Y'all, this is the best dinner ever for those busy weeknights and the days when you have more month than paycheck!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- This family friendly comfort food has been a favorite for over 70 years.
- Since there's just 10 minutes of prep time it's perfect for busy back to school weeknights.
- You can assemble it ahead, make it ahead, freeze it... it's truly an easy, versatile recipe.
There are a lot of versions of the classic King Ranch chicken casserole recipe but the original is quick, easy, and has stood the test of time.
Chicken, Rotel tomatoes with chiles, and onion are mixed with a creamy, rich sauce and layered in a casserole dish with corn tortillas and a generous amount of cheese.
It's one of those easy recipes you find at church suppers and neighborhood block parties.
This Tex-Mex casserole freezes well, travels well, and disappears fast whether it's on the family table or at a potluck - you can't really ask for more than that.
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
- You can use Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack instead of the Cheddar.
- This works with turkey leftovers or pork leftovers, too.
- You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
- Substitute tortilla chips for the corn tortillas.
- Use ground beef or leftover taco seasoned beef instead of chicken for a different Tex-Mex twist.
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare a baking dish according to instructions in recipe card below. In a large skillet saute onion and bell pepper in butter.
- Remove from heat and stir in soups, Rotel, and chicken.
- Layer with the cut up tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Repeat layers.
- Bake. Top with a little fresh cilantro before serving.
Slow cooker instructions
Yes! You can make this easy King Ranch Chicken casserole recipe in a
- Spray the inside of the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix the soups, rotel, veggies, and cooked chicken.
- Layer the tortillas, soup mixture, and cheese in the crock pot.
- Set on low for 4 hours. Uncover the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me make this easy King Ranch Chicken recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
🥫 How to store leftover King Ranch Chicken
You can assemble this traditional King Ranch casserole a day or two ahead of time and bake when you're ready.
Let the leftovers come to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap or put in an airtight container and refrigerate promptly. They'll be fine for 4 or 5 days.
Freeze for longer storage.
To freeze
Casseroles like this King Ranch chicken are a life saver for busy people. I like to make a double batch and freeze one for those times when my life is spinning out of control OR someone from church needs dinner.
Let cool to room temperature. Wrap the casserole dish in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and freeze.
You can freeze this for up to 6 months with no problem and, full disclosure, I once found one in the freezer that was over a year old and it tasted fine.
To thaw- let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, remove aluminum foil and plastic wrap, and bake according to instructions.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Give the aluminum foil a good spray with nonstick cooking spray before covering the casserole. It will keep the melty cheese from sticking.
- Use reduced sodium soups to lower sodium in this recipe if you need to. It will still taste great.
- Save time by using shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Try frozen green bell peppers or the diced bell peppers and onions in the produce section of the store. This will save you time.
- Assemble this on Sunday night and keep it in the refrigerator. You'll just need to pop it in the oven for a quick meal on the busiest weeknight. Better yet double the recipe and freeze one for another time.
- Manufacturer's have downsized! I've had to downsize the size of the pans - if you've been making this recipe for awhile you may notice that the pan is smaller.
👩🍳 FAQs
Well, like so many things in my state there are a lot of tall tales! It's named after the biggest ranch in the Lone Star state (King Ranch is bigger than Rhode Island) and most likely was created in the 1940s or 50s but no one knows by whom. If you grew up in Texas you had it in the school cafeteria pretty much weekly.
If you can't find Rotel go ahead and use a 10 oz can of diced tomatoes (undrained) and a 4 oz can of green chiles (undrained). If the measurements are a little more don't sweat it.
No. So here's the deal. If you use flour tortillas they will break down in the sauce and became tasteless and gluey - something like that baby cereal that you try to get your baby to eat when they are tiny - only you end up wearing it instead. Please use corn tortillas.
🍽️ Serve with...
Looking for what to serve with this King Ranch casserole recipe? I've got you!
- Salad
- Tortilla chips and honeydew salsa
- Cowboy caviar
- Southern green beans (leave out the potatoes - there's enough carbs!)
- Texas sheet cake
- White Texas sheet cake
- Pecan pie with cinnamon ice cream
- Mmmm.... Ranch style beans - straight out of the can and warmed up... Just like mom used to make.
📚 Related recipes
Here are some more of my favorite comfort food casserole recipes!
- Tamale pie is a comfort food classic and it's so easy to make.
- We love this one pot taco spaghetti.
- Next time try making your own pizza with this beer pizza dough.
- Or make this super easy taco pizza in less than 15 minutes!
📞 The last word
Traditional King Ranch chicken with Rotel is absolutely the ultimate comfort food just the way Mom made it...It's not too spicy nor too bland.
It's creamy and full of gooey cheese - tastes kind of like chicken enchiladas but SO much easier. Next time try this classic creamy chicken spaghetti with Rotel!
