King Ranch Casserole from Scratch
This King Ranch Casserole from Scratch takes an old classic and eliminates the canned soups. Much as I loved the original version, reducing the sodium load, and nixing the processed soup made this Tex-Mex Chicken Casserole Recipe even better!
Why You Must Make
- This version doesn’t contain any canned soup! So a lot less sodium than the traditional recipe.
- It’s perfect for those who are fans of Tex-Mex cuisine.
- This casserole is the epitome of comfort food!
For years, I would make the version of King Ranch Casserole with cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup. It was spicy, creamy, and comforting. I do love salty foods, and those canned soups are always loaded with sodium, but they don’t love me, making my fingers and eyes puffy. I figured that was a cue to scale back.
I know I could have made a bechamel sauce and created my own version, but when I saw a tried and true recipe for this classic Tex-Mex casserole referenced in a blog post, I took it as a sign to add it to our menu.
Reader Endorsement
From the comments: Wow! Such amazing flavor. I followed the recipe with the exception of using milk instead of heavy cream since I didn’t have it and a little cream cheese into the sauce after it had cooled for a couple of minutes. I also sautéed a few TBS of diced Jalapeños with the onion and bell peppers. This is now my go-to when I’m hungry for Mexican! Very good recipe! Thank you!
Expert Tips
I took a nibble of this Tex-Mex casserole before dinner for quality control, of course. I was hoping the picky hubby would be able to handle the 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper as I thought this could easily be above his heat tolerance. I should be grateful that he has some nasty virus as he had no complaints. Well, except for all the coughing. Anyway, between the Rotel tomatoes, even though I purchased the mild version, green chiles, and cayenne, there was a good, but not fiery, hit of spice!
- PRO-Tip: If you don’t like too much heat make sure to buy the mild [easyazon_link identifier=”B00HNPDZMA” locale=”US” tag=”thskchcaba-20″]Rotel tomatoes[/easyazon_link] (affiliate links), not the hot.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper as needed. A sensitive palate may want less than 1/4 teaspoon. You can shake things up by adding some chipotle powder for a little smokiness.
- PRO-Tip: The original recipe called for the meat off of one chicken. I took the easy route and used a rotisserie chicken from the market. You can poach or roast your own, then shred the meat after it’s cooled.
- I used [easyazon_link identifier=”B00FVFR5MU” locale=”US” tag=”thskchcaba-20″]Wondra flour[/easyazon_link] to thicken the sauce. Wondra is a granulated flour that I use to make gravies as it doesn’t get lumpy like all-purpose flour. Either is fine for this recipe, but if you have trouble getting a smooth gravy, you might want to give Wondra a try.
- I used flour tortillas instead of the corn tortillas called for in most King Ranch recipes. If you’d like to use corn tortillas instead, make sure to dip them in chicken broth, just to moisten them. Then layer as directed in the recipe.
- If you’d like to brown the cheesy topping a bit, take the foil off the casserole for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. You may garnish with finely chopped parsley or cilantro if desired. This chicken casserole recipe is worth going the extra mile!
Frequently Asked Questions
King Ranch Chicken is a Tex-Mex Casserole named after the famous King Ranch, the largest ranch in Texas. There is no obvious connection, though, between this dish and the ranch, but variations of this casserole are found throughout Texas in community cookbooks.
My mom shared her recipe with me decades ago, and it was made with tortillas, a bell pepper, onion, diced chicken, Rotel tomatoes, canned soups, and cheese. To replace the canned soup, I cooked up a thick sauce to mimic the soup’s consistency, plus I added some garlic and spices to amp up the flavor!
With a rich, cheesy casserole, lighter sides are great. A green salad or roasted vegetables are perfect. Some like to eat this casserole as a dip, so sturdy tortilla chips along with some guacamole and salsa are great accompaniments. Cornbread, Corn Muffins, a southwest Corn and Black Bean Salad could also round out the meal.
Yes, you can freeze it before or after baking for up to 3 months. If you bake it, just make sure it cools completely, then wrap it well with a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Date the outside so you remember how long it’s been in the freezer. You can defrost it overnight in the refrigerator before cooking or reheating.
You May Also Like:
- Greek Chicken Marinade from Foodie Crush
- The Ultimate Chicken Casserole from Best Casserole Recipes
- Chicken Feta Casserole
- Grilled Thai Chicken
- Sausage and Chicken Gumbo
- Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Plus, you might also enjoy this Easy Pizza Casserole!
- More of my Favorite Chicken Recipes
King Ranch Casserole from Scratch
A homemade, no soup version of the classic King Ranch Chicken Casserole!
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose or Wondra flour
- 3 cups chicken stock (use 1/2 cup more if using corn tortillas instead of flour)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 1 ten-ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes (I used mild)
- 10-12 flour tortillas (may substitute corn tortillas if desired. Dip them in chicken broth briefly to soften)
- 1 cooked chicken (poached or roasted), meat shredded
- 1+ cup shredded Jack cheese
- 1+ cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté until soft, 5-10 minutes.
- Stir in the chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour, ½ cup at a time, and stir until incorporated.
- Slowly whisk in 3 cups of the stock, about a cup at a time, until smooth.
- Whisk in cream and stir in chiles and tomatoes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Pour a little of the sauce on the bottom of the casserole. Line the pan with half the tortillas, overlapping, cutting one or two in half or quarters to fill in the corners.
- Cover the tortillas with half the sauce. Add half the chicken and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add a second layer of tortillas, the remaining sauce and chicken, and the rest of the cheese.
- Cover the casserole dish with non-stick foil (or spray regular foil with non-stick cooking spray).
- Bake for about 1 hour or until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted.
- Uncover the dish for the last 15 minutes if you'd like to brown the cheese a bit.
Notes
If you'd like to use corn tortillas, dip them in chicken broth before layering. This will soften them slightly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 679Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 1058mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 25g
30 Comments on “King Ranch Casserole from Scratch”
Made this last night and will be making it again! This is so good and so much better than the canned soup versions!
SO glad you enjoyed it, Bridget! I agree—ditching the soup makes a huge difference!!!
Hi! Can you freeze it? I have made this and love it but want to meal prep!
Hi, Megan, Yes, you can freeze it unbaked or baked for up to 3 months. Just wrap it well.
I was excited to try a version of this without all the canned soups. I used rotisserie chicken as a shortcut. I love the taste, but for some reason my corn tortillas were mushy in the middle of the mixture.. the consistency threw me off a bit unfortunately. I use them right out of the bag without even dipping them in broth like suggested. I’m not sure what happened but next time I plan to bake them for 5 minutes before I use them in the casserole & retry this recipe bc the flavor was great. I baked it for 40 minutes and broiled the top a few minutes.
Hi, Kassie, I usually use flour tortillas so I’m not sure what happened as I’d expect the corn tortillas to be sturdier. Hope baking them first will help!