King Ranch Chicken, tortillas, chicken, peppers, creamy sauce layered together in this Classic Southern casserole. You might say King Ranch Chicken is the perfect casserole!
TEX MEX CHICKEN RECIPE
King Ranch is a classic Texas dish, and while there are many ways to make it, this is our family's favorite method.
King Ranch Chicken is a family favorite. It's probably the best combination of Mexican flavors in a casserole of all time.
My family adores this casserole. My recipe for King Ranch Chicken is one of those recipes that feeds an army. You can make two pans.
Most of the time, if I am making a casserole and going to the trouble of chopping and mixing. Why not make two?
Serve one King Ranch Chicken Casserole and freeze the other, or take one to someone coming home with a new baby or a family celebrating their loved one's eternal homecoming.
I also love to take one to a neighborhood potluck party.
I must say, though, I see several different ingredient combinations in cookbooks and on blogs. I like a certain creaminess and flavor combo that I only get in my recipe.
I like to make my recipe with a combination of chicken thighs and chicken breast. I cook them in water and the same seasonings as the creamy sauce.
My mother always taught me to layer the seasoning when cooking casseroles, soups, and stews, starting with the meat ingredient.
She said you can never get the full flavor of the seasonings in the meat after you cook it, no matter how much you season it.
Just a little secret I am passing on to you.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE? TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR KING RANCH CHICKEN
Below, under the next heading, I provide a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for King Ranch Chicken as well as similar recipe ideas you can try.
Or, you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with amounts of the ingredients and complete instructions with notes.
TIPS AND TIDBITS FOR THE BEST KING RANCH CHICKEN
The recipe can easily be halved to make one pan. Follow the baking instructions accordingly.
The recipe can be easily frozen for later serving. Follow the baking instructions accordingly.
The chicken can be substituted with the following:
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 bone-in chicken breast + 2 bone-in chicken thighs + 2 drumsticks
1 large rotisserie chicken (Sam's or Costco are the best)
3 bone-in chicken breast + 2 bone-in chicken thighs + 2 drumsticks
1 large rotisserie chicken (Sam's or Costco are the best)
The corn tortillas may be substituted with the following:
24 fajita size flour tortillas
1 large family size bag of Doritos (broken up)
24 fajita size flour tortillas
1 large family size bag of Doritos (broken up)
WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE KING RANCH CHICKEN
Large Dutch oven
Very Large Mix bowl
Large spatula
2 Foil pans 12 1/2" x 10 1/2" (or 2 9" x 13" casserole dishes) or 1 large foil pan 19 1/2" x 11 1/2"
non-stick cooking spray
Chicken broth reserved from cooked chicken (or 1 cup canned chicken broth)
Sour cream
Can diced tomatoes with green chilies
Cream of chicken soup (or homemade)
Large onion
Large green bell pepper
Large red bell pepper
Chili powder
Salt
Black pepper
Corn tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese
HOW TO PREPARE KING RANCH CHICKEN
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray pans with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
In a very large bowl, add 2 cups broth, soup, sour cream, and tomatoes with green chilies, onion, and bell pepper. Stir and mix well with a large spatula.
Sprinkle the mixture with seasonings, including chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Again, stir and mix well with a large spatula.
Add chicken to the sauce. Stir and mix well with a large spatula.
If you are making two pans, follow the instructions for the first pan, then repeat them for the second pan.
Arrange a single thin layer of the torn tortilla across the bottom of a foil pan. Spoon a third of the creamy chicken mixture over the torn tortillas.
Sprinkle a thin layer of shredded cheese over the creamy chicken mixture.
Repeat this two more times. Ending with a thin layer of shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and a knife inserted in the center of the casserole comes out hot.
It sure does look tasty.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte Moore
In your initial list of ingredients, prior to the actual recipe, you listed onions, red and green peppers. You didn't include those in the actual recipe or tell us where you add them.
ReplyDeleteI updated the recipe to include the ingredients leftoff.
DeleteHi Kay. Made this for Emily and her family tonight. I used a rotisserie chicken and canned broth. It was so delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteSo happy you enjoyed the recipe :)
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