Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole – a delicious twist on a classic Tex-Mex dish! This isn’t fancy. It is just REALLY good!!! Pulled pork, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, Cheez Whiz, Rotel tomatoes, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tortilla chips, and shredded cheese. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Great for a potluck and tailgating! I never have any leftovers!
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This Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole is a delicious twist on the traditional King Ranch Chicken Casserole. I love King Ranch Chicken. I decided to put a BBQ twist on the classic with pulled pork in place of the chicken. OMG! YUM!
Some of you might be thinking “What is King Ranch Chicken?”. King Ranch Chicken is a popular Tex-Mex casserole. The name comes from King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the United States. Recipes vary, but generally, it has a sauce made of Rotel, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, bell peppers, and onion that is layered with tortilla chips, chicken, and cheese.
What Pulled Pork to Use in King Ranch Casserole
I used a package of Smoked Pulled Pork from Costco. It is my favorite store-bought pulled pork. I used it in all of my recipes that call for pulled pork. It is found in the refrigerated section near the premade soups and other pre-cooked meats. The pork is smoky and delicious. It is also very affordable. Only about $10 for 2 pounds. I always have a package in the freezer.
If you can’t find this pulled pork, just use any pre-cooked pulled pork. You can get some from your favorite BBQ joint, the deli section of the grocery store, or a package of pre-cooked bbq pork. Don’t worry if your pork has BBQ sauce on it. It will work just fine in this casserole.
How to Make Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole
I based this recipe for Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole on my favorite King Ranch Chicken Casserole. I start by making the sauce on the stove. Combine cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, onion, Rotel, Cheez Whiz, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Feel free to use all cream of chicken soup or all cream of mushroom soup if you aren’t a fan of one.
To assemble the casserole, crush a bag of tortilla chips or Doritos. Put half in the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Top with half of the pulled pork and half of the cheese sauce. Repeat the layers and top with more cheese. I used a combination of cheddar and mozzarella. YUM!
I know this isn’t a very elegant dish, but it will be one of the best things you will eat!
Can I Freeze King Ranch Casserole?
Absolutely! You can assemble this casserole ahead of time and refrigerate overnight or even freeze for later. I like to divide the casserole between two 9×9-inch foil pans and bake one now and freeze one for later. To bake the frozen casserole, thaw completely in the refrigerator and bake as directed below. You will probably need to bake this on the higher end of the cooking time since it will be cold.
What to Serve with Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole
This casserole is great for a crowd. It is perfect for potlucks and tailgating this fall. It is easy to transport too! This is a very filling casserole. You don’t need very much with it. We like to serve it with some spicy black beans or a salad. Here are a couple of our favorite recipes on the blog that goes great with Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole:
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Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1½ pounds pulled pork chopped
- 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 (10-oz) Rotel tomatoes, undrained undrained
- 1 cup Cheez Whiz
- 1 Tbsp minced onion flakes
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (9 to 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 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the soups, Rotel tomatoes, Cheez Whiz, onion, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce until blended. Remove from heat.
- Line bottom of the prepared baking dish with half of the crushed tortilla chips. Top chips with half of the pulled pork. Top pork with half of the sauce. Top sauce with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat layers topping the casserole with remaining cheddar cheese and mozzarella.
- Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes.
Notes:
- Can use Doritos in place of tortilla chips.
- Can make casserole to set 3 and freeze unbaked for later. To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed above.
- I suggest using Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup in this dish to control the sodium.
- You can buy it by the case at Amazon: https://amzn.to/49n4uZE
- Need Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup? You can buy it here: https://amzn.to/3MtqQ1s
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
Steph
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Loved it!! Made it exactly like the recipe. Have enough for another meal plus froze enough for another. I love making one recipe and getting at least three meals.
I made this and really liked the uniqueness of this dish. I am watching my carbs so used buffalo flavored pork rinds for my portion and doritoes for my family. Loved by all. My rinds didn’t hold up but I liked the flavor add in.
Can I use corn or flour tortillas?
Sure
I followed the recipe except I used our home salsa instead of canned tomatoes and OMG it was delicious!!!
Homemade salsa that was suppose to say
Very good. Will definitely make again. Will add a little more spice next time. Best fresh not the best the next day.
I made a few changes. Yes you can use the cheese that comes out of a can. I only used cream of mushroom soup. No salt no pepper and no hot sauce but added leftover roasted jalapeños and leftover smoked pork. It’s what I had in the fridge. This recipe is a keeper and is versatile. I want to try with leftover brisket.
I added tri beans and corn and used nacho jalapeño cheese sauce. Next time I will use fresh onion and add fresh sliced serranos. Garnish with cilantro and cut up tomatoe.
If i am using leftover pork about how many cups would your recommend? thanks!
Can this be made in a slow cooker? Wondering about a pot luck situation where I’d have to leave the house at 7 and we wouldn’t eat until noon!
I think that would be fine
How much cheddar cheese is needed? I don't see it in the ingredient list, only in the directions.
corrected it
The pull pork @ my local super market has BBQ sauce already in it. Can I use it to make this recipe?
Sure! It will be just fine with the sauce already in it.
Great twist on this casserole which I've been going to make someday for years.
Can you substitute chezze wiz with a different kind of cheese
Don, you can make this casserole anyway you wish with any ingredients you wish.