King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe
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Make this King Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe for the ultimate flavorful comfort food! Thanks to a rich and creamy sauce, this blend of chicken, veggies, and corn tortillas is majorly satisfying and will be a welcome sight on any dinner table.
This King Ranch casserole is an amazingly savory and hearty dish that features tender chicken, a rich and creamy sauce, and fresh veggies for a filling and satisfying dinner any night of the week.
Table of Contents
Quick Look: King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 35 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 8
- 📊 Calories: ~435 kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: chicken, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, bell peppers, rotel tomatoes, cheddar cheese, corn tortillas
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, great for meal prep
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy to Make: Most of this dish comes together in one skillet, then all you need to do is pop it in the oven and let it bake!
Amazing Flavors: You won't be able to get enough of the unique blend of warm, savory spices, fresh produce, and creamy sauce.
Great for Crowds: This casserole is amazing for potlucks, church suppers, family dinners, and more!
For even more chicken casserole options, try this Million Dollar Chicken Casserole or my Ultimate Chicken Casserole!
Ingredients Needed
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Helps create a rich and creamy base for this casserole.
- Sour Cream: Adds some tangy flavor.
- Chicken Stock: Prevent the casserole from becoming too thick.
- Bell Peppers: I like to use both red and green bell peppers for a nice pop of color.
- Rotel Tomatoes: Any crushed or canned tomatoes will work, but I like Rotel for the addition of green chilies.
- Seasonings: You'll need a blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Cooked Chicken: Use leftover chicken or buy a rotisserie from the store and shred it with a couple of forks for quick and easy cooked chicken.
- Cheese: I use cheddar cheese, but you can use your favorite.
- Corn Tortillas: Flour tortillas won't work as well for this recipe--I recommend the corn.
How to Make this King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine the cream of chicken with sour cream and chicken stock. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture and set aside.
- Step 2: Cook the peppers and onions in a large skillet or pot over medium heat until softened.
- Step 3: Add Rotel tomatoes and mix until combined.
- Step 4: Mix in the seasonings and cook for another 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Step 5: Reduce the heat to low and mix in the shredded chicken.
- Step 6: Stir in the sauce (minus the 1/2 cup you reserved).
- Step 7: Spread reserved sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Step 8: Add a layer of corn tortillas over the sauce.
- Step 9: Spoon the chicken mixture over the tortillas.
- Step 10: Cover with a layer of shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated all the way through.
Recipe Tips
- Yellow corn tortillas taste best with the Tex-Mex inspired flavors in this dish, but flour tortillas can be used as well if desired.
- Monterey Jack cheese can be used instead of cheddar, though it might melt slightly differently.
- Shred your own cheese. Store-bought shredded cheese is often coated in a thin layer that prevents sticking but also makes it more difficult to melt evenly.
- Refrigerate casserole leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Recipe FAQ's
This dish is named after the King Ranch in Texas. While the dish doesn't have a direct connection to the ranch, this Texan casserole is known for its hearty quality and bold flavors, which might explain the connection to an iconic ranch.
Because of ingredients like the fresh produce, there may be excess moisture in the casserole. Be sure to drain off any potential liquid and pat ingredients dry before adding to the skillet or casserole dish, and also be sure to cook the casserole all the way through to allow liquid to evaporate and cook out of the creamy base.
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King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (10 ounce) cans of cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 red pepper finely diced
- 1 green pepper finely diced
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 2 cups mild cheddar cheese shredded and divided
- 9 (6 inch) each 6” corn tortillas cut in half
- Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9”x13” casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the two cans of cream of chicken soup, the sour cream, and chicken stock. Whisk or stir together until combined, and reserve ½ cup separately. Set both aside.
- In a 10-12 inch non stick skillet add the oil over medium heat and saute the peppers and onion for about 5-7 minutes stirring frequently. Add the can of Rotel tomatoes, then add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and continue to cook for 3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the sauce (minus the reserved ½ cup). Stir in then turn off the heat and add the shredded chicken. Mix completely and set aside.
- Spread the reserved ½ cup of sauce onto the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Place the tortilla halves down and across making the first layer, and then spread ⅓ of the chicken mixture, then top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
- Repeat the layers two more times and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted and starting to brown lightly.
- Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro
Notes
- We used yellow corn tortillas but white could also be used, if desired.
- If you prefer to substitute Monterey Jack cheese for this dish, you can! It will melt slightly differently than cheddar cheese and change the final flavor of this recipe slightly.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days after baking.
