This No Peek Taco Chicken and Rice is an easy one-pan dinner made with tender seasoned chicken, cheesy taco flavored rice, corn and plenty of melted cheddar cheese.

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

This is one of those super easy dinners that’s perfect for busy weeknights when you want something filling and delicious without a ton of prep work. We love to make this when the kids are back in school and our days are busy with activities.

Everything cooks together right in the same baking dish, so the rice soaks up all that creamy, cheesy taco flavor while the chicken cooks right on top. And the best part? Once it goes into the oven, don’t peek! Keeping it covered traps all that steam inside so the rice cooks up perfectly.

Why Is It Called NO PEEK Taco Chicken & Rice?

Because once you cover the baking dish and put it into the oven, you don’t want to lift the foil. Keeping the dish tightly covered traps the steam that helps cook the rice.

Why You’ll Love It

Easy cleanup – Everything cooks together in one 9 x 13” baking dish.
Super flavorful – Taco seasoning, creamy soups, seasoned chicken, and cheddar make every bite delicious.
Family friendly – The cheesy taco flavors are mild, comforting, and great for kids and adults.
Perfect for busy nights – Just assemble everything, cover it, and let the oven do the work.

Ingredients

Here is everything you’ll need to make this delicious recipe. You can find the full ingredients list along with measurements and instructions on the recipe card below.

Minute Rice – Instant white rice cooks quickly and absorbs all of the flavorful broth and creamy sauce.
Cheddar Cheese Soup – Adds a rich, creamy cheddar flavor to the rice.
Cream Of Chicken Soup – Makes the rice creamy and adds a savory chicken flavor.
Chicken Broth – Gives the rice the liquid it needs to cook while adding much more flavor than water.
Taco Seasoning – Adds all those classic taco flavors without needing a bunch of individual spices.
Corn – Adds a little sweetness and texture that goes perfectly with the taco flavors.
Chicken Tenderloins – Cook quickly and stay nice and tender over the rice.
Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder, Onion Powder, and Paprika – Season the chicken and give it plenty of flavor.
Cheddar Cheese – Melts over the chicken and rice for the perfect cheesy finish.
Cooking Spray – Keeps everything from sticking to the baking dish.

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the white minute rice, cheddar cheese soup, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, corn and taco seasoning packet to a lightly grease baking dish. Stir everything together until it is evenly combined and the rice is distributed throughout the dish.

rice in baking dish topped with cream of soups, chicken broth and corn then stirred all together

Season the tenderloins with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Arrange the seasoned chicken tenderloins evenly over the rice mixture. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This is important because the trapped steam is what cooks the rice.

seasoned tenderloins placed on top of rice and topped with cheddar cheese

Place it into the center rack of the oven for 1 hour without removing the foil or peeking. Once the cooking time is up, remove the foil and make sure the chicken has reached 165°F internally and the rice is tender. Broil for extra crispiness on top (optional). Let everything rest for about 5 minutes before serving, garnish with parsley (optional) and enjoy.

Pro Tips

Use Minute Rice. This recipe is designed specifically for instant white rice. Regular long-grain rice may need different amounts of liquid and cooking time.
Drain the corn well before adding it so you don’t introduce extra liquid into the rice.
Cover the dish tightly. You want to keep as much steam inside the baking dish as possible.
Don’t peek! Removing the foil during baking releases the steam the rice needs to cook properly.
Season the chicken generously before placing it over the rice so every layer of the casserole has flavor.
Check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.

Variations

Spicy Taco Chicken and Rice: Add diced jalapeños, a can of diced green chiles, or a little cayenne pepper.
Black Bean Taco Chicken and Rice: Add a drained and rinsed can of black beans along with the corn.
Pepper Jack: Swap some or all of the cheddar cheese for pepper jack for a little extra kick.
Taco Toppings: Serve it with sour cream, salsa, avocado, diced tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, or crushed tortilla chips.

What to Serve With It

This is pretty much a complete meal on its own, but it’s also great served with a simple side salad, roasted vegetables, avocado slices, guacamole, salsa, or tortilla chips.

You can also set out your favorite taco toppings and let everyone customize their own serving.

Storage & Reheating

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.

To reheat, microwave individual portions until warmed through. If the rice seems a little dry, add a small splash of chicken broth before reheating.

You can also cover leftovers with foil and warm them in the oven at 350°F until heated through.

Other Chicken Casserole Recipes

I love easy to make meals like this on busy weekdays. I've rounded up all my Best Chicken Casserole Recipes so you can find them easily in one place.

ALL MY BEST CHICKEN CASSEROLE RECIPES