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King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe

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4.4 from 6 reviews

This King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a comforting Tex-Mex classic featuring tender chicken in a creamy, cheesy sauce with diced tomatoes and green chiles, layered with crunchy tortilla chips and baked to bubbly perfection. It’s a perfect family-friendly dish that’s both hearty and flavorful, ready in just 45 minutes.

Ingredients

Chicken & Seasoning

  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil

Vegetables & Cheeses

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), drained
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (divided: 1/2 cup plus 1.5 cups)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Thickening & Base

  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 5 cups tortilla chip strips

Instructions

  1. Prepare Chicken: Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Use a mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken to an even thickness about 3/4 to 1 inch. Season both sides of the chicken breasts evenly with chili powder.
  2. Cook Chicken: Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, swirl to coat the skillet. Add the seasoned chicken breasts and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet and transfer to a cutting board to cool.
  3. Prep Vegetables and Cheese: While the chicken cooks, finely dice the onion and green bell pepper. Shred the cheddar cheese and preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
  4. Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet, add butter along with the diced onion and bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
  5. Add Flour: Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the sautéed vegetables. Continue to cook and stir for about 1 minute until the flour coats the bottom of the skillet and begins to turn golden brown, which helps create a roux for thickening.
  6. Make Gravy: Gradually add the chicken broth, stirring constantly to dissolve the flour and scrape up any browned bits from the skillet bottom. Bring the mixture to a simmer until it thickens into a creamy gravy. Remove from heat.
  7. Combine Chicken and Tomatoes: Dice the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces. Stir the chicken and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles into the gravy.
  8. Add Sour Cream and Cheese: Stir in the sour cream along with 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese until well combined and smooth.
  9. Layer Casserole: In a 9x13-inch or 3-quart casserole dish, layer a few handfuls of tortilla chip strips to form the bottom layer. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the chips. Add another layer of tortilla chip strips (about half as much as the first), then spread the remaining chicken mixture on top. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 1.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese over the casserole.
  10. Bake: Bake in the preheated 375ºF oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges. Remove from oven and sprinkle sliced green onions on top before serving hot.

Notes

  • For extra heat, add diced jalapeños when sautéing the vegetables.
  • Use store-bought tortilla chip strips or crush regular tortilla chips for layering.
  • Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in the oven.
  • Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream for a lighter option.
  • Ensure the diced tomatoes with green chiles are well drained to avoid a watery casserole.

Find it online: https://recipefeastful.com/king-ranch-chicken-casserole-recipe/