This Green Chili Rice Casserole is a quick and easy side dish to pair with any of your favorite Tex-Mex dishes. It’s loaded with cheese, sour cream, a hint of garlic, and just enough green chilis to give it that perfect amount of spice.
Green Chili Rice Casserole
This Green Chili Rice Casserole is the one of our favorite side dishes to serve with Tex-Mex or Mexican. It has all of the cheesy, creamy comforting goodness that you look for in a rice casserole, and it’s a perfect way to use up leftover rice.
Once you have your cooked rice this requires zero prep work. Zero! You just dump, mix, bake and poof – you’ve got yourself a delicious side dish in under 30 minutes!
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Our family is a huge fan of anything spicy, and we’ve come to really embrace canned green chilis. They are such a convenient, no-fuss way to add little flavor bombs to all sorts of dishes. If you aren’t as big of a fan of spice, just reduce the amount in the recipe by half. You’ll still get a touch of that nice smokey heat, but it will be milder.
Recipe Notes
This recipe happened a little on accident. I had some leftover rice in the fridge and didn’t want it to go to waste, boom, spicy rice casserole was born.
I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to get the amount of rice right when I make dinner, believe me, it’s been a struggle for 20 years. I’m just accepting it at this point.
If you find yourself in the same situation, so much leftover rice, here ya go, this one is for you.
I’ve really been focusing on getting more of my tex mex recipes on my website lately. If you love flavors of Tex Mex and especially of Green Chilis, be sure to also try our Spicy Tater Tot Casserole Cheesy Green Chile Potato Casserole (This is a copycat recipe of the Truth BBQ’s Tater Tot Casserole from Houston, ifykyk) Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, and Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup. Enjoy!
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Rice – this should be pre-cooked white rice.
- Green Chilis – you can find canned green chilis in any grocery store. You could also substitute sliced or diced green jalapenos if you want even more spice.
- Cheese – our favorite combination of shredded cheeses to use for this recipe is cheddar, pepper jack and Monterrey jack, but you can use whichever you prefer or have on hand.
- Sour Cream – either full fat or lite.
- Fresh Parsley or Cilantro – this is an optional, but highly recommended, garnish.
How to Make Rice and Green Chili Casserole
Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, green chilies, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Spread the mixture into a baking dish. Spray a 9 by 13″ baking dish or casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, then spread the rice mixture in the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Bake. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and the cheese is lightly golden brown.
Serve. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro before serving. Enjoy!
Easy Variations to Try
- Mexican green rice casserole. For a major burst of flavor, make a batch of Mexican green rice, full of fresh herbs and peppers, and add that instead of just plain white rice.
- Add chopped green jalapeños.
- Substitute brown rice if you’re looking to boost the nutrition in this dish.
- Adjust the seasonings. Try adding in a pinch of cayenne, cumin and/or smoked paprika.
Frequently Asked Questions
The rice used most often in Mexican or Tex-Mex rice is long-grain white rice. As opposed to short-grain rice, this variety holds its shape and stays separated after cooking.
Absolutely! If you are looking to boost the nutritional value of this recipe, substituting brown rice is an easy switch to make. Keep in mind that brown rice does take longer to cook than white rice, no matter what method you use to cook it.
Oven: pull your casserole from the fridge to allow it to start to come to room temperature, and preheat your oven to 325. Let the casserole sit out for about 30 minutes, then cover with foil and reheat for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Microwave: for smaller portions, scoop into a microwave-safe dish and reheat on high for about 1 minute.
Yes! Just rinse as usual, then close and lock the lid. Turn the venting to “Sealing” position. Pressure cook on High Pressure for about 6 minutes.
Once finished cooking, switch to “Venting” position using a kitchen towel to release the remaining pressure. Let sit for a few minutes, then lift the lid carefully and fluff with a fork.
Storage and Re-Heating
- To reheat in the oven: pull your casserole from the fridge to allow it to start to come to room temperature, and preheat your oven to 325. Let the casserole sit out for about 30 minutes, then cover with foil and reheat for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
- To reheat in the microwave: for smaller portions, scoop into a microwave-safe dish and reheat on high for about 1 minute.
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Green Chili Rice Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups (632 g) cooked white rice
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) canned green chilis
- 2 cups (226 g) shredded cheddar cheese, divided (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
- 1 cup (230 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (1/4 teaspoon) pepper
- 2 tablespoons (8 g) parsley, chopped (or cilantro)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, green chilis, 1½ cups shredded cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then spread the rice mixture in the bottom and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and the cheese is lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- To reheat in the oven: pull your casserole from the fridge to allow it to start to come to room temperature, and preheat your oven to 325. Let the casserole sit out for about 30 minutes, then cover with foil and reheat for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
- To reheat in the microwave: for smaller portions, scoop into a microwave-safe dish and reheat on high for about 1 minute.
Nutrition
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More Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Rice
- Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes
- Sausage and Apple Stuffing
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Loaded Baked Potato Skins
- More Side Dish Ideas
This Green Chili Rice Casserole is a quick and easy side dish to serve alongside any of your favorite Tex-Mex dishes. It has all of the cheesy, creamy comforting goodness that you look for in a rice casserole, and it’s a perfect way to use up leftover rice.
Categories:
30-Minute Meals, Easy Weeknight Meals, Fall Recipes, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Rice, Sides, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Tex Mex, Vegetarian, Winter Recipes,
The first time I made this I cut the recipe in half because it’s just my husband & myself to cook for. It was so good I made the full 13 x 9 pan the next and we warmed it up for lunches in the microwave for several days & it was just as good. Definitely a keeper! ????
Rice was delicious! I added more cheese and also added about 1/4 cup diced onion and was loved by entire family! Thank you for sharing!