Chili Rice Casserole

4.50 from 2 votes

This is a no-boil casserole, so the rice cooks completely in the oven. Just dump the ingredients into a 9x13-inch casserole dish, cover, and bake!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 483kcal

1 medium red bell pepper
½ medium onion
1 small jalapeno optional
1 cup long grain white rice
15 ounce can pinto beans any variety of beans works
15 ounce can dark red kidney beans
15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder *can be replaced with an additional teaspoon of chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 small lime juiced and zested
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Dice the pepper, onion, and jalapeno. Set aside a small handful of each to use as toppings, if desired.
Rinse the rice well in a fine mesh sieve, until the water is running clear. Drain and rinse the beans.
To the baking dish add the rice, beans, onion, pepper, jalapeno, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, cumin, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir well.
Cover tightly with a lid, foil, or an upside-down baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes, checking at 30 minutes to see if the rice is done. If not, return the lid and continue cooking, adding additional time as needed.
When the rice is fully cooked, stir in the juice and zest of a lime and ½ of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese across the top. Return to the oven to bake, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes.
The casserole is ready when the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with cilantro and the reserved onion and pepper. Enjoy!

Want to speed up the cooking time? Simmer all liquids on the stove before adding them to the casserole dish. Check the rice at 20 minutes, adding additional time as needed.
Metal dishes will cook the casserole much more quickly than ceramic, and slightly more quickly than glass. This is why I recommend checking at the 30 minute mark and adding time only as needed. The ceramic dish seen in the photos takes about 40 minutes, while my glass pan takes around 35 minutes.
This casserole is best within 3-4 days. Let cool before refrigerating. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or cover the casserole tightly and reheat at 325F for 25-30 minutes, until hot throughout.
If freezing the casserole, I recommend fully cooking it and then letting it cool before freezing. It is even better if you wait to add the cheese until after thawing and reheating.