This Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans) is a tasty gluten-free casserole that your family is going to love! See the link in this post if you’d like to make a similar Mexican casserole that’s lower in carbs!

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Mexican Chicken Casserole with Pinto Beans with one serving on plate and casserole in back.

This Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans) is different from the casseroles I grew up eating! My mom made casseroles that had white rice, noodles, pastry, tortillas, or potatoes, and some kind of canned cream soup. And when I changed my eating habits and didn’t want that kind of casserole any more, I still craved the comfort-food appeal of a casserole, as well as the way they make such great leftovers.

To fill that casserole craving I’ve been experimenting for several years with updated casserole combinations, using low-glycemic or low-carb ingredients for a healthier result. I’ve come up with quite a few Casserole Recipes that have been tasty, and this one is definitely a winner for people who enjoy beans. 

The flavors here may remind you of chicken enchilada casserole but this one has seasoned pinto beans to replace the tortillas, and Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce is reduced on the stove and then combined with diced green chiles, sour cream, diced chicken, and green onions to make the sauce. And of course there is cheese!

And if you like the sound of a chicken casserole with Mexican flavors but don’t want beans, there’s also a link to another recipe with similar flavors that’s lower in carbs

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What gives this chicken casserole the Mexican flavors?

Ingredients that add Mexican flavor in this chicken casserole include the green chile enchilada sauce, ground cumin, diced green chiles, and Green Tabasco Sauce! And of course chicken and pinto beans are classic Mexican ingredients.

How high in carbs is the Mexican Chicken Casserole?

I created this recipe when I was following the original South Beach Diet and eating more beans, and this tasty chicken casserole with pinto beans has 28 net carbs per serving and 34 grams of protein.

Want a lower-carb version of this recipe?

If you’d like a lower-carb Mexican casserole with these same flavors, check out this casserole with chicken and cauliflower rice!

Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken, Chiles, Pinto Beans, and Cheese process shots collage

How to make Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans):

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Put the Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (affiliate link) into a pan and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to one cup.  (If you need gluten-free be sure to choose a brand of green chile sauce that doesn’t contain wheat.)
  2. Drain two cans of pinto beans into a colander placed in the sink, rinse with cold water, and drain.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large heavy frying pan, and saute the chopped onion and green bell pepper until the vegetables are soft and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
  4. As soon as onions and peppers are starting to lightly brown, season with ground cumin (affiliate link), mix in the drained pinto beans, and cook for a few minutes to get the beans hot.
  5. Measure out 4 cups of diced cooked chicken. (You can cook four chicken breasts or use leftover rotisserie chicken.)
  6. As soon as the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce is reduced to one cup, put it in a bowl and mix in the can of diced green chiles (affiliate link).  Let the sauce cool before you mix in the other ingredients.  (Taste at this point to see if you want to add some Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link); we did!)
  7. As soon as the enchilada sauce no longer feels hot, stir in the light sour cream, then the diced chicken, and then the sliced green onions.
  8. You need a fairly deep casserole dish for this.  I used a dish that was 9″x 9″x 3″.  If your dish isn’t that deep, make sure it’s slightly bigger.
  9. Spray dish with olive oil or non-stick spray and then make a layer with half the pinto bean mixture.
  10. Spread half the sauce/chicken mixture over the beans.
  11. Then layer half the cheese over the sauce/chicken. Repeat with another layer of seasoned pinto beans, sauce/chicken, and cheese.(As you can see, it came close to the top of the dish!)
  12. Bake at 375F/190C for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the top is nicely browned.
  13. Let the casserole sit 10-15 minutes before serving. Then dig in!
  14. I would love this with some sour cream on top; your choice on that!

Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken, Chiles, Pinto Beans, and Cheese finished casserole with one serving on plate

More Casseroles with Mexican Flavors:

Weekend Food Prep:

This Mexican Chicken Casserole has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans)
Yield: 8 servings

Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans)

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans) is a gluten-free casserole thatโ€™s delicious and easy to make, and this will be a hit with the whole family.

Ingredients

  • one 15 oz. can Mild Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
  • two 15. oz. cans pinto beans
  • 1 onion, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 T ground cumin
  • one 4 oz. can diced green chiles
  • 1 T Green Tabasco Sauce (Optional, but nice if you want it a bit hotter, add to taste.)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 4 cups diced, cooked chicken
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
  • 2 cups grated Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
  2. Put the green chile enchilada sauce in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to one cup.
  3. While sauce simmers, put the two cans of pinto beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water until no more foam appears.  Let beans drain well (or blot dry with paper towels if you’re in a hurry.)
  4. Dice the onion and green bell pepper and slice the green onions.
  5. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy frying pan, add onion and green bell pepper and saute until they’re softened and starting to barely brown, about 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in the ground cumin (affiliate link) and drained beans and cook about 3-4 minutes more, or until the beans are hot.  (You can mash the beans slightly at this point if you’d like a layer of beans that sticks together a bit more.)
  7. Measure out 4 cups of diced cooked chicken. (You can cook four chicken breasts or use leftover rotisserie chicken.)
  8. As soon as the green chile enchilada sauce has reduced to 1 cup (about 10-15 minutes), place it in a bowl to cool and stir in the diced green chiles (affiliate link) with juice.  Taste the mixture to see if you want to add the optional Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link).
  9. When the mixture no longer feels hot (it can be warm), stir in the sour cream, diced chicken, and sliced green onions.
  10. Spray a 9″x9″x3″ casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.  (If your dish has lower sides than that, be sure it is slightly bigger.)
  11. Spread half the pinto bean mixture over the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of half the sauce/chicken mixture.  Sprinkle 1 cup of grated Mozzarella over the sauce/chicken mixture.
  12. Repeat with another layer of pinto beans, sauce/chicken mixture, and cheese.
  13. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and nicely browned on top.
  14. Let stand about 10-15 minutes before cutting, then serve.

Notes

This freezes well, or will keep in the fridge in a covered container for several days.ย  (I divided it up into single-serving portions and froze some and put some in the fridge to eat.)

If you need gluten-free be sure to choose a brand of green chile sauce that doesnโ€™t contain wheat.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 480Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 98mgSodium 352mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 11gSugar 7gProtein 34g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans) is too high in carbs for low-carb diet plans, but check out this casserole with chicken and cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version. All ingredients in this Mexican Casserole are approved for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. However dried beans are a limited ingredient, so I’d have a small serving (with some vegetables on the side) if you’re eating this for phase one. South Beach would recommend low-fat dairy products.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโ€™s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโ€™m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Mexican Chicken Casserole was first posted in 2012. It was last update with more information in 2024.

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