King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe

When it comes to easy Tex-Mex recipes, King Ranch Chicken Casserole is literally a king. Loaded with chicken, tortillas, bell peppers, and cheese, you’ll finish the entire thing on your own. The secret to its creaminess? Creamy, condensed soup.

Easy King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe

Packed with classic Tex-Mex flavors, King Ranch chicken is a creamy, layered casserole made with convenient ingredients like shredded chicken and canned soups. Seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and oregano, it’s an ode to the lone star state.

Wonderfully spicy and smokey, lots of melty cheese adds richness to cut through all the spices in this recipe. Adding poblanos and sweet corn can add sweetness and crunch to this already flavorful oven-baked party. Made in one pan and a single baking dish, you’ll love that it’s an easy clean-up meal too.

In a nutshell, if you like my Crack Chicken recipe(s), you’ll LOVE this casserole just as much! 💕

What Is King Ranch Chicken?

King Ranch is a popular potluck dish in Tex-Mex cuisine. It’s a layered casserole made with tortillas, shredded chicken, canned soup, bell peppers, spices, and lots of cheese. It’s sliced and served with toppings like sour cream, salsa, cilantro, diced onion, and avocado.

Why Is It Called King Ranch Chicken?

King Ranch chicken dates back to Texas in the 1940s and 1950s when canned soup was a kitchen staple because of the war. It’s named after King Ranch in southern Texas, the largest ranch in the world. However, the recipe wasn’t first made there. It has more to do with the fact that it’s a Tex-Mex recipe with popular ranch-style ingredients.

Recipe Ingredients

Packed with Tex-Mex flavors, don’t forget to check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.

• Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter.
• Olive oil: Vegetable, corn, and canola oil work too.
• Yellow onion: White onion is a good substitute.
• Red bell pepper: You can also use a three-pack of red, green, and yellow bell peppers.
• Green bell pepper
• Shredded cooked chicken
• Ground cumin
• Chili powder: This is not the same as red pepper flakes.
• Dried oregano: Leave it out if you’re not a fan.
• Canned cream of mushroom soup: I love Campbell’s but feel free to use your favorite.
• Canned cream of chicken soup
• Canned diced tomatoes with green chile peppers: Rotel is my favorite brand, but you can also use regular canned tomatoes and add jalapeño to taste.
• Cheddar cheese: Any sharp cheese is great for this recipe. Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, Muenster, and even mozzarella will work.
• Corn tortillas: Flour tortillas will make a more burrito-style Ranch chicken.

How to Make King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Can anything really go wrong with a cheesy, creamy oven-baked casserole? I think not.

• Prepare the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Grease a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Set it aside.
• Cook the peppers. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onions, and bell peppers. Stir well and cook for 4 minutes or until the peppers have softened.
• Add the chicken. Mix the chicken into the pan. Add the cumin, chili powder, and dried oregano. Mix well to combine.

• Add the soups. Pour in the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, and canned tomatoes. Stir to combine. Remove it from the heat.
• Assemble it. Arrange 1/3 of the tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish. Top it with 1/3 of the chicken mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients. Make sure the final layer is cheese.

• Bake. Pop the baking dish into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Once the cheese is melty and bubbly, remove it from the oven and serve.

Tips for Success

Following these tips might make the owners of King Ranch invite you over to make this dish for them.

• Use tortilla chips. Since they’re going to absorb the moisture from the filling and soften anyways, you can go ahead and use tortilla chips instead. However, you will need to significantly reduce the amount of salt you add to the recipe.
• Use poblanos. Replace the green bell peppers with poblanos. They’ll provide similar sweetness but change the flavor enough to keep things exciting.
• Use leftover cheese. Shred all the bits of leftover cheese (Hello Feta!) you have in the fridge and use them in this recipe. It’ll be like a unique cheese blend.
• Line it with foil. For easy clean-up, line the baking dish with foil. Once you’re done, throw it out and you’ll barely have to wash the casserole dish.
• Add corn. Mixing in 1/2-cup of sweet corn will also add a bit of sweetness to the dish.

Serving Suggestions

King Ranch chicken is often served on its own because of how filling it is. However, as long as you control the serving size, you can get away with adding a couple of side dishes to the menu.

For the ultimate Tex-Mex snack-fest, I love my Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Dipping Sauce, Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings, Air Fryer Corn on the Cob, and Air Fryer Avocado Fries.

If you’re looking for something simple and healthy, try these: Perfect Grilled Zucchini, Crispy Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli, and Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower Bites.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate any cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate it.
• To reheat it, microwave it for up to 2 minutes or until warm. You can also reheat it in the oven at 375˚F for 15 minutes.

Can I Freeze King Ranch Casserole?

• Yes! Wrap the cooled baking dish in foil and then in plastic wrap. Place it in a freezer-friendly bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.
• You can also slice it and pop it into a freezer-friendly container.
• Place it in the fridge a day before serving so it has time to thaw. Reheat it as usual.

More Easy Casseroles

ENJOY!