Mexican style rice is so popular why not spin it into a full 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.
Cheesy Mexican rice 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 brown rice and beans, spinning the side dish 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.
Easy brown rice on a stove – Stovetop Method for Brown Rice
Brown rice for meal prep – Instant Pot Method for Brown Rice
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE!
MORE HEALTHY GLUTEN FREE CHICKEN RECIPES:
Gluten Free Baked Chicken Fingers
Chicken Vegetable Soup with Spinach
Be sure to follow me on social media! I love pinning to Pinterest, sharing on Facebook and posting pics to Instagram. See you there. 🙂
Originally posted March 18, 2015. Updated February 5, 2020.
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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
- Cook brown rice --> I use this stove top method or this one for your Instant Pot
- Heat oven to 350 and grease a 9x9 baking dish
- 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
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9x9 dish and top with the shredded cheese, diced peppers and chili flakes
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, then broil for 2-3 to get a bit of crispiness to the layer of cheese
Olivia - Primavera Kitchen
March 19, 2015 at 12:42 pmThis brown rice dish looks divine. Pinning it for later 😉
Sharon
March 19, 2015 at 10:59 pmThanks so much Olivia! Love the pin love. 🙂
karen
March 19, 2015 at 12:39 pmHaven’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!
Sharon
March 19, 2015 at 11:00 pmCannot forget cheese. Have I mentioned I like cheese? Say cheese!
Teresa
March 25, 2015 at 8:37 pmThis 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.
Sharon
March 25, 2015 at 11:14 pmWow! 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 …
Mary
September 7, 2015 at 9:26 pmThis recipe looks amazing. Does it work the same with white rice?
Sharon
September 7, 2015 at 9:32 pmI haven’t tried it using the white, but I would assume so. Cook the rice separately and it should turn out the same. 🙂
Nyssa
September 13, 2015 at 7:58 amHave made this a dozen times! Super easy to make and it’s delicious.
Sharon
September 13, 2015 at 8:03 amHey thanks Nyssa! It’s a favourite around here too! 🙂
Maura Weins
October 11, 2015 at 9:51 pmCan you make this and freeze for later?
Sharon
October 13, 2015 at 1:01 amYou know, I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure it would be fine frozen. Let me know if you try it.
Karen
March 4, 2017 at 2:07 amHi Sharon. Is 1/4 cup chilli powder supposed to be 1/4 tsp? Also the 3 tbsp cumin in refried beans right?
Sharon
March 6, 2017 at 11:17 amThe amounts are correct for these recipes as written. Thanks!
Jeanine
October 23, 2015 at 6:26 pmWhat is the oven supposed to be preheated to?
Sharon
October 26, 2015 at 1:39 pmI believe the recipe says 350.
Kristine
November 3, 2015 at 8:48 pmAround how many cups of chicken?
Sharon
November 5, 2015 at 8:48 pmMaybe about 4?
RobynT
February 18, 2016 at 6:39 pmI 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 🙂
Sharon
February 19, 2016 at 5:19 pmThanks 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. 🙂
Amanda OBrien
March 29, 2016 at 9:27 amCan you use long grain rice or is this instant?
Should i cook the long grain rice first?
Sharon
March 29, 2016 at 12:06 pmI used brown rice, but any kind of cooked rice should work. One cup of dry rice, cooked. Enjoy!
Judi
June 13, 2016 at 7:18 pmThis 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
Sharon
June 15, 2016 at 12:48 pmThank you Judi! So happy that you enjoyed it. 🙂 I love finding those ‘staple’ dishes. Have a great week!
Sarah Elizabeth
June 15, 2016 at 10:49 pmThis dish is delicious and easy to make I’m in Love!
Sharon
June 17, 2016 at 11:15 amI love that YOU are in love. 😉 Have a great weekend Sarah!
Michelle
August 4, 2016 at 10:53 pmThis 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. 🙂
Sharon
August 5, 2016 at 12:14 pmMe too! You should think about blogging. 🙂
Sarah
September 14, 2016 at 9:21 pmI 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!
Me!!
September 28, 2016 at 10:08 pmHow exactly do u cook the chicken?? Grill it?
Sharon
September 29, 2016 at 11:53 amYou 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. 🙂
sue
October 2, 2016 at 10:35 pmcan you omit the chicken and make it vegetarian
Sharon
October 3, 2016 at 2:17 pmAbsolutely! That is actually a great idea for meatless Monday today. 🙂
Sue
October 8, 2016 at 11:24 amCovered 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!
Sharon
October 8, 2016 at 3:58 pmI don’t cover mine, but I can’t see how it would hurt. I hope it turned out and you loved your meal Sue!
Sue
October 8, 2016 at 8:12 pmNo kidding the best ever! Soooo delicious. Thank you!
Ps it came out fine by covering it.
Sharon
October 9, 2016 at 12:48 pmGreat news! So adding jalapenos next time I make this, by the way! 🙂
Akwana
October 18, 2016 at 1:00 amWhat kind of cheese do you use?
