Mexican Lasagna is like eating tacos in a casserole! This easy Mexican chicken lasagna with tortillas is relatively guilt-free and SO delicious. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal with the entire family. It’s easy to make, filled with delicious ingredients, and can even be made ahead of time!
Mexican Chicken Lasagna
This easy Mexican lasagna with tortillas is a great healthier dinner option. It’s even got a secret ingredient in there to make you strong (it’s spinach).
This recipe is basically layers of your favorite tacos baked into a lasagna-like casserole. It’s so good! Tortillas, chicken, salsa, cheese, beans, and more are always delicious.
I topped off this Mexican chicken lasagna recipe with some plain greek yogurt, a great substitute when trying to make Mexican food a bit less calorie-filled. You’ll never miss the sour cream!
This is the perfect quick and easy weeknight meal, and also a great option for making the night before to heat up when you’re ready to chow down. And believe me, you’ll whole fmaily will love it!
Why You’ll Love this Mexican Lasagna Recipe:
- QUICK PREP: This Mexican lasagna bake only requires about 15 minutes of prep before it’s baked in the oven.
- FAMILY DINNER: This is a great hearty family meal you can feel great about serving up. It’s been a firm favorite in our house!
- MAKE AHEAD: It’s delicious straight out of the oven, but this is also a great option for your weekly meal prep.
Be sure to try my Lasagna Soup and Creamy White Chicken Lasagna too!
Ingredients
- Chicken: I like shredded chicken for this Mexican lasagna. You can use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, or make your own shredded chicken. You can also use ground chicken.
- Tortillas: I recommend flour tortillas, but corn tortillas work too.
- Taco Seasoning
- Black Beans
- Corn
- Salsa: Try this blender salsa, or use any salsa you love!
- Spinach
- Cilantro
- Cheese: Shredded Mexican blend cheese works great. Or add Colby Jack or pepper jack.
How to Make Mexican Chicken Lasagna
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Combine the chicken with the taco seasoning.
- Blend together the spinach, cilantro and salsa.
- Place tortillas in the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Cover with cheese, and half the beans, corn, chicken and the spinach mix.
- Repeat the layer and top with cheese.
- Bake lasagna until cooked through and browned.
- Serve topped with jalapenos, Greek yogurt and cilantro.
If you prefer, you can make Mexican lasagna with ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage instead. You can also make a vegetarian version without meat!
Overall, the ingredients here are quite good for you. The chicken makes it leaner (compared to beef), and the spinach we snuck in adds more greens! You can skip the cheese if desired, or add in more veggies.
I recommend finishing this off with jalapenos, Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream, and cilantro. You could also add black olives, guacamole, or any of your favorite taco toppings!
Serving Suggestions
This baked Mexican lasagna is delicious and hearty enough to serve by itself. That’s what I love about casseroles! But it’s also great to serve with rice, veggies, and salad side dishes. Try it with:
Tips!
- Layer the tortillas in the bottom of your baking dish, making sure they overlap. You don’t want any open spaces for the ingredients to fall out on the bottom.
- I love this dish with chicken, but you can also make it with cooked ground beef.
- Make sure your chicken is fully cooked before adding it into the lasagna bake.
- I like to use black beans, but kidney beans or refried beans will also work great.
- Cover the casserole with foil for the first part of baking, to protect the top from browning too quickly.
What kind of tortillas should I use for Mexican lasagna?
I recommend soft flour tortillas for this recipe. I like how they bake up into a nice texture that melds well with all of the other ingredients. But you can use any tortillas you like! Corn tortillas will get a little crunchier, which you might prefer.
Can you make Mexican chicken lasagna ahead of time?
Like any casserole, this Mexican lasagna bake is a great make ahead dish that is easily reheated. Bake it as per the recipe, then let it cool completely. It will keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the oven at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.
Can you freeze this casserole?
Yes! If you are looking for a freezer meal, then this is a great option. You can freeze it before baking then thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking according to the instructions.
You can also freeze this cooked and then defrost in the fridge before reheating.
This Mexican chicken lasagna recipe is so delicious! Like your favorite taco dinner, all baked into a casserole. The whole family will love this dish!
