This dish right here is a Southern Texas staple dish. And with one bite, you’ll understand why.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a church potluck, bridal shower, or even a tailgating party in the Lone Star State that didn’t include this amazing dish.
We love this version because we don’t include the typical canned condensed cream of chicken soups or processed cheese. This is the real deal. Texas-style.
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King Ranch Casserole is a Texas Tradition
We start off by sautéing some of our favorite veggies in the world: Onion, red and green bell peppers, jalapeño, and garlic.
The dish is colorful and exploding with flavor.
You’ll notice this just right away.
Ro-tel is another Texas tradition. It’s a combination of tomatoes and green chiles and it’s hard to explain why, but there is just some extra special about a can of Ro-tel tomatoes.
If you can’t find Ro-Tel, which is now widely available, you can use another brand of tomatoes and chilies, or order Ro-tel online.
We LOVE Ro-tel!
For the chicken, we love to roast chicken breasts, skin-on, and then shred the meat.
You’ll need about 5 cups of cooked chicken. If you are pressed for time, 2 rotisserie chickens from the supermarket work very nicely, too.
Mix the cooked chicken with the fresh cilantro.
The Filling is Creamy With a Touch of Heat
As you build the filling for this amazing King Ranch Chicken Casserole, you’ll be tempted to pull out a spoon and eat a bowl-full as is.
But try and wait.
The best is yet to come.
Once again, we’re all about making the best dish possible, but sometimes you might be looking for a shortcut.
We think quickly crisping up yellow corn tortillas in a non-stick skillet with a little oil is perfect for this King Ranch Chicken Casserole.
But, we have also found that roughly broken-up corn tortilla chips work great, too! Corn tortillas are so good!
Where Did King Ranch Casserole Originate?
There is a very famous and massive ranch in Southern Texas called The King Ranch. Most folks, understandably so, think the King Ranch casserole originated at the famed King Ranch.
It didn’t. Martin Clement, who manages the main house at the King Ranch is quoted: “You can be sure if we had invented it, it would include beef, not chicken!”
So, the mysterious origins of this iconic King Ranch Chicken Casserole remain a mystery. But, who really cares? All you need to know is it’s a huge crowd-pleasin’ casserole that just tastes incredible.
We absolutely love making this casserole in our large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet, but you can absolutely prepare it in a standard 9″x13″ baking dish.
This King Ranch Chicken Casserole feeds a hungry family, no problem. Usually leaving leftovers for lunch and/or dinner the following day or two.
King Ranch Feeds a Hungry Family (and More!)
The King Ranch Casserole also freezes wonderfully. Simply prepare as instructed, freeze, and then let thaw and cook as directed. Or, bake frozen for an additional 45 minutes.
Obviously, we wouldn’t advise freezing this in your cast iron skillet. But you probably figured that out.
Trust us when we tell you, King Ranch Chicken Casserole is Texas comfort food at its best. You and your loved ones will be “yee-hawing” after each scrumptious bite!
Other Favorite Chicken Recipes
Braised Chicken and Savory Peaches
Chicken and Sage Casserole
Instant Pot Dijon Chicken
Chicken Gyro
Cajun Chicken and Rice
These are fantastic! In the meantime, hurry and make this incredible King Ranch Casserole. You will NOT be disappointed!
Ready to make the best King Ranch Casserole this side of the Rio Grande River? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo, post it on Instagram, and tag @howtofeedaloon and hashtag #howtofeedaloon!
King Ranch Chicken Casserole
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 tbsp 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 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp 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
- 4 cups cheese shredded, a combo of cheddar and Monterrey Jack is perfect
- 15 corn tortillas or, 1 large bag of corn tortilla chips, roughly chopped
- ½ cup vegetable oil for quick-frying tortillas
- Cooking spray
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 meat from the bone and roughly chop. Set aside.
- 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.
- Add onion, bell peppers, jalapeño and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft and starting to brown.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and 1½ tsp of salt, and ½ tsp of black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.
- 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.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the shredded chicken with the cilantro and then add to the vegetable mixture.
PREPARE THE TORTILLAS
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add about a tsp 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
It’s in the frig now; waiting to cook up for a potluck at church tomorrow. I love King Ranch Casserole; not always great; this one looks terrific. I cooked up 5 lbs of skinless, boneless chicken breasts per your recipe & had about twice the amount your video shows. In reading the commentary you say 5 cups of chicken breasts. I’ll surely make this again but please clarify is it 5lbs of chicken breasts cooked up or 5 cups. Thanks guys.
Hi Sonja! We hope the casserole turned out great and everyone enjoyed it! And so so sorry about the confusion with the chicken. We usually go with 3 to 5 lbs of skin-on, bone-in chicken parts (breasts and/or thighs). In the instructions, we said boneless/skinless. That would definitely make too much chicken! So sorry about that! Hopefully you can find good use for the cooked chicken that was leftover. We’ve updated the recipe to reflect this! Thank you so much for sharing and for the 5 Stars! That means the world to us!!
I had heard of King Ranch casserole, but had never tried it. It was AMAZING!!! I did all the measuring and dicing a day ahead so it went very well. Would it be horrible if I added a few black beans in it next time??
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Karen!! YES!! Don’t you love making new dishes that turn out great! Prepping the day before is the way to go!! And 100% YES! Black beans would be a wonderful addition!! YUM!!! Thanks for sharing your experience and especially thanks for the great review. That honestly means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Do you think I can use cassava flour tortilla chips or other types of tortillas? Cassava, almond flour or cauliflower tortillas? I was thinking the cassava flour chips might work out best but In the end, corn tortillas as also on the soft side as are the other tortillas I mentioned, so thinking any of that might work. Just wondering if you ever tried or have any thoughts 🙂 thank you for your input!
Hi Jess! We haven’t tried anything but corn tortillas, which become very soft. With that in mind, any chip you go with will work just fine. The cassava chips should be great! Let us know if you make it and how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley