Here’s a classic King Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe — a creamy, cheesy, Tex-Mex comfort food favorite:
🍲 King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Ingredients (Serves 6–8)
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie or boiled)
- 12 corn tortillas, cut into strips or small pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Ro*Tel)
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: sliced jalapeños for extra heat
Instructions
- Preheat oven
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cook vegetables
- In a skillet, sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic until softened (3–5 minutes).
- Mix the creamy base
- In a large bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes with green chilies, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in sautéed vegetables.
- Layer the casserole
- In a greased 9×13-inch baking dish:
- Spread a layer of tortilla strips
- Add 1/3 of the shredded chicken
- Pour 1/3 of the creamy vegetable mixture
- Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese
- Repeat layers two more times, finishing with cheese on top.
- In a greased 9×13-inch baking dish:
- Bake
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake another 10–15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or diced tomatoes if desired.
Tips
- Tortilla choice: Corn tortillas are traditional, but flour works too.
- Chicken shortcut: Rotisserie chicken makes this much faster.
- Creaminess: For a lighter version, use low-fat soups or Greek yogurt instead of cream of chicken/mushroom.
- Make ahead: Assemble a day before, refrigerate, and bake when ready — flavors meld beautifully.
If you want, I can also give a one-pot stovetop shortcut version that tastes like the baked version but is ready in 30 minutes, perfect for weeknights.
Do you want me to do that?