Sharon
October 18, 2016 at 11:33 amI use an organic marble cheese. Anything that’s melts good will work in this recipe. Thanks!
Todd the chef
November 13, 2016 at 7:14 pmThis 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!
Sharon
November 14, 2016 at 11:00 amThanks Todd! It is definitely a recipe open to lots of variations. Have a great week!
Shannon
December 15, 2016 at 5:35 pmGreat 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!
Sharon
December 16, 2016 at 11:10 amThanks 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!
Shannon
December 17, 2016 at 11:09 amHas anyone ever tried this with ground beef?
Sharon
December 17, 2016 at 11:37 amI haven’t but I’m sure it would be delish! Let us know if you try it. 🙂
Lexie
January 25, 2017 at 1:47 pmI 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.
Lexie
January 25, 2017 at 3:05 pmNever mind, I completely missed the instructions #1. Duh!!!
Sharon
January 25, 2017 at 4:00 pmNo 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. 🙂
DC
January 30, 2017 at 10:51 pmYou 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…
Sharon
January 31, 2017 at 12:56 pmThanks for the great comment, DC! And I love the idea of doing this with beef. Thanks again and enjoy the rest of your week. 🙂
Laverne
February 10, 2017 at 5:06 amLovely recipe-hubby loved it.
Thanks.
Sharon
February 10, 2017 at 11:25 amThat’s the best endorsement, Laverne! I love happy hubbies. 😉 Thanks so much.
Cristal
February 19, 2017 at 3:25 pmNeeded 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!
Sharon
February 19, 2017 at 3:53 pmAwesome! Sp glad that everyone enjoyed. 🙂 Thanks so much Cristal.
pam
April 16, 2017 at 1:16 pmCan you freeze this meal?
Sharon
April 17, 2017 at 9:25 amI haven’t personally, but I’m sure it should be fine for the freezer. Thanks Pam!
Barbara
April 18, 2017 at 8:33 pmI’m gonna try this recipe this week, with an avocado sauce on it 🙂
Sharon
April 18, 2017 at 8:51 pmSounds delicious! Creamy avocado would be a great pair with this recipe. Yum! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Kristina
November 18, 2017 at 5:41 pmI was just wondering if the enhalada sauce makes it spicy? Is there an alternative sauce if so?
Sharon
November 19, 2017 at 10:38 amThe sauce definitely has chili powder spice but not a fiery heat. Maybe just crushed tomatoes would work for a milder taste?
Jenn
January 5, 2018 at 2:51 pmHow do you portion this out for the 21 day fix?
Sharon
January 7, 2018 at 6:57 pmHey Jenn! I’m not sure, sorry. The nutrition stats are linked though, if that helps. 🙂 Have a great week!
Miss Food Fairy
January 23, 2018 at 7:12 pmSharon 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 😉
Sharon
January 24, 2018 at 9:15 amVery nice to meet another cheese lover! And lucky you with a brown rice loving hubby … mine despises it! haha Hope you enjoy this one!
Dee Lattanzio
June 10, 2018 at 5:16 pmMade 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.
Sharon
June 10, 2018 at 10:58 pmI like the layered idea! Even less time to assemble it. 🙂 Thanks so much Dee. Have a great week!
Kim
March 10, 2019 at 7:55 amI would love to try this and wondering if I leave the chicken out if I would need to use fewer of the other ingredients?
Sharon
March 10, 2019 at 10:24 amHey Kim! I would maybe add some black beans or kidney beans instead of the chicken to make it vegetarian and still have some protein. But, if you just wanted to leave the chicken out I would still follow the recipe as is but maybe less of the enchilada sauce as it may make it a bit ‘soupy’.
Pam
February 5, 2020 at 12:33 pmHi Olivia – First off, I loved your intro – re: minus the four kids. – HA! My husband and I thought that was hilarious 😆 I make brown rice often, especially since my husband has become disabled and we are living on a very limited income. You posted a couple of cooking methods for brown rice. Here is one that you might try, especially during the cold months and you need an excuse to heat up the kitchen.
Baked Brown Rice
2cups brown rice rinsed well and placed in a 2 qt oven safe dish coated in cooking spray
Bring to a boil 3 and 1/2 cups water, a TBSP butter and 1/2 tsp salt.
Pour the boiling mixture over the rice
Cover tightly with foil and bake ina 375 degree oven for 1 hour.
Carefully remove foil and fluff with a fork. – PERFECT
Try it!
I am looking forward to your brown rice casserole!
Sharon
February 5, 2020 at 5:57 pmHey Pam!! Loved your comment. 🙂 Thanks for the new method to try! And I have yet to attempt cooking rice in the oven. I hope you enjoy the dish! Let me know.
Pam
February 6, 2020 at 4:04 pmHey right back at Cha. Let me know what you think of the Baked Brown Rice method.I never worry about it. I leave it covered until needed, and freeze any left overs in one cup measures to thaw and add to whatever. Pam