King Ranch Chicken Casserole

King ranch chicken casserole combines layers of cheese, chicken, corn tortillas, and a rich creamy sauce for a delicious comfort meal.

Serve it with your favorite sides for an easy, homemade dinner.

My take on the king ranch chicken casseroles is slightly different than the typical classic version.

Unlike other king ranch chicken casseroles, I use both pepper jack and cheddar cheese.

I add in taco seasoning mix for extra spicy flavor.

I also do three layers of corn tortillas versus two. This allows the casserole to hold its form and adds flavor contrast for all of that tasty chicken filling.

Finally, I omit the cream of mushroom soup and substitute it with an additional cream of chicken.

The few tweaks I made makes this the ULTIMATE recipe!

Watch how to make

Top this Tex-Mex casserole with black olives, salsa, and guacamole and you have one easy, delicious meal! YUM!

It is the perfect casserole for entertaining big crowds or making for family night dinner.

Ingredients

To make king ranch chicken casserole, you will need the following ingredients.

• onion-yellow or white
• butter- You can substitute with olive oil.
• cream of chicken soup- You can substitute with cream of mushroom soup.
• pepper jack cheese-For less spicy, substitute with Monterrey Jack Cheese.
• green chilies- Use hot or mild or substitute with green bell pepper or poblano pepper.
• tomatoes with green chiles- For a different flavor twist, you can substitute with salsa verde.
• shredded chicken- Use shredded baked, boiled, or rotisserie chicken. If using rotisserie chicken, use a low sodium taco seasoning mix. Click here for a shredding chicken hack.
• chicken broth
• taco seasoning mix
• cheddar cheese
• corn tortillas- I don't recommend using flour tortillas.

How to make king ranch chicken casserole

Follow these steps to make king ranch chicken casserole:

1. In a large skillet, melt butter and cook a diced onion until softened.
2. Add cream of chicken soup, green chiles, and tomatoes with green chiles. Cook on medium heat until sauce is warm.
3. Add shredded pepper jack cheese. Cook until cheese is melted and remove from heat.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix shredded chicken with taco seasoning mix and chicken broth.
5. Add chicken mixture to cheesy cream sauce and mix.
6. In a greased 9x 13 baking dish, layer six small corn tortillas. Add half of chicken mixture and spread evenly over the tortillas.
7. Add another layer of 6 corn tortillas. Add chicken mixture and spread evenly over the tortillas reserving a small amount of chicken mixture for a final thin layer.
8. Add last layer of 6 corn tortillas. Spread remaining thin layer of chicken mixture evenly over the tortillas. Completely cover with shredded cheddar cheese.
9. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
10. Remove tin foil and cook an additional 20 minutes.
11. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Note

Note: It is tempting to cut into the casserole before resting. Do not do it! Resting allows the casserole to firm and maintain its shape when serving.

This king ranch chicken would be great served with my Mexican corn salad, jalapeno cilantro lime rice, Mexican black beans, and Mexican quinoa  . For dessert you can serve  Mexican Fried Ice Cream.

When you make this chicken casserole, tell me what you think in the comment section! I would love to hear back! My readers will too.

Also post your picture of your dish on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

Recipe