This King Ranch chicken recipe is a zesty, old-fashioned casserole with just 10 minutes of prep! Creamy layers of chicken, tortillas, veggies, and cheese, make it perfect for a quick dinner or make-ahead freezer meal.
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for the best chicken casserole recipes, try this dump-and-bake chicken broccoli rice casserole, a 5-ingredient crescent roll chicken casserole, a pan of dump-and-bake chicken tzatziki with rice, this chicken a la king recipe, and this dump-and-bake lemon chicken orzo, too!
Amazingly delicious. I could not believe something so simple could taste so good. I did follow the instructions for prep ahead and assembled it 24 hours before baking. I was worried the tortillas might go soggy but they were all good.
– Ali
The original King Ranch Chicken recipe is named for King Ranch in Texas — one of the largest ranches in the United States. The Tex-Mex casserole doesn’t have any known ties to the actual ranch itself, and the origin of the dish is unknown. What we do know? This easy supper has been loved for generations!
King Ranch Chicken is a Hearty, Family-Friendly Casserole
King ranch chicken is warm, cheesy, and totally kid-friendly! Show up at any potluck, church supper, or family gathering in the South, and odds are good that someone will bring the hearty casserole to share with loved ones. Made with a few shortcut ingredients like a store-bought rotisserie chicken and canned soup, the easy meal comes together in just 10 minutes.
While there are many different versions of Texas King Ranch chicken casserole, most recipes generally include a sauce made with RoTel diced tomatoes with green chilies, condensed cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups, diced bell peppers and onions, and chunks or shreds of chicken. Corn tortillas or tortilla chips create layers with the sauce, and the whole dish is finished with cheese. Unlike spicier Tex-Mex fare like beef barbacoa, this dinner is mild, creamy, and very family-friendly. What’s not to love about that?!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, try leftovers from a previous meal, or boil about 1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs until cooked through (about 15-20 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup and condensed cream of mushroom soup create the creamy sauce that binds the casserole filling together. Use any combination of condensed soups that you prefer — only cream of mushroom, only cream of chicken, or try other flavors like cream of celery or cream of onion.
- Canned diced tomatoes with green chilies (such as Rotel brand) bring zesty Tex-Mex “kick” to the casserole. For a less-spicy option, look for mild Rotel or use plain canned diced tomatoes and a can of mild diced green chiles. If you like it spicy, use a can of spicy Rotel or add cayenne pepper. You can also stir in other spices like garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, and paprika for even more flavor.
- Swap out the cheddar for other good melting varieties, such as Mexican blend, Colby, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese.
- Corn tortillas form the layers in the casserole. You can sub with crunchy crushed corn tortilla chips, coarsely crushed Doritos, or flour tortillas. The flour tortillas will have a softer texture and a different flavor.
How to Make this King Ranch Chicken Recipe
If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, a freezer meal to prep ahead, or satisfying and delicious comfort food to share with friends, then this easy King Ranch casserole is the dish for you! I’ve included detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview with my notes:
- Sauté bell pepper and onion until tender.
- Stir together the sautéed pepper and onion with the chicken, soups, and tomatoes and chilies. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Arrange the tortillas in a casserole dish.
- Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas and then sprinkle with half of the cheese.
- Repeat the layers one more time with the remaining ingredients, ending with the cheese on top.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onion, chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, or a dollop of sour cream or salsa.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the simple King Ranch chicken with tortilla chips or Fritos, salsa, and guacamole; with a side of ranch style beans or black beans; or alongside a pan of jalapeno cheddar Mexican cornbread, southern-style green beans, or a crisp green salad.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: This is the ultimate prep-ahead meal to get dinner on the table quickly and easily — even on busy nights. Assemble the King Ranch casserole, wrap tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before baking. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.
- How to Freeze: Freeze the casserole before baking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the fridge overnight, allow the dish to come to room temperature on the counter for at least 30 minutes, and then bake according to recipe instructions.
- How to Bake from Frozen: Cover the dish with aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes, and then continue baking the frozen casserole for about 15-30 more minutes (uncovered), or until heated through.
- Storage: Leftover casserole will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the leftover baked casserole in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Warm leftovers in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
I made the king ranch chicken last night it was so simple and everyone loved it. Thank you for your recipe.
– Judy
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish (I love using this one that comes with a lid)
- Large skillet (Smithey Ironware Co. makes one of my favorites)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, not drained (I used mild Ro-Tel brand)
- 12-14 corn tortillas (about 5-6 inches in diameter each) (or as many tortillas as needed to cover the dish)
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
- Optional garnish: sliced green onion; chopped fresh parsley or cilantro; sour cream; salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the bell pepper and onion; sauté until tender (about 5 minutes).
- In a large bowl, stir together chicken, condensed soups, tomatoes and chilies, and sautéed bell pepper and onion.
- Arrange half of the tortillas in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cut the tortillas if necessary in order to cover the bottom of the dish. It’s fine if they overlap some, too.
- Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients, finishing with the cheese on top.
- Bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts and the filling is hot and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
- Garnish with green onion or fresh herbs. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Chili Casserole
1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
40 minutes mins
Originally published in November, 2020, this post was updated in April, 2025.
I made this last night and it turned out great! I used an orange bell pepper and a purple onion for color, smoked chicken, added a jalapeño, rotel original without salt so I could add my own smoked sea salt, then organic cream of chicken and mushroom, grated Monterey Jack and Colby Jack cheese, and only needed to use 6 cauliflower-corn tortillas; which was more than enough for my low-carb eating lifestyle but it definitely covered all the surface area with some overlaps in my baking dish. Just lovely! Thank you for the inspiration section with this simple recipe, I had everything already on-hand. 🙂
Oops I didn’t mean to write the word “section” on there. Go figure, trying key swiping for the first time versus typing ended with an error lol .
Great tips, Jess. Thank you!
My grandmother made this all the time (South TX) and it’s one of my faves. I was shocked to find there was very little in the way of seasoning in her original recipe too… but Tex-Mex is known for using very little seasonings. I went ahead and tossed a 1/2 can of southwestern style corn and a bit of salt and cumin in mine this go ‘round. Much better for my taste; but this recipe is the nearest to the original I’ve seen! Very tasty.
Thanks, Elyse! Yes, the original doesn’t traditionally have too much seasoning. But that’s the beauty of cooking at home — you can jazz it up with as much kick as you like! Glad that you added some of the corn, salt, and cumin to make it your own. Thank you for your note!
Made half of recipe for just me & my husband in an 11&7 glass dish. Enjoyed so much & have 1/2 left for tomorrow or the next day. Had sour cream on top, green onions, & my husband’s homemade salsa with Tostitos on the side-yummy!
Thank you, Molly. So glad that you both enjoyed it!
Could you use uncooked chicken breasts? So it would cook all together in the casserole.
Hi, Jess! I think that might work, but you’d want to slice the chicken really thin or dice it into small pieces so that it cooks through easily. You might also need to adjust the total cooking time just to make sure that the meat is fully cooked.
After two nights of leftovers, I put some sour cream on top. Over the top went over the moon! I and all of my family and everyone I have ever made this for, absolutely loves it. I use a whole chicken and the basic 4 colors of bell peppers. 1/2 each. Makes 2- 11×9 pans.
Thanks, Carl!
Can you use flour tortillas?
Yes, ma’am!
When you mean not diluted on the soups, does that mean add water to them, like when you cook soup?
Correct! If I don’t make that note, I often have folks ask me if they should prepare the canned soup before using it in the recipe. When I say not diluted, that just means that you should use the condensed soup directly from the can without adding extra water or liquid to it. Hope that makes sense!
Easy to put together and quick to cook love it
Thanks, Brent!
I have tried 3 or 4 different King Ranch Chicken recipes, but my husband was never impressed until this one. And, this was the easiest of all of them.
Thank you!
That’s wonderful, Judy. Thank you!
Really good. I made a few changes just based on what I had sitting around (plus a bit of not reading carefully). Forgot to pick up Rotel so replaced bell pepper with a few jalapenos and added a squirt of tomato paste so I could say it had tomatoes. I had about 3/4 of a jar of sauerkraut to use up so drained & added that to the mix.
Added mushrooms when sauteing the onions and peppers because the mushroom bits in the soup can always seem lonely. Mixed cheese into the soup/chicken/veg bowl rather than layering on top because I wasn’t reading carefully, but it all worked out.
This was first time making King Ranch casserole and came out great. The only thing I would try differently next time is to heat the tortillas before adding them since I find that makes them taste a bit less corn-y but that’s more of a personal taste thing. Thanks !!
Forgot two things – first there was no taste of sauerkraut at all that I could detect, which was fine with me. I squeezed out some of the juice before adding but did not rinse. Also forgot to mention that I scraped a mostly empty sour cream container into the mix as well, maybe 1/2 cup or less. They probably both contributed to a bit of a tangy taste but nothing stronger.
Awesome! Thank you so much, John. Your version sounds delicious!
Everything sounds so good and easy to prepare
Thank you, AJ!
I made the chicken ranch casserole and they scraped the dish. Everyone loved it.
We’re so happy to hear this, Debbie!
Excellent recipe!!
Thanks, Shawn!
This is so good! Used rotisserie chicken. Didn’t have quite 3 cups of chicken so I added another can of rotel. Love the corn tortilla too. I just layered them at the bottom. I didn’t cut them.
Thank you so much for this easy recipe! I was always so intimidated to try it. Seemed so complicated!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Linda!
I made this about a month ago, and it turned out great! I forgot to review it then, but my wife is now asking for it again lol. She said, “You can make this anytime!”, so it looks like we have a winner! Thanks!
We’re so glad it was a hit, Marquise!
Excellent base recipe and easily modified. I chose to use left-over pulled pork instead of chicken and added more heat by subbing pepper jack for the cheddar. In order to halve this, I used an 8″ x 8″ casserole dish and was happy to find that the national soup company now sells a “cream of chicken AND mushroom” soup in a single can.
Thank you for the feedback, Greg! We’re so glad you were able to make the recipe work for you.