Chicken Quinoa Casserole

What’s to Love About This Chicken Casserole Recipe?

• Bold flavors. I’m a big fan of cheesy, zesty, Mexican-inspired casseroles like chicken enchiladas (a classic), King Ranch chicken, and my easy salsa verde chicken. So, naturally, this quinoa casserole loaded with gooey melty cheese, chicken, and Tex-Mex flavors fits the bill.
• Tasty textures. There’s plenty of crunchy quinoa, tender chicken, juicy corn, and hearty beans to go around, here. Every bite packs a delicious combination of textures and flavors, all wrapped in cheese. You can’t beat it.
• Cooked in the crock pot. I’ll take any excuse to whip out my crock pot. Who doesn’t love a meal that makes itself? Just add everything to the slow cooker and say “hasta la vista” until mealtime.
• Make it ahead. Not only can I set this casserole to cook and forget about it for the day, but it’s also a great dinner to make ahead. Leftovers store, freeze, and reheat well and the flavors get even better with time.

Ingredients You’ll Need

I love quinoa as an alternative to rice or pasta in everything from a chicken broccoli casserole to stuffed tomatoes. It’s a wholesome little grain with a hearty, fluffy texture, and it’s a great way to stretch ingredients like chicken in recipes!

Below, you’ll find some quick recipe notes. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full ingredients list with amounts.

• Chicken – This recipe calls for store-bought or homemade rotisserie chicken. Any cooked, leftover chicken does the trick, though.
• Quinoa – This can be white, red, black, or tri-colored quinoa. You’ll find quinoa in the same aisle as the rice in most major grocery stores.
• Corn and Beans – Canned sweet corn and black beans, rinsed and drained before you start. You can swap black beans for another kind, like pinto beans or kidney beans if you prefer.
• Salsa – Use your favorite brand of jarred red salsa from the store. If you have a homemade salsa recipe, that works, too.
• Chicken Broth – I use low-sodium chicken broth, but you can also use vegetable stock.
• Shredded Cheese – Any Mexican cheese blend, like the kind from Old El Paso, works perfectly here. Otherwise, you can use freshly grated cheddar or another melty kind, like Monterey Jack cheese.
• Diced Green Chilies – I use a can of diced green chilies. If you’d prefer to use fresh, dice up jalapeño or poblano peppers instead.
• Queso Fresco – Translating to “fresh cheese”! This is another type of Mexican cheese that’s light and crumbly, a bit like feta. You can substitute feta cheese in a pinch.
• Seasonings – Ground cumin, plus salt and pepper to taste. If you’d like, you can swap the cumin for taco seasoning.

How to Make Chicken Quinoa Casserole

You can make this recipe in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker by following the steps below: 

• Combine the ingredients. It’s as easy as loading up your crockpot or slow cooker with everything you see on the ingredients list, apart from 1 cup of chicken broth and about 4 ounces of shredded cheese.
• Top with broth and cheese. Smooth out the top of the ingredients, and pour over the reserved broth. Sprinkle on a final layer of cheese.
• Cook. Set your casserole to cook for 6-8 hours on Low, or 4 hours on High. The quinoa should be cooked through and the cheese should be melted and bubbly.
• Serve! Dish up the chicken quinoa casserole with your favorite taco toppings (see above). I also include some easy serving ideas later on.

Serving Suggestions

With or without a few toppings, this easy chicken quinoa dish is a perfect weeknight casserole served as-is. I usually just have a side of lime wedges to squeeze on top and dinner rolls on hand to soak up the leftover salsa! If you’re looking for more ways to round out dinner, serve this quinoa casserole with an avocado salad or elote (Mexican street corn), or a starter of creamy corn dip with tortilla chips. I also love these fun Southwest egg rolls. And for dessert, try a batch of spicy Mexican hot chocolate fudge.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Transfer the casserole to an airtight container and let it cool completely before refrigerating. It lasts for 3-4 days in the fridge.
• Reheat. I like to reheat this casserole in an oven-safe dish, covered with aluminum foil, at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes until it’s heated through.
• Freeze. You can freeze this chicken casserole for up to 3 months. Thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight before reheating.

More Ways to Use Leftover Chicken

• Mediterranean Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Chicken Pasta Casserole
• Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
• Chicken Pozole Verde
• Chicken Tortilla Soup