King Ranch Chicken

King Ranch Chicken Casserole – Tex-Mex comfort food at its best! Chicken, chicken soup, mushroom soup, onion, diced tomatoes and green chiles, Cheez Whiz, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese. One of the best things you’ll ever eat!! Everyone LOVES this yummy Tex-Mex casserole!! #casserole #chicken #texmex

Easy Tex- Mex Chicken Casserole

Oh, King Ranch Chicken, where have you been all my life?  Seriously! Why have I never eaten this?! I guess I was just searching for the right recipe.  Well, I finally found it in my new cookbook Some Day You’ll Thank Me for This: The Official Southern Ladie’s Guide to Being a “Perfect Mother” by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays. 

Gayden and Charlotte describe the King Ranch Chicken recipe as follows:

“Many of our mothers did not cook with tortilla chips.  In this recipe, the elegance of tortilla chips is enhanced with Cheese Whiz and cream of mushroom soup. Just about the only nice thing to be said about King Ranch Chicken is that it’s one of the best things you’ll ever eat.”

I couldn’t agree more with them – this really was one of the best things we’ve ever eaten! 

Some of you might be thinking “What is King Ranch Chicken?”. There is no ranch in this casserole. The name comes from the King Ranch in Texas, one of the largest ranches in the United States. Recipes vary, but generally, a sauce with Rotel, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, bell peppers, and onion. Layer the sauce with tortilla chips, chicken, and cheese to make the casserole.

How to Make King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This is super easy to make. Start with chopping some cooked chicken breasts. In a large saucepan, heat cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, onion, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, cheese whiz, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Line a baking dish with crushed tortilla chips. Layer chicken, sauce, and cheese. Pop the casserole in the oven and prepare to be wowed.

• I like to use rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken in this recipe.
• Can use any combination of cream of soup in this recipe.
• Can King Ranch Chicken be made in advance? Yes! You can prepare the casserole and refrigerate it overnight.
• Can King Ranch Chicken be frozen? Yes. You can prepare the casserole and freeze it for later. To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed.
• Do the chips get soggy if I make this ahead of time? If you are worried about the tortilla chips getting soggy, I suggest making the casserole sauce in advance and assembling the casserole while the oven preheats. The sauce will keep several days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the chicken and sauce.
• What can I substitute for Cheez Whiz? I’m not sure. I’ve only made this with Cheez Whiz. Don’t knock it until you try it! You could try Velveeta.
• I used plain tortilla chips. Feel free to use Doritos or any other flavored tortilla chip you enjoy.

What to Serve with King Ranch Chicken

This casserole is a new favorite at our house. We’ve made it several times and absolutely love it! We like to serve this with a salad, black beans and rice, and a roll. Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this yummy Mexican casserole:

Side Dish

Black Bean and Rice Casserole

Black Bean and Rice Casserole – a quick and easy Mexican side dish! Can make ahead and refrigerate until ready…

Salads

Mexican Chopped Salad

Mexican Chopped Salad –  the perfect side to all of your favorite Mexican recipes! Lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocados,…

Side Dish

Cheesy Green Chile Rice (4-Ingredients)

Cheesy Green Chile Rice – only 4 ingredients. Rice, mozzarella, sour cream and green chiles. This rice is THE BEST!…

Bread

Texas Toast Cornbread (Grilled Cornbread)

Texas Toast Cornbread – tastes just like the cornbread from your favorite BBQ Joint! Flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, eggs,…

Recipe Print Recipe

King Ranch Chicken

Author: Plain Chicken

Yield: 8 people

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

King Ranch Chicken Casserole – Tex-Mex comfort food at its best! Chicken, chicken soup, mushroom soup, onion, diced tomatoes and green chiles, Cheez Whiz, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. One of the best things you’ll ever eat!! Everyone LOVES this yummy Tex-Mex casserole!! #casserole #chicken #texmex

Equipment:

• 9×13-inch Baking Dish
• Mixing Bowls
• Rotary Cheese Grater

Ingredients:

• 3 large chicken breasts, cooked
• 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 2 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
• 1 (10-oz) can Rotel tomatoes, undrainedd
• 1 cup Cheez Whiz
• Dash of Tabasco
• Dash of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 (13-oz) bag tortilla chips, crushed
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch dish with cooking spray.
• Dice the cooked chicken breasts.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the soups, onion, tomatoes, Cheez Whiz, Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauce until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Line the bottom of a casserole dish with the crushed tortilla chips. Place the chicken on top and pour over some of the mixture. Add a layer of half the Cheddar. Repeat the process, topping with Cheddar and mozzarella.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, until bubbly.

Notes:

• I like to use rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken in this recipe.
• Can use any combination of cream of soup in this recipe.
  • I suggest using Unsalted Cream of Chicken & Mushroom Soups in this dish to control the sodium.
    • You can buy it by the case at Amazon:
      • Cream of Chjcken: https://amzn.to/49n4uZE
      • Cream of Mushroom: https://amzn.to/3SkpNVv
    • Need Gluten-free soup? You can buy it here:
      • Cream of Chicken: https://amzn.to/3MtqQ1s
      • Cream of Mushroom: https://amzn.to/45WqyXY
    • Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
      • Substitute mushroom bouillon to make cream of mushroom soup.
• You can prepare the casserole and refrigerate it overnight.
• You can prepare the casserole and freeze it for later. To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed.
• If you are worried about the tortilla chips getting soggy, I suggest making the casserole sauce in advance and assembling the casserole while the oven preheats. The sauce will keep several days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the chicken and sauce.
• I used plain tortilla chips. Feel free to use Doritos or any other flavored tortilla chip you enjoy.

Plain Chicken

https://www.plainchicken.com/king-ranch-chicken/

All images and text © Plain Chicken, Inc.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @plainchicken or tag #plainchicken!

Steph