cannot forget cheese. Have I mentioned I like cheese? Say cheese!
This looks delicious! I spent the better part of a year travelling around Mexico and it’s well worth a longer visit. All the states have different food traditions and there is so much history and art in the cities there.
Wow! What an adventure that must have been. It does look beautiful and some of the nicest people I’ve met are from Mexico. One day …
This recipe looks amazing. Does it work the same with white rice?
I haven’t tried it using the white, but I would assume so. Cook the rice separately and it should turn out the same. 🙂
Have made this a dozen times! Super easy to make and it’s delicious.
Hey thanks Nyssa! It’s a favourite around here too! 🙂
Can you make this and freeze for later?
You know, I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure it would be fine frozen. Let me know if you try it.
Hi Sharon. Is 1/4 cup chilli powder supposed to be 1/4 tsp? Also the 3 tbsp cumin in refried beans right?
The amounts are correct for these recipes as written. Thanks!
What is the oven supposed to be preheated to?
I believe the recipe says 350.
Around how many cups of chicken?
Maybe about 4?
I have been to Tijuana once also, had a drink at the original “Caesar’s Palace” hotel where they invented Caesar salad. Love the sound of this recipe, pinning for my son’s family who are all gluten intolerant. Thank you 🙂
Thanks Robyn! Sounds like Tijuana was a bit more fun for you than me. We just crossed the border then came back. No time for drinks. 😉 I hope your son and family enjoy the recipe! We love it. 🙂
Can you use long grain rice or is this instant?
Should i cook the long grain rice first?
I used brown rice, but any kind of cooked rice should work. One cup of dry rice, cooked. Enjoy!
This was amazing. I didn’t have green pepper so I used scallions and instead of brown rice is used Jasmine rice. Thanks for sharing it will certainly be a staple in our home
Thank you Judi! So happy that you enjoyed it. 🙂 I love finding those ‘staple’ dishes. Have a great week!
This dish is delicious and easy to make I’m in Love!
I love that YOU are in love. 😉 Have a great weekend Sarah!
This is the second time making this, the first time I did not have any re-fried beans because someone (boyfriend) ate them so I used black beans. This time around I have the beans but I am using ground beef instead of chicken. Both times I used white rice instead of brown, a can of green chilies instead of green peppers, and added a can of drained corn. The first time was really good but did not hold together very well, I am hoping this time it will hold together since I am using the re-fried. I like recipes like this because you can play around with it and it still turns out great. 🙂
Me too! You should think about blogging. 🙂
I am made this tonight. I used ground turkey and cooked it with cumin seed, cyenne pepper, salt, pepper, onion and garlic, then put pepper jack cheese blend on top.. I am very happy how this has turned out!
How exactly do u cook the chicken?? Grill it?
You can use any cooked chicken. I use this marinade and cook in the oven at 375 for 40 minutes. You could totally grill it in much less time. I like to make extras when I cook up chicken, then I have it in the fridge for meals such as this one. 🙂
can you omit the chicken and make it vegetarian
Absolutely! That is actually a great idea for meatless Monday today. 🙂
Covered or uncovered? Well, mine is covered and in the oven now. I added diced jalapeño and fresh cilantro. Oh and only 1/2 cup of cheese, it’s my downfall so I use it sparingly. Can’t wait to try this tasty little number!
I don’t cover mine, but I can’t see how it would hurt. I hope it turned out and you loved your meal Sue!
No kidding the best ever! Soooo delicious. Thank you!
Ps it came out fine by covering it.
Great news! So adding jalapenos next time I make this, by the way! 🙂
What kind of cheese do you use?
I use an organic marble cheese. Anything that’s melts good will work in this recipe. Thanks!
This was a very easy and tasty recipe to make. I used black beans, which gave the bake a very robust flavor and texture. I like the possibilities of variations that can be done with the existing recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Todd! It is definitely a recipe open to lots of variations. Have a great week!
Great recipe! This is one of the only dishes I can fix that will feed my whole family agreeable..that includes a 10 month old and 3 year old and a husband ? I left out the chili flakes for the kids..then made a soup from the leftovers..just added corn tortilla strips that I cut up and some more enchilada sauce a water and boiled it up..dinner again! Thank you!
Thanks so much Shannon! I love when the kiddos are happy – it’s the true test of recipe success. 😉 Happy holidays to you and the family!
