King Ranch Chicken Casserole

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.

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.

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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!

Recipe Card

King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe

4.50 from 93 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Resting Time: 10 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Author: Becky Hardin

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My king ranch chicken casserole recipe is made with all fresh ingredients– no Velveeta or canned soups here!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Equipment

• 9×13 Baking Pan

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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

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
  

Video

Serving: 1servingCalories: 715kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 41gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 858mgPotassium: 580mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2057IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 530mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

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.

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