King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a hearty and comforting classic recipe from Texas. Layers of corn tortillas, shredded chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and chilies, make every bite so flavorful. Ready in an hour, it’s a crowdpleaser that’s delicious for any occasion.

We lived in Texas for over a decade, so we are truly very familiar with King Ranch Chicken Casserole. It’s a family favorite recipe that we would make several times a year for a crowd.

If you’ve never had it before, it’s a classic Tex-Mex bake with layers of chicken, tomatoes with chilies, chicken, corn tortillas, cheese and spices. Baked until gooey perfection, every bite is insanely delicious.

The best part is it’s easy to assemble and bake in an hour and can be made in advance for a crowd. All you need is a skillet and a casserole dish, so clean up is easy too! We love a good casserole recipe, so be sure to also try our Hamburger Potato Casserole and Taco Lasagna.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• A comforting casserole with flavors everyone will love. Even the pickiest eaters love this King Ranch Chicken Casserole for it’s taco-inspired flavorings.
• Customize the bake with your favorite ingredients. You can add other spices, seasonings, and vegetables to the bake to make it your own.
• Assemble in advance for a crowd. You can build the casserole dish and store it in the fridge for a couple of hours until guests arrive.

Laura Ashley’s Tip: The origin of King Ranch chicken Casserole is unknown, but it’s thought to be from Texas during the 1950s when canned goods became popular. It’s named after the well-known King Ranch.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the end of this post for specific ingredient amounts in the recipe card. 

• Butter or olive oil: Cooking fat for the base of the King Ranch Chicken Casserole.
• Yellow or sweet onion: Gives that sweet vegetable base to the casserole.
• Diced bell pepper: Adds fresh veggie flavor.
• Jalapenos: These are optional, but add them if you like spice.
• Chili powder: Adds smokiness to every bite.
• Ground cumin: Gives a warm flavor and hint of lemon.
• Garlic powder: Adds that garlicky flavor that compliments the other flavors so well.
• Condensed cream of mushroom soup and condensed cream of chicken soup: We use both for extra creamy texture and rich flavor.
• Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies): Adds great tomato flavor with a little kick.
• Chicken broth: Helps make the sauce of the casserole.
• Shredded chicken: Adds protein, use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut or leftover chicken from the night before.
• Corn tortillas: We use the 6-inch size here and tear them into pieces.
• Mexican or taco cheese blend: Makes every bite ooey, gooey, and cheesy.

Tools You’ll Need

• 13″x9″ Baking Dish
• Liquid Measuring Cups
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Spatula
• Large Skillet
• Chef’s Knife
• Cutting Board

How to Make King Ranch Chicken Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 13×9 baking dish with butter, oil or nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, heat butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño to the skillet. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

4. Add cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, Rotel, and chicken broth. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside.

5. Turn off the heat and fold in the shredded chicken.

6. Spread the reserved sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the torn tortillas evenly on top.

7. Pour half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, spreading it out. Sprinkle on half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken mixture layers. End with sprinkling the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the top.

8. Bake covered with aluminum foil 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese is melted and slightly golden. Rest a few minutes before serving.

Expert Tips

• Use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. To reduce the prep time, we love to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store to shred for this bake.
• Cook the vegetables and spices in a skillet first until they are tender. This helps to toast the spices so they’re even more flavorful and also helps to soften all the vegetables to make them tender to the bite.
• If you want to make your own condensed soup, combine 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in ⅓ cup all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in ⅓ cup milk and ⅓ cup chicken broth until well combined. Season with ¼ teaspoon onion powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and creamy. You can also make our cream of mushroom soup recipe that’s homemade.!
• Be sure that you cover the casserole dish with foil then uncover the bake to make sure the cheese melts nicely. By covering the casserole, this guarantees that the layers of the bake become warm and melty. Then uncover the bake at the end to melt all of that delicious cheese on top too.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave until warmed through.

You can freeze King Ranch Chicken for up to 2 months, but we can’t guarantee the tortillas will be the same texture once thawed.

If you want to make this casserole in advance, no problem! Assemble it and then bake it before guests arrive. This makes it hot and bubbling when it’s time to eat.

FAQs

More Easy Casserole Recipes

• Broccoli Pasta Bake (No-Boil)
• Chicken Cornbread Casserole
• Beef Cobbler
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole