King Ranch Chicken Recipe
If I had to describe King Ranch Chicken Casserole in three words, it would be cheesy, creamy, and chicken-y. There’s the perfect amount of chicken in each cheesy, creamy layer of this casserole to seriously fill you up and keep you coming back for more. And this is an easy casserole recipe requiring only 15 minutes of prep time before you pop the casserole into the oven for a half hour and let it do all of the work for you. The only hard part is smelling the enticing aromas filling your house while it bakes and waiting for it to be ready! To save time and make this a do-able weeknight dinner recipe when time is of the essence (we all know how hectic weeknights can be), I use shredded rotisserie chicken. Although if you happen to have extra grilled chicken or poached chicken on hand, they’ll work fine too. If you wind up with extra rotisserie chicken, I’ve got recipes to help you use up rotisserie chicken, too!
Why Is it Called “King Ranch” Chicken?
If you’re wondering why or how this easy chicken dinner recipe got its name, I did some digging. I found out that there’s a very large and famous ranch in Texas called King Ranch, which was founded and originally owned by Richard King in the 1800s. However, many things regionally in Texas may be labeled King Ranch Something as a reference to the ranch. For example, a “King Ranch office chair” is piggybacking on this “infamous” name. King Ranch chicken casserole does the same. I don’t think any King Ranch chicken casserole was every served at the ranch, but I am certainly not a Texas historian.
Ingredients in King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Let’s move on to making this fast and easy chicken casserole recipe. There’s no cream of mushroom soup! and no cream of chicken soup! To do that, you’ll need the following common and easy-to-find fridge and pantry ingredients including the following:
Unsalted butterOnionPoblano pepperRed bell pepperJalapeñoGarlicCooked chicken (I use rotisserie chicken)Sour creamSalsa verdeCilantroCuminSmoked PaprikaSaltBlack pepperVegetable oilCorn tortillasMexican shredded cheese or cheddar cheese
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make King Ranch Chicken Casserole from Scratch
This warm, cheesy king ranch chicken casserole is easy to make and comes together quickly with my straightforward directions. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 3-quart casserole dish or 9×13-inch baking pan. Step 2: Heat the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions, garlic, poblano peppers, red peppers, and jalapeños. Step 3: Combine the sautéed veggies with chicken, sour cream, salsa verde, some of the cilantro, and the seasonings in a large bowl. Set it aside. Step 4: Heat the oil in a skillet. Cook halved tortillas for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until crispy. Tip: You can skip the frying step if you’re trying to save time or shave off fat and calories. However, I personally love the crispiness and it’s worth it to me on all levels to give them a quick fry, but it’s up to you. Step 5: Line the bottom of the baking dish with tortillas, then top with the chicken mixture. Step 6: Top with cheese. Step 7: Repeat this layering process of tortillas-chicken-cheese twice more. Tortillas-chicken mixture-cheese. Tip: If you want the top layer of cheese to be extra cheesy, feel free to add another handful of shredded cheese to the final layer. Step 8: Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes and baking uncovered for another 10. Step 9: Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes at room temp prior to garnishing and serving.
What Kind of Chicken Is Best?
To keep things easy, I recommend shredded rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Although as I mentioned, if you have extra grilled chicken breast or poached chicken, they’ll work fine.
Best Tortillas for Chicken King Ranch Casserole
Corn tortillas are what you I suggest using and not flour. When selecting corn tortillas at the grocery store, choose ones that are palm/average size, sometimes called ‘street taco’ size, but not burrito size. If you’re frying them which I recommend for the crispness it lends. And really, you don’t need to use much oil – just 1/4 cup for 20 tortillas!
Is King Ranch Casserole with Chicken Spicy?
As written, the recipe isn’t spicy. It’s full of flavor, but not overtly spicy.
Poblano peppers aren’t spicy. They’re a cousin of a green bell pepper, which aren’t spicy.Jalapeno peppers aren’t too spicy either if you remove the seeds and white membranes.Green salsa (salsa verde) isn’t typically spicy either.
To make your casserole spicier you can do the following:
Use canned green chiles (especially fire-roasted) instead of poblano peppers. Or use Rotel or Spicy Rotel.Keep the seeds and membranes of the jalapeno.Seek out a green salsa which indicates it’s spicy.
Tip: Don’t confuse a serrano chile pepper with a jalapeno pepper. Serranos are thinner and leaner looking than jalapenos which are shorter and plumper looking. The color of the flesh is very similar, a nice “grass green” shade. However, serranos are much hotter than jalapenos and unless you want this dish to read pretty spicy, don’t get confused.