Has anyone ever tried this with ground beef?
I haven’t but I’m sure it would be delish! Let us know if you try it. 🙂
I have a question, on the recipe for the Mexican Brown rice bake, it says 3/4 cup dried brown rice…. Do you cook the rice before hand or do you just throw it in the ingredients uncooked? Sorry for asking a dumb question. Thanks for your reply.
Never mind, I completely missed the instructions #1. Duh!!!
No worries! I always cook extra rice when I make a batch. It will last in the fridge for up to a week. Then you have it on hand to throw into other meals. 🙂
You saved two halves of a rotisserie chicken breast from being thrown out, in two days. Strangely, when I saw your recipe, my thoughts leapt, thinking how I could make this simple and easy recipe with those two and some of my favorite ingredients. I really dislike cooking because it takes up too much of my time and it is just too much. But then there it was looming out at me, as if saying – you can do this. I had the perfect amount of T.J.’s left over bottled enchilada sauce and the perfect amount of previously shredded Tilamook mild cheddar. I used T.J.’s refried black beans butI didn’t want to waste the rest of the beans. To the beans I mixed in a little EVOO and Garlic salt then added to the mix of rice sauce and chicken. With the left over beans in the can I did the same with the oil and garlic salt and a piece of chili powder, then spread them on the bottom of the baking dish. I layered the mixture over the beans and then did an all over sprinkle with garlic salt. Next. I layered the pickled Jalapeño rings, a thick covering of the cheese and then the red pepper seeds. Absolutely satisfying and delicious and what a great way to use leftover but somewhat tasteless chicken breast. This s a repeat recipe and might also try it with Ground Beef. P.S. I never write comments but for some strange reason I just did…
Thanks for the great comment, DC! And I love the idea of doing this with beef. Thanks again and enjoy the rest of your week. 🙂
Lovely recipe-hubby loved it.
Thanks.
That’s the best endorsement, Laverne! I love happy hubbies. 😉 Thanks so much.
Needed to go food shopping but I was able to make this with what we had – just needed to do a salsa concoction instead of enchilada sauce. So fast and easy and it was a hit with everyone. Will definitely make again!
Awesome! Sp glad that everyone enjoyed. 🙂 Thanks so much Cristal.
Can you freeze this meal?
I haven’t personally, but I’m sure it should be fine for the freezer. Thanks Pam!
I’m gonna try this recipe this week, with an avocado sauce on it 🙂
Sounds delicious! Creamy avocado would be a great pair with this recipe. Yum! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
I was just wondering if the enhalada sauce makes it spicy? Is there an alternative sauce if so?
The sauce definitely has chili powder spice but not a fiery heat. Maybe just crushed tomatoes would work for a milder taste?
How do you portion this out for the 21 day fix?
Hey Jenn! I’m not sure, sorry. The nutrition stats are linked though, if that helps. 🙂 Have a great week!
Sharon this looks delicious! I’m always looking for new ways to make brown rice tasty 🙂 Hubby eats a lot of brown rice when he’s working out but for me it can be a bit boring. Pinning this for later. PS I also love a lot of cheese 😉
https://missfoodfairy.com/2017/10/16/best-pork-enchiladas-ever/
Very nice to meet another cheese lover! And lucky you with a brown rice loving hubby … mine despises it! haha Hope you enjoy this one!
…..The ‘Mexican’ food that you love, is TEX MEX. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tex Mex just as much as the next person. But you will NOT find these foods in Mexico. It is Texas and Americas take on ‘Mexican food’.
And this is MY take on Mexican. A healthier, deconstructed enchilada. Not looking for controversy here. It’s just dinner. Thanks for taking the time to comment though! You enjoy the rest of your week. 🙂
Lol, I was just trying to help you out since you were saying that you never got to have food in mexico, when you were on vacation. Everyone thinks its going to be like this recipe, but its not. So you didn’t miss out on eating there if this is what you were looking for. You didn’t have to get all defensive.
Made it for dinner. Very tasty. I made everything from scratch as suggested. I think next time I would layer it with rice, beans, chicken and enchilada. Each ingredient was so tasty I would prefer tasting them rather than mixing all together. I would cover it part time as one person suggested so it is more moist.
I like the layered idea! Even less time to assemble it. 🙂 Thanks so much Dee. Have a great week!