It's so easy to make - you can even make it ahead of time. Book mark this recipe - it's right up there with smothered chicken on the yum scale!
This is a 1950s Junior League kind of recipe. I don't think anyone knows where it got started but it's a classic type of mid-century casserole like the ever popular Monterey Chicken.
Definitely the kind of Rotel chicken casserole I grew up on - and there were a lot of variations!
Hey, we also love this copycat Popeye's blackened chicken - don't miss out!
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. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
King Ranch Chicken Casserole (Original Recipe)
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 10.75 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup
- 10.75 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup,
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained, I use RoTel
- 2 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
- 12 corn tortillas, 6 inch, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded- about 8-ounces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Grease or spray 7x 11-inch baking dish (2 quart) with cooking spray and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add diced bell pepper and onion.
- Cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in both soups, undrained tomatoes with chiles, and diced chicken.
- Add about ½ the tortillas to the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Top with chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle with ½ the cheese.
- Repeat layers ending with cheese.
- Spray aluminum foil with nonstick spray and cover the casserole dish tightly.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 20 minutes more.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Slow Cooker
- Spray the inside of a crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix the veggies, soups, and chicken in a large bowl.
- Starting with cut up tortillas layer the casserole ingredients as above, ending with cheese.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours - remove cover the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
Notes
- Use reduced sodium soups to lower sodium in this recipe if you need to. It will still taste great
- Add ¼ cup green bell pepper.
- Save time by using shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Try frozen green bell peppers or the diced bell peppers and diced onions in the produce section of the store.
- Assemble this on Sunday night and keep it in the refrigerator. You'll just need to pop it in the oven for a quick meal on the busiest weeknight. Better yet double the recipe and freeze one for another time - it's a great freezer meal.
- It's even better the next day.
- Manufacturers have downsized! I've had to downsize the size of the pans - if you've been making this recipe for awhile you may notice that the pan is smaller.
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.
First published November 2008. Last updated August 1, 2023 for more helpful tips and information.
Greg says
I am going to freeze the King Ranch Chicken. Should I cook it prior to freezing, or freeze it before cooking.
Marye says
I usually cook it but you could do it either way.
Karen says
I made this for the first time yesterday. I made it per the recipe with no substitutions, but it was way too soupy at the end. I thought it would "gel" or "set up" and be a more scoopable casserole. What suggestions do you have? Thanks!
Marye says
I can't imagine it being soupy - I've never had that happen. I'm not sure what to tell you. If you diluted the soup that would make it soupy... but other than that I don't know.
Karli Siscoe says
My mom made this back in the 70’s and it called for tortilla chips not corn tortillas
Patricia A Jensen says
Quick question, Mayre. I want to make this for dinner tonight, but don't have the corn tortillas and really don't want to go to the store for one ingredient. Soooooo, what do you think if I substituted layers of Doritos Corn Chips? Since you probably won't be able to respond today (it's Sunday and hopefully you've taken the day off) I'm going to try it. Can't hurt and I'm sure it will be delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Marye says
it will work! Emailing you.
Granee says
Yummy. Your recipe states 16 ounces of cheese or about a cup, but there are 2 cups in 16 ounces. Thank you for sharing.
Marye says
2 cups is an 8 ounce block shredded - which is what is called for in the recipe?
Katrina says
This is a casserole that nearly lost its
Appeal to me. NOT YOURS! Just the casserole in general! I remember when it was extremely popular. Everyone was making it! But it has changed so much since then I don’t even remember why! I think it started out to use totem,cream of chicken, cream of mushroom and cheddar cheese soups. Then people started using velvets and instead of using all chips, they added tortillas! Then they started adding flour tortillas and green chilies. Then they added cumin! And then it stopped even tasting like it originally tasted!! Some called it King ranch and some called it Mexican chicken. Some used chicken breast and some used thighs. My husband died and my new husband preferred flour tortillas and no velvetta! I prefer it with corn tortillas or chips. I don’t like flour tortillas at all. So it’s not even the same to me anymore. I need the velvetta to make it creamy. But he won’t eat it like that. I give up🤷♂️😂
Pam says
I make this at lot at my house, but instead of bell peppers I use chopped green chilis. So good.
Maria Williams says
I made this recipe exactly as directed Except I used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and I used canned chicken breast. It was absolutely delicious and so easy and quick to make! Regards
Diane Fallon says
I didn't see sour cream in the recipe???
Marye says
Because my recipe doesn't use it?
Sara says
If you haven't tried using flour tortillas, you should! That's how my mom always made this dish! She also served it topped with sour cream, cilantro, and freshly diced and seeded tomatoes- it was my favorite childhood meal! Just discovered your blog and I love it! I'm saving recipes left and right!
Marye Audet says
It's so easy, too. 🙂