Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans)
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!
PIN Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans) to try it later!
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.)
- Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (affiliate link), or other low-sugar sauce
- canned pinto beans
- onion
- green bell pepper
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- ground cumin (affiliate link)
- diced green chiles (affiliate link)
- Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link)
- sour cream
- diced, cooked chicken
- green onion
- grated Mozzarella Cheese
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!
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.)
- 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.)
- Drain two cans of pinto beans into a colander placed in the sink, rinse with cold water, and drain.
- 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.
- 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.
- Measure out 4 cups of diced cooked chicken. (You can cook four chicken breasts or use leftover rotisserie chicken.)
- 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!)
- 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.
- 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.
- Spray dish with olive oil or non-stick spray and then make a layer with half the pinto bean mixture.
- Spread half the sauce/chicken mixture over the beans.
- 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!)
- Bake at 375F/190C for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the top is nicely browned.
- Let the casserole sit 10-15 minutes before serving. Then dig in!
- I would love this with some sour cream on top; your choice on that!
More Casseroles with Mexican Flavors:
- Green Chile and Chicken Mock Enchilada Casserole
- Instant Pot Green Chile Pork Enchiladas
- Mexican Casserole with Beef, Beans, and Chiles
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)
Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans) is a gluten-free casserole that’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
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Dice the onion and green bell pepper and slice the green onions.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Measure out 4 cups of diced cooked chicken. (You can cook four chicken breasts or use leftover rotisserie chicken.)
- 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).
- When the mixture no longer feels hot (it can be warm), stir in the sour cream, diced chicken, and sliced green onions.
- 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.)
- 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.
- Repeat with another layer of pinto beans, sauce/chicken mixture, and cheese.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and nicely browned on top.
- 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. (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 doesn’t contain wheat.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount 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.
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 Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’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.
94 Comments on “Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans)”
Having this tonight. Hubby loves it. Thanks Kalyn
So glad you like it! Thanks for taking time to let me know.
This is definitely NOT low carb! At 28 net carbs per serving, it is too many carbs to be called low carb! Swap out pinto beans for black soy beans & cut the carbs in half!
I started blogging when I was following the original South Beach Diet, so not every recipe on my blog is low in carbs. There are orange diet-type tags above the recipe title on every recipe to show what diets each recipe is suitable for. This recipe is NOT labeled low-carb or Keto, and it does not say it’s low-carb anywhere in the recipe.
If you want a Mexican casserole that’s low in carbs you might like my Cheesy Low-Carb Taco Casserole. Just enter that into the search bar if you want to see it.
I have over 2000 recipes on the site and spend 6-8 hours most days working on the blog. I’m not able to provide nutritional information for the recipes for several reasons, including the additional time it takes, the difficulty in doing it accurately, and the sheer number of recipes on my site. If you look after the recipe itself, I give two links (where it says “Nutritional Information”) for suggestions of two ways to get that information.
Excellent! I can’t believe this is Phase I safe for SBD. I used a rotisserie chicken and picked up some cheese from the Hispanic Supermarket. Also, instead of green bell pepper, I used 2 small Poblanos and about 1.5 Jalapenos; diced and sauteed with the onion. Still added the green chiles to the reduced enchilada sauce/sour cream/chicken mixture. So happy to have leftovers today so I won’t be searching for lunch and apt to make poor decisions. Thanks Kalyn!
Oh dear, now I am worrying about whether the enchilada sauce is okay for Phase One! But I think it should be even though it has a very tiny amount of corn starch. I do know that I ate it when I was doing Phase One and it didn’t ever slow my weight loss. Glad you are enjoying it!
Your recipes have been a great help to us as we follow the South Beach plan. This one was a big hit! I love using beans in place of carbs, and the sauce reduction plus sour cream and green chili sauce was delicious. Thanks for another winner!
My pleasure Amber! So glad to hear you enjoyed it so much!
Sorry, I have no idea what the carb count it. But there is a link right after the recipe for a site where you enter the recipe and it will calculate for you.
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I can not wait to try it. I have had a lot of fantastic weight loss success in the last few months meeting my carb count under 20 grams per day.Just wondering if you think a serving might be under 20 grams. I am so bored with everything I have been eating and would love more recipes like this.
Jennifer, I love that idea!
This is great! I usually add a layer of whole green chilies in the middle (like one of your other casseroles). Yummers!
Thanks Lucy, and so glad you enjoyed it!
I loved this recipe, served it with diced tomatoes, avocado and lime wedges. Thank you for helping me get through SBD phase one. Your website is fab!
Tiffany, that would definitely work just fine.
Am I able to interchange black beans for pinto beans?
I probably wouldn't; yogurt has a different consistency and a sharper taste that I wouldn't want here. But everyone's taste is different; you might like it just fine.
Could you use 0% Fage Greek plain yogurt instead of the light sour cream?
Jen, so glad it was a hit!
