King ranch chicken casserole is my absolute favorite Tex-Mex-inspired dish to bring to potlucks. My king ranch chicken casserole recipe is made with all fresh ingredients– no Velveeta or canned soups here! It’s creamy, cheesy, and so delicious with none of the bad stuff. I could never get tired of how delicious this recipe is, and it’s pretty nostalgic too, so it’s the definition of comfort food.
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My king ranch chicken casserole recipe is filled with all the best ingredients, like chicken, cheese, sour cream, green chiles and tomatoes, peppers, onions, and more. And I skipped the cream of mushroom soup and Velveeta that it’s usually made with. It takes a few extra steps, but it’s totally worth it for this creamy, flavorful casserole.
What’s in This King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe?
- Butter: Unsalted butter helps the veggies cook without burning.
- Onion: Creates a sweet and earthy base of flavor.
- Bell Pepper: Adds a mild and grassy flavor.
- Jalapeno Pepper: Adds a bit of spice.
- Garlic: Enhances the savory flavor of this casserole.
- Spices: Chili powder, ground cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper balance out the savory and spicy flavors of this dish.
- Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken this dish.
- Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth replaces the cream of mushroom soup to create a moist filling.
- Lime Juice: Adds balancing acidity to the dish.
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles: Enhance the spicy flavor of the dish.
- Sour Cream: Makes this casserole extra creamy.
- Cooked Chicken: Adds protein and bulk to the casserole.
- Cilantro: Adds a pop of color and freshness.
- Cheese: I used a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar cheeses to make this casserole super cheesy!
- Tortilla Chips: Add a bit of crunch!
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Tips for Success
- If I don’t have leftover chicken lying around, I’ll use a rotisserie chicken from the store.
- To make ahead, follow the recipe without baking it, and then freeze it until you’re ready to reheat and eat. You could also store it in the refrigerator for a couple of days, then grab it and bake it when it’s time for dinner.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover king ranch chicken casserole tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to reheat it, you can either let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and cook according to the instructions or bake it straight from frozen for 45-60 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This king ranch chicken casserole is a hefty meal all on its own, but it’s also great paired with a light cucumber onion salad or my favorite spinach salad with bacon. Both are great options to get some extra fruit and veggies in.
If you love this recipe, try my king ranch chicken mac and cheese or king ranch chicken rotel dip!
5-Star Review
“I made this for a weekend getaway and everyone loved it! It was easy to make ahead of time. I just made the pulled chicken and sauce the day before. It was so easy to assemble once I got to our vacation house. The leftovers were great for breakfast too. Thanks for the recipe!” -Krystal
King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe
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Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ stick)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 bell pepper any color, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles (1 can)
- 1½ cups sour cream
- 5 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 2 pounds)
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cups freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces tortilla chips semi-crushed
Optional Garnishes
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Dollops of sour cream
- Fresh tomatoes
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F, and spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and peppers are tender. Add minced garlic, stir, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 yellow onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 jalapeno pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the broth and lime juice and whisk. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in green chile tomatoes and sour cream.1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1½ cups sour cream
- In a large bowl, combine chicken and cilantro; add vegetable mixture and mix well.5 cups chopped cooked chicken, 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- In a medium bowl, mix together both cheeses.2 cups freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Line the prepared casserole dish with one-third of the semi-crushed tortilla chips. Top with half of the chicken mixture and one-third of the cheese. Repeat the layers once with the last two layers being tortilla chips and cheese.8 ounces tortilla chips
- Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray to loosely cover the casserole dish.
- Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving topped with the garnishes of your choice.Freshly chopped cilantro, Dollops of sour cream, Fresh tomatoes
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
How to Make King Ranch Chicken Casserole Step by Step
Sauté the Vegetables: Preheat the oven to 375°F, and spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 diced yellow onion, 1 diced bell pepper, and 1 seeded and diced jalapeno pepper and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and peppers are tender. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, stir, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.
Thicken with Flour: Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
Boil the Sauce: Add 1¾ cups of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of lime juice and whisk. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 10 ounces of green chile tomatoes and 1½ cups of sour cream.
Mix the Chicken: In a large bowl, combine 5 cups of chopped cooked chicken and 1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro; add vegetable mixture and mix well.
Mix the Cheeses: In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese and 2 cups of freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Layer the Casserole: Line the prepared casserole dish with one-third of the 8 ounces of semi-crushed tortilla chips. Top with half of the chicken mixture and one-third of the cheese. Repeat the layers once with the last two layers being tortilla chips and cheese.
Cover the Casserole: Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray to loosely cover the casserole dish.
Bake the Casserole: Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving topped with the garnishes of your choice.
Love anything that doesn’t have canned soup in it!
I would agree with others that 10 minutes prep isn’t possible unless everything was purchased pre-chopped, shredded, etc. I chopped all veggies, grated the cheese, deboned/shredded a whole chicken and assembled the casserole in roughly 30 minutes.
I prefer to use corn tortillas (quartered) rathern than chips and only used one cup of sour cream because that’s all I had but otherwise followed this to the letter.
Thanks for the easy recipe – will definitely make it again!
I’ll have to edit that part!! But I’m glad you still enjoyed the recipe!
This is much better than the receipe with canned soup and velvetta. It has a lot of ingredients but takes 30 minutes tops to put together and tastes awesome. You can leave the cilantro out or used dried, tastes good either way. We substituted a Nacho Blend shredded cheese for the Monterey Jack (its what I had on hand yesterday) and it was just as good. My 14 year old grandson who just started taking cooking lessons in school this fall was able to make the receipe with no problem. Once you have had this you will never go back to the soup version.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you loved it so much!!
This recipe is amazing. My husband just loved it! Will continue to make it. Only thing for me, prep time took quite a while but oh so worth it!
I’m happy you all love it!!
We thought this was delicious, and it’s something I’d make again. But… 10 minutes prep time to: cook and shred 2 pounds of chicken; dice (not chop in a food processor) onion, red pepper, garlic and a jalapeno; measure out spices, flour, broth, sour cream and 4 cups of cheese; juice a lime; and crush 10 oz of tortilla chips?? I had the same experience as Tracy B — I started making this around 7 and we ate after 10! I don’t mind a lengthy prep time, and perhaps I’m just slower than most, but it would help to have a more realistic estimate to start with!
I’m glad you still enjoyed it! I’ll pay closer attention to timings in the future!
Very, very good.
I made this recipe exactly as directed Except I used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and I used canned chicken breast. It was absolutely delicious and so easy and quick to make! Regards Maria
Awesome!!
I’ve never heard of King’s Ranch Chicken so your recipe is my first experience with it. OMG! Sinfully good. Mine didn’t look anything like your’s though. My rotisserie chicken was scrawny so I only got about 2 cups of chicken from it. I also mistakenly thought I had tortilla chips but I didn’t so I crushed up taco shells. I used a 13×9 baking dish and my layered ingredients didn’t even fill it half way. My whole family loved it, in spite of my problems. Thank you!
P.S. Ten minutes prep time? LOL. I started this at 7PM and we ate at 9. I don’t know where I went wrong!
YAY!
The normal baking time is 40-45 minutes, with 10 minutes standing time. But the directions for baking directly from the freezer indicate 45-60 minutes. Doesn’t it need more time than that when frozen solid?
The crushed red pepper flakes and lime juice aren’t list instructions.
Thanks for catching that! I just fixed the recipe :)
You list butter in the ingredients, but I don’t see it used in the instructions. I’m assuming it should go in the skillet to cook the veggies in step 2 – is that correct?
Yes that’s right! Sorry about that. Fixing now.