More Mexican Recipes for Dinner
- Mexican Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Taco Casserole
- Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Homemade Mexican Pizzas
- Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
- Taco Pie
- Baked Salsa Chicken
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Mexican Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound shredded rotisserie chicken fully cooked
- 12 (6-inch) Old El Paso soft tortillas
- 1 ounce Old El Paso Taco Seasoning 1 packet
- 15 ounces canned black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces canned corn 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 cups shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the taco seasoning with the chicken. Set aside.1 pound shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 ounce Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
- In a food processor or blender, combine spinach, cilantro, and salsa. Pulse until fully chopped and combined.5 ounces baby spinach, 1 cup fresh cilantro, 1 cup salsa
- Layer 6 tortillas into the bottom of your casserole dish, overlapping slightly.12 (6-inch) Old El Paso soft tortillas
- Cover with one cup cheese, the half of the beans, half of the corn, and half of the chicken. Take one cup of the spinach mixture and cover the chicken.15 ounces canned black beans, 2 cups shredded Mexican Blend Cheese, 15 ounces canned corn
- On the second layer, start with tortillas, then beans, then corn, then chicken, and finally the spinach mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.12 (6-inch) Old El Paso soft tortillas, 15 ounces canned black beans, 15 ounces canned corn, 2 cups shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
- Remove foil and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the top is browned to your liking.
- Serve warm topped with jalapeños, Greek yogurt (or low-fat sour cream,) and more cilantro.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- FOR GARNISH: plain greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream, more cilantro, and Old El Paso jalapenos
- I like to use small soft flour tortillas for this recipe, but you can use corn if you prefer.
- Make sure the tortillas overlap in the bottom of your dish.
- I love this with chicken, but you can also make it with cooked ground beef.
- I like to use black beans, but kidney will also work great.
Nutrition Information
Thanks for the recipe, I omitted/added a few things to caterer to dietary needs; dairy free versions worked perfectly! It was a win by the entire family!!! Thanks for posting/sharing.
Glad to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing, Marina!
How is this a skinnyish recipe with nearly 7k calories per serving? Are those numbers right? Looking forward to trying it, but I’m baffled by the nutrition facts.
Sorry to say this was horrible. Born in Mexico and raised in Boyle Heights (East Los Angeles) this taste nothing close to authentic. It was dry and spinach, really?
Who said it was supposed to be authentic? Most authentic meals are not going to be low calorie.
O.M.G. so glad I came across this one! I ran out of spinach (left it out) and don’t often have canned sauces – soooo… I used some Roasted Tomatillo Sauce (Pioneer Woman/Ree Drummond: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/roasted-tomatillo-sauce.html) in place of the salsa. Divided it into two casseroles so I can freeze one for later, (there are only two of us). This one suits me perfectly: Healthy, Reasonable calorie count, and super flavorful! When I finish rehashing my site, will definitely give you and your site a shout out!
Yay! Just love your substitutions…so smart!
Do you know what the calorie content is per serving for this recipe?
I was wondering the same thing.
I’m sorry I don’t currently have a plugin/app to calculate nutritional info. I know personal apps like myfitnesspal.com seem to work well for people. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Your trip to San Diego sounds like it went really well! This lasagna bake is such a fun summer meal!
Thanks so much Shelby!
This Skinny (er) lasagna looks yummy. I love replacing sour cream with greek yogurt. AND your SD trip sounds like it was an amazing trip. . I lived in San Diego for many years and oh how I miss it! there is no place like it :) Pinning this!
I’m so jealous you lived there! I loved it!! Thanks for stopping by Ana :)
You ladies look awesome! I love mexican, next to ice cream it’s my favorite. I love how you used spinach! So sneaky and clever!
Thanks Malinda!!
oh my goodness! that trip sounds like it would have been a blast! and you have me intrigued by old el paso! this looks incredible!
You will love them Krista! Their tortillas only have 4 ingredients, and they’re trying to cut down to three! They are awesome.
Wow, this recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to see more of what you cook up this year :)
Thanks girl!!! Im missing our fun times!