Shredded barbecue chicken casserole is made with chicken, wild rice, beans, corn, cheese and crushed tortilla chips. The casserole is then mixed with barbecue sauce to create a fast and easy flavorful meal.
Shredded Barbecue Chicken Casserole
I love this recipe because it’s uncomplicated and makes a large serving – enough to feed most families for two nights.
For this recipe, you’ll need shredded chicken and cooked wild rice. You can cook your own chicken breasts and shred them yourself (I have instructions below), or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken and shred with a fork. Wild rice can be made in a rice cooker to save time.
All ingredients are mixed together with barbecue sauce and baked in a casserole dish. My husband loves this recipe. I love how easy and affordable it is. Leftovers make a great lunch.
Recipe Ingredients
- CHICKEN: I used 3 large chicken breasts which equaled about 5 cups of shredded chicken. You can also use a rotisserie chicken, or store-bought shredded chicken to help save time.
- BARBECUE SAUCE: Use your favorite barbecue sauce for this recipe! I love Stubbs.
- BLACK BEANS: I used canned black beans, drained and rinsed.
- FROZEN CORN: You can use canned corn or frozen corn for the recipe.
- ONION: I used a medium-sized yellow onion. White onions will also work.
- GREEN ONION: Use kitchen scissors to cut the green onions into small pieces.
- CHEESE: You can use cheddar cheese, mozzarella, marble or any other cheese you’d like.
- TORTILLA CHIPS: These add the perfect crunch. You can also use crushed crackers.
How To Make Shredded Barbecue Chicken Casserole
First, the chicken and rice are cooked. Then the casserole is assembled and baked.
Here’s an overview of how to make it with the full recipe instructions at the bottom of this post.
- Shredded Chicken – You can use store-bought shredded chicken, a rotisserie chicken, or cook chicken breasts and then shred them yourself. See my easy tutorial in the recipe card below.
- Cook The Rice – Use a rice cooker or stovetop to cook the wild rice.
- Mix Together – Add chicken, rice, black beans, onion, corn and green onions to a large bowl. Drizzle barbecue sauce over top and mix everything together.
- Assemble The Casserole – Pour the chicken mixture into a casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese and crush tortilla chips over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake, removing foil in last 10 minutes.
- Serving – Let the casserole cool, then use a spoon to break up pieces and toss everything together. Serve and enjoy!
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, or frozen for up to 6 months. To thaw, defrost the casserole in the fridge overnight, then reheat in oven or microwave.
Recipe Tips
Use a Rotisserie Chicken To Save Time. If you’re short on time, grabbing a rotisserie chicken with minimal seasonings from the grocery store is a great solution. These only cost $10 and are easy to shred.
Poach The Chicken. If you’re cooking the chicken yourself, one of the easiest ways is to poach it. You can cook it in a frying pan with 2 inches of water, flipping halfway through.
Use Hand Mixer To Shred The Chicken. This is an easy hack to shred a large amount of chicken. First, place the chicken in a large bowl and cut into smaller chunks. Next, turn your hand mixer on the lowest setting and mix the chicken. This will shred your chicken as you go!
Substitute Wild Rice For Regular Rice. It’s easy to use any kind of cooked rice you want in this casserole dish. I’m a big fan of Lundberg wild rice for my recipes, but using brown or white rice will also work great.
More Casserole Recipes
- Beef Rice Cabbage Casserole is my husband’s favorite!
- Taco Salad Casserole is not only a delicious meal, but beautiful too!
- Hamburger Casserole has cheesy pasta noodles that are combined with ground beef and tomato sauce.
- Pizza Pasta Casserole is made with pasta, ground beef, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.
Did you love this shredded barbecue chicken casserole? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded - about 4-5 cups shredded
- 1 ½ cups barbecue sauce
- 1 cup wild rice - uncooked (or 2 cups cooked rice)
- 1 cup black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ½ yellow onion - chopped
- 4 green onions - chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
How To Make Shredded Chicken:
- Add 3 chicken breasts to a frying pan along with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce to let simmer for 10-20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through. Season with salt and pepper.
- Chicken will be done when it reaches 165°F internal temperature when poked with a meat thermometer.
- Add the cooked chicken to a large bowl. Rip into a few smaller pieces. Use a hand mixer on lowest setting to help shred the chicken. Alternatively, you can shred the chicken with your fingers, or use two forks.
Casserole Assembly:
- Cook 1 cup of uncooked rice according to package instructions. I used a rice cooker. You can also cook on the stove.
- Crush 1 cup worth of tortilla chips with the back of a spoon or masher.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add cooked shredded chicken, 2 cups cooked rice, black beans, frozen corn, yellow onion, and green onions to a large bowl.
- Drizzle the barbecue sauce over top.
- Mix together throughly with a large spoon.
- Pour the shredded chicken mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top, followed by crushed tortilla chips. Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes, removing foil during the last 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.
- Use a spoon to toss and mix the casserole together (this part is optional), or just serve as-is with taco cheese topping on top.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition
Please note these nutritional values provided above are just an estimate. Actual numbers will vary based on brands and ingredients you choose, and your preferred portion sizes.