What to Serve with King Ranch Chicken
This is such a filling meal on its own. You really don’t need to worry too much about what you’re going to serve it with. However here are a few ideas in keeping with the Tex-Mex meets Mexican-inspired flavor profile:
Mexican Zucchini, Corn, and Peppers (Calabacitas) — An easy Mexican-inspired recipe ready in 15 minutes with zucchini, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, and green chiles!Avocado, Black Bean and Corn Salad with Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette – Everything tastes better with avocado! Easy, healthy and tons of flavor!Mexican Bean Salad — Such a fast and easy recipe to make! Plus, it’s loaded with flavor and textures galore. Two kinds of beans, juicy corn and tomatoes, crisp peppers, and green onions are tossed in a lime-chili-cumin vinaigrette that’s perfectly light!Grilled Mexican Corn and Black Bean Salad — An EASY corn salad with black beans, zucchini, red onions, cilantro, lime juice, and more!! So much Mexican-inspired FLAVOR in every bite of this family favorite recipe that’s sure to be a hit!
How to Store Leftovers
This king ranch casserole with chicken is wonderful hot and fresh from the oven. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently in the microwave.
Can I Make This Recipe in Advance?
Yes you sure can assemble king ranch chicken in a casserole or baking dish and get it totally in advance of when you plan to make it. Simply cover it tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24-26 hours, before baking. Tip: If you’re baking a casserole that was refrigerated, allow it to set at room temp for 30 to 45 minutes before baking it. Putting a very cold casserole into the oven will require it to bake much longer which can be avoided by simply letting it sit out for awhile.
Tips for the Best King Ranch Casserole
Despite the layering process, this is really an easy weeknight chicken dinner recipe that I know your whole family will love. Here are a few final tips to make sure it’s simply the best king ranch chicken recipe! Poblano Peppers – They remind me of a jumbo-sized green bell pepper but with a darker, deeper green color. Very “dark forest green” in color. If you can’t find them for some reason, you can use two extra-large green bell peppers instead. Jalapeno Peppers – As I mentioned above, make sure not to confuse a jalapeno pepper with a serrano pepper because the later is much spicier and your final dish will read noticeably spicy if you mistakenly use a serrano chile instead of a jalapeno. Not bad if you like spicy food but not everyone does. Sour Cream – You can use a low-fat sour cream if you’d like to. Just keep in mind that your final results may not be as creamy as they would have been with a regular sour cream. Cheese – However, don’t use a reduced fat or lite cheese. They don’t melt well and I simply don’t recommend anything other than a regular, normal fat content, shredded cheese. Cheese lover? Great, me too! Feel free to go a bit heavy-handed and use a bit more cheese than I call for. Garnishes – Add some freshness to this hearty casserole by topping it with the remaining cilantro just before serving. Optionally, you can also add shredded lettuce on top, diced tomatoes, avocado, guacamole, more salsa, or whatever garnishes you enjoy. I love the look and taste of extra fresh garnishes on top if you have them on hand.
More Comfort Food Dinner Ideas:
Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake — A hearty comfort food casserole that includes juicy chicken, pasta, marinara, the BEST crispy buttery breadcrumb topping and TWO types of cheese!! A family favorite big-batch recipe that’s also great for meal prepping!! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Cheesy Chicken Artichoke Pasta Bake — Imagine spinach and artichoke-flavored PASTA spiked with juicy chicken, red peppers, and TWO types of melted cheese!! A family favorite big-batch COMFORT FOOD PANTRY RECIPE that’s great for meal prepping!! Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Casserole — Hearty comfort food that’s EASY and IRRESISTIBLE!! Cheesy pasta and beef coated in marinara sauce and topped with more CHEESE! Makes planned leftovers and is freezer-friendly! Easy 30-Minute Southwestern Beef Skillet – EASY, family friendly, ready in 30 minutes, and COMFORT FOOD at its best!! Ground beef, PASTA, black beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and CHEESE for a Southwestern flair! One-Pot Cheesy Mexican Ground Beef and Rice — All your favorite burrito ingredients minus the wrap!! Made in one skillet, ready in 30 minutes, and so EASY! Hearty comfort food that’s packed with bold Mexican flavors!! Pizza Pasta Casserole – EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and for times when you want BOTH pizza AND pasta!! Ground beef, pepperoni, and oodles of cheese make this casserole pure COMFORT FOOD! Feeds a crowd!!
