Cheesy Chicken Fajita Casserole (Printable)
A Tex-Mex inspired casserole with tender chicken, sautéed peppers, and melted cheese, delivering classic fajita flavors in an easy oven-baked dish.
# What you need:
→ Meats
01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 large green bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced
05 - 1 large onion, sliced
→ Dairy
06 - 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
07 - 1/2 cup sour cream
08 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
→ Pantry & Seasonings
09 - 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
10 - 1 tsp chili powder
11 - 1 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
14 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
15 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
16 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
17 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Garnish
18 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
19 - Sliced green onions
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced bell peppers and onion. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized. Remove from heat.
03 - In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, sautéed vegetables, diced tomatoes with green chilies, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, softened cream cheese, and sour cream. Mix thoroughly until well combined. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
04 - Spread the chicken and vegetable mixture evenly in the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded Mexican blend cheese uniformly over the top.
05 - Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly throughout and the cheese is golden brown on top.
06 - Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and sliced green onions if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything you love about fajitas without the hands-on assembly at dinner time
- The cream cheese creates this velvety sauce that keeps the chicken incredibly moist
02 -
- Draining the canned tomatoes is non-negotiable unless you want a watery casserole
- Letting it rest for those 5 minutes makes the difference between a neat scoop and a messy slide
03 -
- Cut your peppers and onions into similar sized strips so they cook evenly
- Room temperature cream cheese incorporates much more smoothly than cold