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King Ranch casserole in a large cast iron skillet with a spoon in it all next to festive napkins.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Course: Casserole
Cuisine: Texas
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 459kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
This King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a Southern Texas favorite.  This version skips the canned soup mixes and processed cheese and is deep in flavor. This can easily be made in advance.  Keep in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, or freeze for up to 1 month. This is always a huge crowd-pleasing casserole. 
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs chicken breasts skin-on, bone-in, or, 2 rotisserie chickens
  • Olive oil for chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper divided
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1¾ cup chicken stock
  • 1 10 oz can Ro-tel or tomatoes with chiles
  • 1 7.5 oz can green chiles
  • 1½ cup sour cream
  • ¾ cup cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish
  • ½ cup vegetable oil for quick-frying tortillas
  • 15 corn tortillas or, 1 large bag of corn tortilla chips, roughly chopped
  • Cooking spray
  • 4 cups cheese shredded, a combo of cheddar and Monterrey Jack is perfect

Instructions

PREPARE THE CHICKEN

  • Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
  • Rub olive oil all over chicken breasts and then liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until internal temp is 165°F.  Using an instant-read thermometer ensures proper doneness.  Let cool, then remove skin, and then cut the meat from the bone and roughly chop.  Set aside.
    5 lbs chicken breasts, Olive oil, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Alternatively, remove the skin from 2 rotisserie chickens, then remove meat and roughly chop, set aside. 

MAKE THE FILLING

  • Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
    6 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Add onion, bell peppers, and jalapeño, and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft and starting to brown.
    1 large yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 jalapeño
  • Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and 1½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
    2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.
    ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • Using a whisk, incorporate the stock into the vegetables. Whisking to remove any lumps from the flour. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes, or until thickened.  Mix in the tomatoes, green chilies, and sour cream. Remove from the heat.
    1¾ cup chicken stock, 1 10 oz can Ro-tel, 1 7.5 oz can green chiles, 1½ cup sour cream
  • In a separate bowl, stir together the shredded chicken with the cilantro, and then add to the vegetable mixture. 
    ¾ cup cilantro

PREPARE THE TORTILLAS

  • Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  
  • Add about a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the skillet and then add a tortilla, and swirl around. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom and starting to crisp. About 1 minute. Flip, and repeat with the other side. Repeat with each tortilla, adding more oil as needed.
    ½ cup vegetable oil, 15 corn tortillas
  • Alternatively, use roughly chopped corn tortilla chips instead of the skillet-fried tortillas.

ASSEMBLE THE DISH

  • Spray the bottoms and sides of either a large cast-iron skillet or a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
    Cooking spray
  • Line the bottom of the skillet (or baking dish) with tortillas, slightly overlapping.  You can quarter another tortilla to fill the open spaces between the tortillas.  Or, if using chopped tortilla chips, line the bottom with a layer of them. 
  • Add half of the chicken/veggie mixture and then a third of the cheese.  Repeat this process once.  Top with remaining tortillas (or chips) and cheese.
    4 cups cheese
  • Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. (375°F)
  • Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned on top.  Let it stand for 10 minutes before slicing.   

Video

Notes

The casserole can be made a day in advance.  Cover and place in the fridge.  Add an additional 10 minutes to the initial bake time before removing the foil.
Leftovers will keep in an air-tight container with a lid in the fridge for up to 5 days.  The casserole freezes just fine for up to 2 months. 
Be sure to check out the "How To Prepare King Ranch Casserole" video in the recipe card.  If you like the video, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel! 

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1447IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 349mg | Iron: 2mg