I just wanted to let you know my hubby is NOT a casserole man, but I had leftover chicken breasts I needed to use up. I came across your recipe and since I had all the ingredients on hand, I made it tonight. I just wanted to say THANK YOU! He loved it and even wanted thirds, and the whole family thought it tasted great! Woohooo!!! This is a keeper for us. Thank you for sharing it!!
Jen
Tracy, if you try it, let us know what you think.
Has anyone tried this using red enchilada sauce? I am not a fan of the green sauce but am interested in trying this recipe.
Yay!! Hopefully is will make 4 cups…i might have a single chicken breast i. The freezer I can add to make sure…*goes to dig in the freezer* =)
Yes, I think that will work just fine. I'd just cook them for about 10 minutes in either water or chicken stock, over very low heat. Then drain and cut the chicken up.
I wonder if cooking a 1.15 lbs package of chicken tenderloins would work for this. I have everything else but the only chicken I have are these tenderloins. What do you think?
This was absolutely delicious and so satisfying. I'm a huge fan of Mexican food and this satisfies that craving for sure. Great recipe full of flavor!
Jen, glad you enjoyed it. Even though I work at home, I still like to cook on the weekend for the upcoming week!
Yum! I made this yesterday – I'm trying to cook enough on Sunday afternoons so my boyfriend and I have food all week. We tried this for dinner and it was delicious, and the best part is that we have lots of leftovers for the week!! Great flavours 🙂
I find it hard to recommend substitutions that completely change the character of the dish, and I can't think of a vegetable to recommend here. If you do come up with an idea, I'd love to hear how it works.
this looks very yummy,but if I want to sub the beans for vegges what do you recommend, thanks
Carol, you can certainly experiment with it if you'd like but I can't say for sure because I haven't tried the other one with chicken. There is also this Chili Rellenos Bake if you wanted to try something else that layers with green chiles.
I'm definitely making this! But I am sure I made a similar recipe from you that used whole green chiles as layering elements. The only one I can find on your site uses ground beef instead of chicken. Think I could use chicken instead?
YUM! Putting this on the meal plan for next week! Thanks!
Shelley, so glad you all enjoyed it!
Made this tonight. My family loved it! It's going to be great for leftovers. Thanks for all of your recipes,
Barbie, glad you are enjoying it so much!
I made this for the 3rd time today. I should clarify – I made it for the 3rd time this month!! We LOVE this. The first time I made it, I forgot to add the cumin, and we didn't even notice, so I've gone ahead and left it out each time. I added a red bell pepper today also, since I had one that needed used. This dish is wonderful.
I have frozen this after cooking, but haven't tried it before cooking and truthfully I am skeptical. If you do try it, let us know how it turns out.
Could this be frozen after assembly (and before cooking)? I wasn't sure, because of the sour cream. This sounds great, btw!
I made this last night and both my husband and I really liked it. I was surprised that a comforting casserole could be made to fit in with phase 1. I LOVE Mexican food which made phase one really hard for me last time I did the SB diet. I love me some tacos and chips and salsa. But this recipe and some of your others have allowed me to get my Mexican fix and stay on the diet! Thanks so much!
Made this tonight (used black beans) and it is delicious! Looking forward to my leftovers 🙂
Anna, so glad you enjoyed it!
A delicious recipe! Green enchilada took some searching for here on the prairies of Canada, but it was worth the hunt. Thank you.
So glad you liked it!
DELICIOUS!!! My 8yo and 6yo agree, as does my hubby! And I accidentally stumbled upon the green tabasco sauce (it was with the pickles of all things) while grabbing fresh green onions and green pepper this afternoon. We topped our servings with some of your "easy guacamole" (with a little cilantro added for good measure). Let phase 1.5 live on forever!!!
I haven't tried assembling the casserole, freezing, and then thawing and cooking later, but I think it would work. I do know that you can freeze it successfully after it's been cooked.
Would you freeze this before you cook it or after? Or can you freeze either way? I am making for a neighbor and trying to decide if i should bring to her cooked or uncooked.
Fresh Chile and pinto beans would be awesome for this dish! I'm from New Mexico, green Chile is a staple here :0) Can't wait to try it out, thanks for sharing.
Kimberly, that is so cute! Love it.
This was so delicious! At dinner my six-year-old asked if we could have it again tomorrow night. Thank you!
Chrissy, so glad you all liked it.
I wanted you to know this was a HIT with my husband and 2 year old daughter!! Thank you for helping us on this journey to good health.
Wanda just saw your other comment about pinto beans too. In the newer books they are allowed for Phase One.
Wanda, the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce does contain a very small amount of modified corn starch, but it only ha 4 carbs in 1/4 cup (which is probably about the amount of sauce in one serving) so I would still feel fine about eating it for Phase One.
I was wondering if this is Phase 1 because of the Mild Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (does it contain flour)?
You're the best!
Wanda
Oh, my goodness, this was SO good. I've traditionally made "King Ranch Chicken" casserole with corn tortillas, but this was a much healthier, and tasty substitute. I made it for supper Saturday night, then ate it Sunday night AND Monday night when my husband was out of town. VERY satisfying. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad; thanks for letting me know you liked it!
