This chile chicken bubble up bake is a hearty, peppery, downright irresistible crowd-pleaser that's perfect for any family dinner or potluck. When you pull it out of the oven, the aroma alone will make you want to grab a fork and dive right into the creamy goodness! It's the kind of comfort food that sticks to your ribs and warms your soul.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat chile chicken bubble up
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with chile chicken bubble up
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftovers
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- Chile chicken bubble up bake is easy comfort food that combines creamy, cheesy, and spicy all in one dish.
- This quick meal is perfect for weeknight dinners, game day gatherings, potlucks, and casual family get-togethers.
- No skimping on cheese here—use a cup mixed into the casserole and another half cup sprinkled on top for ultra-gooey texture.
If you’re craving a soul-warming meal, look no further than this chile chicken bubble up bake.
Tender chunks of juicy chicken are mixed with a creamy, green chile sauce, all topped with pillowy biscuits—it doesn't get better than this!
But ricotta chicken does come really close.
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Combine the chicken, Ranch, condensed soup, and sour cream.
Add the chiles and a cup of shredded cheese.
Gently stir the biscuit pieces into the mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and top with cheese.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- You can use diced chicken breasts or thighs, whichever you prefer. Cooked ground chicken or turkey works great, too.
- Mix and match cheeses to create your own flavor combo. Use a blend of pepper jack and sharp cheddar for a tangy kick, or keep it mild with Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses.
- Buy biscuits in a can for easy prep, or make buttermilk biscuits from scratch with my easy recipe!
- If you'd like to bulk it up a little, you can add diced onions, corn, pinto beans, and/or bell peppers.
- Amp up the Tex-Mex flavors of your bubble-up bake with chili powder, smoked paprika, or chipotle powder for more heat.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Buy whole-fat sour cream. Reduced-fat versions aren’t as creamy and tend to split while baking.
- Always, always, always shred your cheese from a block! Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can taste chalky and will prevent it from melting properly.
- Make sure you cut up the biscuits instead of leaving them whole so everything cooks evenly.
- If you’re worried about the biscuits getting soggy during storage, crisp up the leftovers under the broiler for a few minutes.
Marye's Tip o' the day
Use pre-cooked chicken in this recipe. Raw chicken won’t cook all the way through in time. Roast it, poach it, buy premade, or use leftovers—as long as it's cooked, you're good to go.
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat chile chicken bubble up
Let the bubble-up bake cool to room temperature, then refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days.
To freeze, divide the bake into single-serving portions. Use freezer-safe containers or wrap portions in plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. It’ll keep for up to three months in the freezer.
Let frozen leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Warm leftovers in a foil-covered baking dish in a 350-degree F oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Otherwise, simply zap ‘em in the microwave in one-minute intervals until hot, stirring halfway.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up
Broil the casserole for a few minutes at the end of baking to give the cheese a golden brown finish. When serving, add a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, salsa, or diced avocado if you’re feelin’ fancy!
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
It’s called a bubble-up bake because of the way it cooks in the oven. When you toss those biscuit dough pieces into the dish, they start all soft and doughy. As the dish bakes, those biscuits puff up and "bubble up" through the cheesy sauce.
The beauty of this dish is that you can tailor the cheese to match your taste buds or what you have in the fridge! Although I prefer pepper jack, you can also use sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, colby jack, mozzarella, or even smoked Gouda.
Nope! Just dump the packet in as seasoning—easy, peasy.
There are plenty of ways to turn up the heat without overpowering the dish. Use hot green chiles instead of mild, or swap 'em for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
You can also toss in some sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos, chopped serrano peppers, your favorite hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
Have leftover rotisserie chicken? Cut it up and use it in this recipe! No need to pre-cook raw chicken that way.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with chile chicken bubble up
Brussels Sprouts with Hot Bacon Dressing are roasted to crispy perfection and drizzled with a smoky, tangy, slightly sweet bacon-loaded sauce. The sprouts cut through the richness of this bubble-up bake with bold flavors and a perfect texture contrast.
Cherry Icebox Pie is a cool, creamy dessert combining a buttery crumb crust, silky smooth cream cheese, and a sweet-tart cherry pie filling. It’ll leave you with a sweet, refreshing finish after a hearty, zesty meal.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftovers
You can transform chile chicken bubble-up into all kinds of delicious meals! Here are some creative ways to breathe new life into your leftovers:
- Toss leftovers in a skillet with scrambled eggs and a little extra cheese. Serve with warm tortillas as a breakfast taco!
- Spread tortilla chips on a baking sheet, top with chunks of the bubble-up bake, sprinkle on extra cheese, and broil until bubbly.
- Stuff bell peppers with reheated leftovers, top with cheese, and bake until the peppers are tender. Add a sprinkle of breadcrumbs for a crispy topping.
- Make quesadillas! Spread the leftovers between two tortillas and grill until crispy.
- Turn your bubble-up into a burrito or taco filling with some rice, beans, and fresh veggies.
- Scoop the reheated bake onto toasted bread for a sloppy, cheesy sandwich.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Chile Chicken Bubble Up
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
- 10.5 ounces Cream of Chicken Soup
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided use
- 1 ounce ranch dressing mix
- 4 ounces chopped green chiles, drained
- 12- oz refrigerated biscuits, 10-count can
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- Set aside.
- Combine chicken, soup, sour cream, 1 cup of cheese, Ranch mix, and chiles.
- Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces.
- Gently stir into chicken mixture.
- Spoon chicken mixture into prepared pan.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and biscuits are golden brown.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Notes
- Be sure to use cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken works great!
- Buy whole-fat sour cream. Reduced-fat versions aren’t as creamy and tend to split while baking.
- Always, always, always shred your cheese from a block!
- Make sure you cut up the biscuits instead of leaving them whole so everything cooks evenly.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Mikie Doyle says
Made this last night with a few modifications. Used Cream of mushroom soup and added mushrooms, didn't have canned biscuits but had frozen biscuits so I thawed and cut them into 4ths. Husband and I both loved the recipe. Will definitely make it again.
Ruthie says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!