The ingredients in this traditional King Ranch chicken casserole—chicken, corn tortillas, tomatoes, peppers, and cheese—are plenty. According to what I’ve heard, it’s impossible to attend any kind of potluck in Texas without running into one of these.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 45 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 15 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 1 9×13-inch casserole |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as RO*TEL®)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 (3 pound) cooked chicken, torn into shreds or cut into chunks
- 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
- 10 (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into quarters
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Saute onion and bell peppers in the hot oil until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
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- Add both cans of condensed soup, diced tomatoes with chile peppers, chicken broth, sour cream, cumin, ancho chile powder, oregano, and chipotle chile powder; mix until sauce is well-combined.
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- Spread a few tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Layer with 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the sauce, 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese, and 1/2 of the tortillas.
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- Spread the remaining chicken over the tortillas. Spread all but 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce over the chicken, then top with another 1/3 of the Cheddar, and the remaining tortillas. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup over top, and sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar.
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- Bake casserole in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 40 minutes.
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- Turn on the broiler and broil until the top is golden, 2 to 3 more minutes.
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- Serve hot and enjoy!
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Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 479 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 100 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 32 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Sodium | 890 mg |
| Sugars | 3 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I had everything but the corn tortillas and was wanting to make it. I added 2 cups cooked brown rice and a can of corn to compensate for the liquid that the tortillas would absorb. Last 10 minutes I added cheese to top and crushed Frito corn chips. The filling was delicious and hardy, I will definitely make it next time using what’s called for although it lends itself to tweaks.
great
I have had a different King Ranch since the 80’s. Tried this recipe just for a change and my family loved it! Thank lyou for the change.
I’ve been making this for years. My recipe is a little different. I use cream of chicken soup, Cheddar cheese soup and green chilies. I have always used flour tortillas. I opted to follow this recipe and use corn tortillas. It’s literally mush. Like inedible. I’ll definitely use my normal recipe next time I decide to make this.
Instead of using a can of Rotel I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes and a can of green chilies .. Wonderful
This is one of our favorite dishes. This time I did not have cream of chicken soup so I made my own with broth from chicken cooked in pressure pot. It was delicous. I’ll never use cream of anymore. Try it for yourself. I put tortilla chips on bottom.
You are correct about a Texas potluck. I grew up loving these comfort-food casseroles. I have not made it myself in over 20 years until recently, and your recipe is easy to follow and hits the mark. As with any good Texan, I like mine spicy. I used a mix of cheddar, pepper Jack, and a habanero cheddar that adds a flavorful, spicy experience.
As with all things “Chef John”, this was fun to make, and delicious to eat. He always gives you a nice base that you can improvise on. I’ve done this several times in several ways, and it always comes out terrific. This last time I didn’t use any tortillas at all, but mixed it up with a big batch of pasta I had left over. Fantastic. I’ve chopped spinach into when I didn’t have any green peppers, and used frozen chopped onions in it when I didn’t feel like sauteeing anything. Chef John is the best, and you never can go wrong with his food.
This is really a delicious casserole! I actually made 2, one for a neighbor that’s had a rough week. I added additional spices and more sour cream, and more cheese than this recipe called for, definitely a hit and I’ll be making it again!
It was a Huge hit! The three kids already requested that I make it again. I did change up and used Mild Banana Pepper Rings instead of Green Chile Peppers. We also had tortillas chips on the side. Very tasting! We have a family of five and finished it off in one sitting.
This was one of my favorite casseroles to make. The only things that I felt needed adjustment for next time are just a little less chicken as requested by the family and a little more cheese but not much. The flavor was on point and I can’t wait to make this again!
I twiked this receipe. I can not eat onions or peppers of any kind, so I added taco seasoning, onion powder and old bay seasoning. I also added refried beans to the receipe. I used a whole bag of tortilla chips crushed up. I also used diced tomatoes with basil and oregano instead of Rotel and lots of cheese. I made this for my Aunt & Uncle when I went to Florida last month and they loved it. So much they froze the leftovers and eat them later.
Loved it
Needed more flavor, but not bad. Next time I’ll add a packet of taco seasoning to it.
Delicious!
Good flavor but way too heavy on the onion. Next time I’d increase the amount of chicken and reduce the onion.
Definitely will make this again! Unfortunately I did not have corn tortillas on hand ,so I used flour. Flour tortillas a little soggy. Use corn,as stated in recipe.
I bought corn tortillas and cut them into 4 triangles. Then I fried them in oil. It was terrific. No green peppers for me though. I love cheese and decided to use cheddar and Jack, and more than the recipe called for. Next time I will add refried beans from the Mexican restaurant near me.
Made this as directed for the first time, it’s good but just not the kind of thing we really enjoy. The sauce was quite tasty but the texture of the tortillas was odd. Not bad but just unexpected. The tortillas soak up the sauce and become very soft and almost indistinguishable from pasta. Overall the flavours are good here but it’s not something we’d make more than once in a while.
This is my new go to casserole for family & friend or a work potluck. I tweaked the recipe slighly No green bell peppers – sub’ed in poblano peppers, and sub’ed in tortilla chips rather than the raw tortillas. everyone raves over this chicken dish. It’s tasty and filling, but don’t be shy with the tortilla chips – some of my work crew members ate this like it was chicken dip. Its a fantastic recipe.
Turned out very well, used a little more cheese than the 8oz.