Thank you ! My husband and I tried this and it may be one of our favourites already!
Heather, the newest book does allow pinto beans in phase one. All beans are limited, which is why a casserole like this with lots of other protein foods is good.
Hi Kalyn! I love all of your recipes and am excited to try this one … however my South Beach book says that Pinta Beans are not on Phase 1 but are allowed to be reintroduced in Phase 2. Has that information been updated since?? 🙂 thank you!
Amanda, so glad you enjoyed it. (And stay strong on the portion control!)
This is absolutely amazing! I used 505 Green Chile instead of Hatch and tried a reduced fat Colby Jack blend and I can't get enough! Portion control is going to be hard with this dish. Awesome recipe, Kalyn! Thank you!
Oh my. Glad it was still good even with oregano, but that does sound like a LOT of oregano!
Okay, I have to tell you about my oh crap moment. This will teach me to cook without wearing my glasses. Instead of 1 T. of cumin, I grabbed the oregano….well, they look alike. 😀 My husband came into the kitchen and said: what's that smell; he picked up the bottle and said: oh, it's oregano. OREGANO, OMG!!! I was supposed to use cumin. I have to tell you, it was really good, but next time I will use cumin. Excellent recipe!!
Recipes like this are great for what my brother and I call Phase 1.5, where you're eating mostly phase one stuff but occasionally you eat something that's phase two!
I'm supposed to start Phase 2 today, but recipes like this make me not want to venture back into the land of grains and fruit! Lol
Terri, you are so welcome!
It just came out of the oven and we have just had our first taste and it is spicy good!
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Terri, hope you enjoy it. I just ate some of my leftovers from the freezer for dinner!
This casserole is in the oven as we speak and my husband cannot wait to try it. He lost 50 pounds via South Beach 3 years ago and gained some back, so he is back to phase one and your recipes are such a boon to the basic SB lifestyle we've adopted. The only change I made was to go ahead with canned jalapenos, but next time I would saute fresh ones with the onions & pepper. Spiciness helps my husband feel more satisfied.
Colleen, so glad you liked it!
Made this last night and it was delish!!! I had more chicken, so I added an extra can of black beans and a full cup of lowfat sour cream…also used monterrey jack cheese. It is definitely one of my new favorites!
Thanks Kimberly and CJ! Hope you enjoy it.
I'm a fan of most mexican style dishes and this casserole looks like it will exceed expectations.
My love of mexican + casseroles with a big + on green chiles makes this a must have for me. Can't wait to try it! I had a chile rellanos casserole that I loved, that layered beans, ground turkey, chiles, cheese and an egg/flour/tabasco top that puffed up nicely. Too much milk & flour in it for me now, though. This could be a great new addition!
Elizabeth, love your idea for a vegetarian version. So glad you are enjoying the recipes.
This sounds wonderful! I'm going to sub tempha crumbles for the chicken to make it vegetarian. Your recipes like this, the egg muffins, and soups keep me going in college. I cook one big batch then eat on it all week!
Deb, we were writing comments at the same time. Thanks, loved it too.
Carrian, you are sweet but truly I have no interest in writing a cookbook. I don't want to work that hard, and I'm pretty busy just keeping up with two blogs!
I love all of these flavors!!
Kalyn, isn't it about time for a cookbook?
mub, there are several brands that are good. Another one I like if you can't find Hatch brand is Las Palmas. Enjoy!
Oh yum, I can't wait to try this! I'm going to have to find a recipe for enchilada sauce that will work and go from there. Thanks for the recipe =)
Pam, so glad you liked it!
Made this today…FABULOUS! Thanks K.
Mimi, I have some of this in the freezer that I'm looking forward to having for dinner, so I hope you will try it.
This does look comforting, Kalyn. I rarely eat Mexican-inspired dishes in cold weather – don't crave them – but something like this could change that.
Thanks for the nice feedback on this everyone. I was so pleased with how this turned out. Francie, my cooking assistant is my college-age nephew Jake, and he gobbled this up!
Layered casseroles rarely sound good to me because of the "cream of" association…but this one sounds delicious! Full of real ingredients and serious flavor.
Thank you for this! I definitely grew up on the Campbell's soup casseroles, and have missed them since going low-carb. Our son is living with us again while he finishes his dissertation (graduates in December) and I am challenged to feed his 6'2" 166 pound frame while keeping us eating low-carb. This is perfect, will make it this week!!
I grew up on casseroles, too, and still like to make them. My Mom, who baked many a soup based casserole dish, would love this recipe.
I LOVE quick Mexican casseroles like this and do them often with the same ingredients, especially when I have some leftover cooked chicken in the fridge. I also like to do this casserole with some browned ground beef. Mmmm. Yours looks DELISH Kalyn!
Wow! I didn't grow up in a casserole house, but I can see right away I will love this casserole. It's a perfect party dish!