King Ranch Casserole
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Are you ready to try the best chicken casserole ever? This King Ranch Casserole features tantalizing Tex-Mex flavor mixed with cheesy and creamy layers.
While it may have its roots in Texas, this King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a beloved dish everywhere in the South. It’s bound to show up at any potluck you attend, but it’s easy to see why. It’s cozy, comforting, and oh-so-delicious, with creamy Tex-Mex layers sandwiched between corn tortillas and lots of cheese. Sounds like Southern comfort food heaven, right?
Another reason this is the best chicken casserole ever is that it requires minimal prep and makes the ideal family-friendly weeknight dinner. You can even make it the night before and store it in your fridge to pop in the oven right before supper.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken (I used )
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped green chilies
- Cream of chicken
- Cream of mushroom
- Shredded cheese
- Corn tortillas (or you can use pieces of if you prefer)
- Chopped onions
- Spices: chili powder, pepper, salt, and garlic powder.
Pour a little bit of oil in a large skillet, about two tablespoons.
Add in your onions…
and saute those, stirring often, until browned a bit.
Then dump in your chilies, cream soups, drained diced tomatoes, and shredded chicken.
Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder.
and stir.
Cook this on medium heat until heated through and bubbly – usually just a few minutes.
Tear half of your corn tortillas up into little pieces and layer them in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Spread half of your over the and sprinkle with half your .
Add the rest of your corn tortillas, all torn up. Then glob the rest of your chicken mixture over that and smear it around…
and more cheese!
Lots of folks make their King Ranch casseroles in three layers, but I just do two. If you wanna do three go right ahead. Whatever cranks yer tractor. Two does it for me!
Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and your stomach is growling from the smell. Top with some chopped when you’re ready to serve.
HELLO DINNER!
Yum di di dum dum yum yum yum!!
Storage
- Casserole leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
- You can freeze the entire unbaked casserole for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then cook as instructed above. Alternatively, cooked casserole servings will last in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
- In this casserole, you can use any kind of chicken, including boiled chicken breast, canned chicken, or whatever leftover chicken you have in the fridge. Today I used rotisserie chicken and it was fantastic, but I also sometimes buy a 10-pound bag of leg quarters and boil them until done. Then I shred all of the chicken and freeze in small portions to toss in casseroles, dumplings, and stews.
- You can use any combination of condensed soup varieties. Go for only cream of mushroom or chicken, or use other flavors like cream of celery or cream of onion.
- If you’d like your King Ranch Casserole to have a little crunch, substitute the corn tortillas for crushed tortilla chips or Doritos.
- Instead of cheddar cheese, sprinkle your casserole with Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese instead.
- You can also add more veggies to your chicken mixture, like green bell pepper.
- For another creamy layer addition, serve your with a scoop of .
- If too spicy, substitute for for a less heated option.
Recipe FAQs
Why is it called King Range Chicken Casserole?
While its name comes from King Ranch, one of the country’s largest ranches, there’s actually no direct connection between this Tex-Mex casserole and the ranch.
Can I make this casserole the night before?
Yes! You can assemble this casserole in a the night before, store it in the fridge, and then bake it when you get home.
Can I use fat-free cream of chicken or cream of mushroom?
Yes, you can use fat-free versions. If you are watching your fat intake for health reasons I actually strongly recommend it. Just always check with your health professionals if you are making any substitutes due to health.
What do you serve with King Ranch Chicken Casserole?
While this casserole is a meal in itself, you can serve it alongside other Southern favorites, including cornbread, corn salad, fresh green beans, and three-bean salad. You can also serve it with a simple refreshing salad like this Greek cucumber salad or some tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole.
Here are other casserole recipes you may enjoy:
Cabbage Casserole Recipe Oven or Slow Cooker
Cornbread Casserole Recipe Simple and Savory
Sloppy Joes Casserole Deep Dish Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 4 ounce can diced green chilies
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 12 - 14 corn tortillas six-inch
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute over medium heat until onions are lightly browned.1 onion, 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Add rotisserie chicken, cream soups, chilies, tomatoes, and all seasonings. Stir and cook over medium heat until bubbly.2 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 4 ounce can diced green chilies, 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Tear tortillas into small pieces. Place half of the torn tortillas in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the chicken mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Top with remaining tortilla pieces, remaining chicken mixture, and remaining cheese.12 - 14 corn tortillas, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned around the edges.
The stars at night, are big and bright… ~clap clap clap clap~…
I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think,
all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read,
and all the friends I want to see.
– John Burroughs
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I made this tonight and we loved it!! My father’s wife actually made King Ranch Casserole a couple of years ago when I went to visit. At the time, my grandfather was living with them. You know how elderly people tend to have small appetites? Well, my grandfather is a really skinny guy, and he ate 3 huge servings of this casserole.
I always have to fiddle with recipes, and I did the same with this one. I forgot to buy a can of cream of chicken soup at the store (and for some reason it completely slipped my mind that I could just make some quickly on the stove, which is what I usually do for cream of ____ soup when it’s in recipes). So I made a small casserole of this using only the cream of mushroom and used half a container of Emerald Valley salsa in place of the tomatoes, onions and green chiles. This salsa is incredible and made the prep even easier. Oh and I baked it in my brand “new” vintage Pyrex baking dish that came in the mail from eBay yesterday 😀 The dish really was new- the seller found it in her mother’s closet, unused and still in the original box after so many decades!
Anyway, thanks for the fantastic recipe. We really enjoyed it and my fiance would have eaten even more if I wasn’t saving the rest of it for dinner later this week. I see King Ranch Casserole being made often in our home from now on.
Made this last week for the kiddos. They loved it, because there were no left overs. Next time I will have to double the recipe…lol!
This is soooo stinkin good! This will be one of my regulars now! All I had was flour tortillas and they worked great. I thought they would get soggy, but they didn’t at all. Wonderful recipe!
Hi Christy!
I was wondering if it would be ok to assemble all of the ingredients together and freeze the casserole and bake it at a later date. Would that mess up anything up? I want to make this for some of my girlfriends- we do a monthly dinner swap and this recipe looks delicious!
I have done that very same them many times over, so, go for it!
Thank you!
Christy,
Welcome to Texas!!! It’s a wonderful place to call home and now it’s even a better place!! I just made this casserole and LOVED it!! More importantly, so did my family . . . especially my pickiest eater in the whole wide world 15-month old who only eats peas and turkey . . . devoured it . . . her little lips were smackin’ away!!
I’ve made several of your recipes and they are ALWAYS wonderful!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and your stories with us! I live in a very small town and it’s nice to get out (even if it is on the internet) and meet new people!! Thank you for bringing us together!! Can’t wait for your cookbook!!
Christy
I was wondering if you could use rotel instead of tomatoes and the green chilies? Thanks
Traci, that’s actually what I’ve always used in mine, so, I am sure you could use it in Christy’s recipe. Just vary the type you use by the heat you like. Try it! It’s SO good!
thanks Felica
When I spent 2 years in Corpus Christi Tx. Rotel is what I was shown to use… it will be great either way you make it… for sure…
I love Ro-Tel but a lot of the SP family in the UK and even some areas of the US and Canada can’t get it as easily as we can I’m afraid. Awesome product!!
I had some leftover chicken in the fridge and just had to try this recipe. I must say it turned out great. My husband and my 79 year old Mom loved it too.
I just love this site and plan to buy several copies of your cookbook for Christmas presents this year.
Thank you for sharing so much of your family lore. I feel as if I know you.