Name: King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium onion (diced); 1 medium red bell pepper (diced); 10.75 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup (1 can); 10.75 oz condensed cream of chicken soup (1 can); 14.5 oz diced tomatoes (1 can); 2/3 cup chicken broth (low sodium); 4 oz green chilies (1 can); 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 3 cups chicken (cooked, shredded); 3 cups cheddar cheese (shredded); 10 medium tortillas (corn or flour, 4 of them cut into halves); 1 tbsp chives (chopped, for garnish)

King Ranch Chicken Casserole – Looking for a saucy, chicken-y, cheesy, and equally easy dinner? You’re at the right stop! This recipe will clear out some cans from your pantry in a matter of moments. Time to stir, layer, bake, and enjoy!

side view shot of king ranch chicken casserole fresh out of the oven and cut into slices with a couple slices missing and a black spatula inside

I’ve always been on a mission to change the stigma surrounding one of my favorite dinners: the casserole. You may be picturing a plate full of slop, flavorless and bland. I’m telling you, that’s not the way it has to be! Every time I concoct a casserole I make sure it’s filling, easy, and, above all, delicious. You just know that a name like king ranch chicken casserole will check all those boxes.

How can you go wrong with this list of ingredients? We have chiles, lots of chicken, the creamiest sauce, corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, and plenty of seasoning. While it may look a little lengthy, just give it a quick glance. See? Pretty easy, I know. I bet you’ve been looking for a way to use up these ingredients that have been hanging out in your kitchen, anyways.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

Olive oil – Other types of oil that are suitable for sautéing are avocado, vegetable, canola, grapeseed, safflower, and sunflower.
Onion – Any type. Even a few shallots would do.
Bell pepper – I used a red bell pepper, but you can use any color.
Condensed soup – Both cream of mushroom and cream of chicken.
Diced tomatoes – Crushed tomatoes can work in place if you don’t want the pieces of tomato.
Chicken broth – Or any type of broth you have handy.
Canned chiles – I used a whole 4oz can. You can substitute freshly chopped jalapeño, poblano, or Anaheim peppers. These canned green chiles are not spicy at all, quite mild.
Chili powder – Homemade or your favorite store-bought variety.
Garlic powder – Use as much or little as you like.
Chicken – Pre-cooked and shredded. If you have a little more or less than the recipe calls for, that will be fine.
Cheese – I used cheddar. You can use gouda, Monterey Jack, Colby, red Leicester, or even Gruyere.
Tortillas – Corn or flour. Up to you!
Chives – For garnish. Some freshly chopped cilantro will work too.

How to make king ranch chicken casserole

Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 375F.
Cook onion and pepper: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, then cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
Make the sauce: Add the onion and pepper mixture to a large mixing bowl along with both the condensed soups, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, green chilies, chili powder, and garlic powder. Stir until well combined.
Start to assemble casserole: Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Top with half of the chicken, then pour 2 cups of the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese, and spread half of the tortillas.
Finish assembling casserole: Top with the remaining chicken, 2 more cups of sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and the remaining tortillas. Finish layering the casserole with the remaining sauce and then cheese.
Bake and garnish: Transfer the baking dish to the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese has browned slightly. Garnish with green onion and serve.

Do I have to use condensed soup?

Some of us love using condensed soups in recipes like this, and some wince at the thought. No matter where you stand on this polarizing debate, there’s another route you can take!

You can simply make this recipe for bechamel instead. To make enough for this casserole, hover your cursor over the number of servings in the bechamel recipe card. Use your cursor to drag the number of servings to 15, giving you 2.5 cups of milk.

Bechamel, also called “white sauce”, is a base for many recipes, including “cream of” soups. You can add simple simple herbs, spices, sautéed veggies (like celery, carrots, or mushrooms) to your bechamel to create a more similar replication of the condensed soup.

overhead shot of king ranch chicken casserole fresh out of the oven and cut into slices

Get creative with your chicken

Today I’ve called for 3 cups of chicken. This is equivalent to what you’ll get from 1 whole cooked chicken. I love having the mixture of white and dark meat! You can cook up a whole chicken, or just use breasts, thighs, or drums. Get skinless to make your life easier.

Here are some of my favorite chicken recipes you can use to add a bit more flavor and pizzazz to your casserole:

side view shot of a slice of king ranch casserole on a white plate with a similar plate in the background

Leftovers

If there is quite a bit leftover, you can keep the leftovers in the casserole dish and cover it well with plastic wrap or foil. Otherwise, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To reheat, use the microwave. You can also use preheat the oven to 350F, cover the casserole dish with foil, and bake for 10-15 minutes until heated through.

How to freeze

Baked

Let the casserole fully cool down to room temperature. Cover the dish well with both plastic wrap and foil. Store in the freezer for 4-6 months.
Thaw the casserole fully in the fridge for 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 350F, and let the casserole sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

Unbaked

Layer the casserole completely as per the recipe instructions.
Cover the dish well with both plastic wrap and foil. Store in the freezer for 4-6 months.
Thaw the casserole fully in the fridge for 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 375F, and let the casserole sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Bake the casserole as per the recipe instructions.