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King Ranch Chicken is the ultimate Tex-Mex casserole, with layers of juicy pulled chicken, tortillas, veggies, and heaps of melted cheese. Make this classic recipe ahead for an easy meal that’s perfect to warm up on weeknights!
If you love the zesty flavors in recipes like my enchilada casserole and fiesta chicken casserole, prepare to have King Ranch chicken on repeat!
Table of Contents
I’m sharing my easy, cheesy recipe for the best homemade King Ranch chicken. While its origins are a bit fuzzy, it’s assumed that this classic casserole is named after King Ranch, Texas, the largest ranch in the US. I always found that fitting, because King Ranch chicken goes BIG on flavor! This is a delicious Tex-Mex casserole with seasoned chicken, canned soup, corn tortillas, tomatoes, and chilies layered and baked into a melty, gooey, spicy, flavor-packed meal. If you’ve never tried it, you’re going to love it.
Why I Love King Ranch Chicken
- Perfect for weeknights. King Ranch chicken is a family favorite Southern-style casserole, and weeknight dinners don’t get much better. It’s easy to prep and assemble without any complicated ingredients.
- Make it your own. King Ranch chicken is great to adapt with different ingredients depending on what you and your family like. Not a fan of canned soup? Use homemade cream soup instead. Looking to sneak in extra veggies? Go ahead and add peppers. Craving heat? Use extra chili powder or turn up the spice with more chilies.
- Make it ahead. One more great thing about King Ranch chicken is that it’s perfect for making ahead. Assemble the casserole the day before and keep it covered in the fridge. You can even bake it in advance for easy freezing and reheating.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These are my notes on the ingredients for this King Ranch chicken recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with the full amounts.
- Oil – For sautéeing. Any vegetable oil or olive oil works here.
- Onion – Yellow or brown onion, finely chopped.
- Chicken – King Ranch chicken calls for cooked, shredded chicken. Casseroles are a great way to use up leftover roast chicken, or I’ll cook the chicken quickly in the Instant Pot, see below.
- Canned Soup – I use one can each of cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup. You substitute all of one kind of soup for the other if needed. If you’d prefer not to use canned soup, try homemade cream of chicken or creamy mushroom soup instead.
- Diced Tomatoes – I like to use canned diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Rotel). Choose spicy or mild depending on what you prefer. If you can’t find it, substitute one can of diced tomatoes and a 4-ounce can of green chilies.
- Seasoning – Chili powder, cumin, and black pepper give this casserole a deliciously smoky, Tex-Mex flavor. You could also replace the individual spices with taco seasoning.
- Corn Tortillas – I recommend sticking with corn tortillas as flour tortillas tend to get too soggy in the sauce. I like to cut the tortillas beforehand as it makes the casserole easier to serve, but you can leave them whole if you’d like.
- Shredded Cheese – Any melty cheese works here, but I like to use shredded cheddar. You could use Pepper Jack or a shredded Mexican cheese blend, too.
What Chicken Should I Use?
When I don’t have leftover chicken on hand, I usually rub chicken breasts with my chicken seasoning and put them in the Instant Pot with ½ cup of water. I set that to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, and then remove the chicken and shred it. Easy peasy!
You can also cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot. Another option is to buy and shred a rotisserie chicken from the store.
How to Make King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Prepping and assembling this classic casserole couldn’t be easier. Here’s what you can expect. Scroll to the printable recipe card for detailed step-by-step instructions.
- Mix the filling. First, sauté onions in a skillet with oil until they’re softened. Then, add the onions to a bowl with the shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, and seasonings. Give that a good stir.
- Assemble. To make the casserole, arrange tortilla pieces in the bottom of a greased 13×9” baking dish. Top the tortillas with chicken mixture and then shredded cheese. Repeat twice more, finishing with a layer of cheese.
- Bake. Pop your King Ranch chicken into the oven at 375ºF for 30-40 minutes. When it’s hot and bubbly, let the casserole rest outside of the oven for 5 minutes, then serve!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Adapt the spice. Use mild canned tomatoes and green chilies (or skip the chilies altogether for a mild flavor). You can adapt the amount of seasoning to taste, too, depending on how spicy you like your casserole.
- Try smoked chicken. For another layer of flavor, make this casserole with smoked chicken instead.
- More veggies. For extra variety, I like to slice or dice up bell peppers (any color) and sauté them alongside the onions. Other options are jalapeños or poblano peppers.
- More add-ins. You can also bulk up this Tex-Mex casserole with sweet corn, black beans, or pinto beans.
Serving Suggestions
The best way to serve King Ranch chicken is with your favorite toppings! Anything you’d add to a classic taco goes great on top of this casserole. In our house, that’s diced tomatoes, fresh chopped cilantro, and avocado or guacamole. Don’t forget a dollop of sour cream! You could also add pico de gallo or drizzle over enchilada sauce for a bit of a kick. Dish up with a Southwestern chickpea salad or rice on the side, and dinner is served.
Make-Ahead
Assemble this casserole the day before, and leave it unbaked. Instead, cover and refrigerate it overnight, or you can freeze it for future meals. When you’re ready to bake, uncover your King Ranch chicken and bake as directed (if unfrozen). Or, bake the casserole directly from frozen, adding an extra 20-30 minutes to the baking time.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. This King Ranch chicken stores well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Keep it covered or stored airtight.
- Reheat. I like to reheat this chicken casserole in the oven covered in foil or uncovered in the microwave.
- Freeze. To freeze baked King Ranch chicken, double-wrap the cooled casserole tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw the casserole in the fridge before reheating.
More Chicken Casserole Recipes
- Dorito Chicken Casserole
- Fiesta Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Creamy Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Spaghetti
King Ranch Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 corn tortillas, cut into pieces
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non stick spray. Set aside.
- In a skillet heat oil to medium high heat. Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until they are soft and translucent. If using peppers you can add them here as well.
- In a large bowl mix together chicken, with the onions, and everything else but the tortillas and cheese. Mix until well combined.
- In the bottom of the prepared baking dish arrange a layer of tortilla pieces. Top with 1/3 of the chicken mixture, and sprinkle over 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat with 2 more layers ending with shredded cheese on top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and hot. Remove and let set for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Options – Bell pepper or poblano pepper are common additions.
- Toppings – Diced tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, avocado.
- Use homemade versions of canned soups if desired
- I like to cut the tortillas to make the casserole easier to serve. You can leave them whole if you like.
- I seasoned the chicken breasts with chicken seasoning and cooked them in the Instant Pot with ½ cup of water for 15 minutes. Afterward, I used two forks to shred them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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