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King Ranch Chicken Casserole

King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a classic Tex-Mex comfort food with layers of chicken, tortillas, cheese, and a rich creamy sauce. It's a hearty, cheesy, and satisfying dish perfect for family dinners or potlucks.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper diced
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 can 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), drained
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 8 oz cheddar cheese shredded
  • 5 cups tortilla chip strips OR 12 corn tortillas quartered
  • 2 green onions sliced (for garnish, optional)
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper chopped (for sauce, if using condensed soup method)
  • 10.75 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup if using condensed soup method
  • 10.75 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup if using condensed soup method
  • 1/2 cup onion chopped (for sauce, if using condensed soup method)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced (for scratch sauce method)
  • 6 tablespoons flour for scratch sauce method
  • 2 cups milk for scratch sauce method
  • 2 cups chicken broth divided (for scratch sauce method)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin for scratch sauce method
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder for scratch sauce method
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder for scratch sauce method
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper for scratch sauce method
  • 1 poblano pepper chopped (optional)
  • 1 small jalapeño seeded and finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese at room temperature (for WellPlated method)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin for WellPlated method
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt for WellPlated method
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder for Allrecipes method
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano for Allrecipes method
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder for Allrecipes method

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness (3/4 to 1-inch thick) and season with chili powder. Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until browned on each side and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a clean cutting board to cool. Dice cooked chicken.
  3. In the same skillet, add butter, diced onion, and bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add flour to the skillet and continue to sauté for about 1 minute, or until the flour coats the bottom of the skillet and turns golden brown.
  5. Add chicken broth to the skillet and stir to dissolve the flour and any browned bits. Allow the broth to come to a simmer and thicken into a gravy. Remove from heat.
  6. Drain the can of diced tomatoes with green chiles well. Stir the diced chicken and drained tomatoes into the gravy.
  7. Add sour cream and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese to the skillet and stir until combined.
  8. Layer a few handfuls of tortilla chip strips (or half of the quartered corn tortillas) into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
  9. Spoon half of the chicken mixture on top of the chips/tortillas.
  10. Layer more tortilla chip strips (about half as much as before, or the remaining quartered corn tortillas) on top.
  11. Spoon the remaining chicken mixture on top.
  12. Sprinkle the remaining 1.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
  13. Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole bubbles around the edges.
  14. For a golden top, broil for 1-2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
  15. Sprinkle sliced green onions on top after baking, then serve hot.