King Ranch Chicken Casserole (Original Recipe)
Original King Ranch chicken casserole with Rotel tomatoes is classic Texas comfort food—creamy, cheesy, and unapologetically old-school. It comes together fast with about 10 minutes of prep, bakes up hearty and satisfying, and has been feeding Texas families for generations.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 419kcal
Equipment
- 7x11-inch casserole
Ingredients
- 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.
Video
Notes
Storage:
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.
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.
Tip:
- Use reduced sodium soups to lower sodium in this recipe if you need to. It will still taste great
- 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
Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1010IU | Vitamin C: 16.8mg | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 1.4mg
