AUTHENTIC King Ranch Chicken Casserole
King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a cozy, comfort food classic with melty layers of chicken, tortillas, and cheese. And this authentic, from-scratch version features a simple homemade sauce with NO canned condensed soups!
If you're a fan of this recipe, you'll also LOVE King Ranch Chicken Soup! And if you enjoy chicken casseroles in general, this Chicken Enchilada Casserole is also great!
If you happen to be from and/or reside in the great state of Texas, odds are you already know and love the wonder that is King Ranch Chicken Casserole. 🙂
If you happen to reside in another state but you've had it before, well, lucky you!
And if you've never had it before, now's your chance to change that, no matter where you live! Because the cheesy, scrumptious recipe that I'm sharing today is what I consider to be one of the best ever comfort food recipes.
The History
Founded in 1853 in south Texas, the King Ranch remains one of the largest ranches in the world. And while the ranch has a fascinating and storied history, King Ranch Chicken Casserole seems to be a tribute in name only, with no record of it being historically connected to the actual cattle ranch in any way. Nevertheless, this is a cozy, gooey, cheesy casserole whose appeal is as vast as the state of Texas!
I like to think of this dish as the one that (in part) won me the heart of my husband. You see, this recipe was the main course of the first dinner that I ever cooked for him. I believe I served it with a high-brow side dish of canned ranch-style beans and Frozen Margarita Pie for dessert.
To this day, my hubby will tell you that when I cooked him that first meal of King Ranch Casserole, he just knew he had to marry me. So it goes without saying that this has been a regular recipe in our dinner rotation for all of our years of wedded bliss! 😉
Authentic and From-Scratch
I adapted this King Ranch Chicken recipe from my childhood friend/college roommate's mom's recipe...and I consider that recipe to be pretty darn authentic since she is a multi-generational native Texan!
That being said, since college, I'd always made this recipe using the standard can of Cream of Chicken soup plus can of Cream of Mushroom soup. And let me tell you...using those cans, it always turned out dee-li-cious.
NO Canned Soups
However, when I had kids of my own, I stopped buying condensed 'Cream of X' soups in favor of making my own simple sauces, from béchamel to cheese sauce.
Why do I love from-scratch sauces so much???
- They're quick and easy to whip up.
- They don't include any weird ingredients or icky preservatives.
- They allow me to control the sodium and the seasonings.
So it only made sense to replace the canned soups in traditional King Ranch Chicken Casserole with an easy homemade sauce instead!
Ingredients
So what does it take to make the aforementioned from-scratch sauce?
And what else goes into this King Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe?
For the Sauce
In a matter of minutes, a few simple ingredients transform into a thick and creamy sauce that puts canned soup to shame. And I promise that it's so easy! So step away from the can opener, friends... 😉
- Butter. Salted or unsalted will work.
- Garlic. Freshly minced. Use extra, if you like.
- Flour. I've successfully made this sauce with all-purpose white flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and even my favorite gluten-free flour blend.
- Milk. I typically use whole milk, but a lower fat milk or even non-dairy milk (such as unsweetened almond milk) would work as well.
- Chicken broth. Or chicken stock. Use low-sodium if you'd like more control over the ultimate saltiness of your recipe.
- Spices. Specifically, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
For the King Ranch Casserole
In addition to the homemade sauce, you'll also need:
- Chicken. King Ranch Chicken starts with (surprise!!!) chicken, which you may cook in the oven, the slow cooker, or poach in some simmering water on the stove. Or you can take the shortcut of shredding a trusty rotisserie chicken...it's up to you! For the casserole pictured in this post, I tossed some frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot, seasoned them well, and let them do their thing until they were tender to the point of falling apart.
- Corn tortillas. You'll want to quarter your tortillas. And yes, I do recommend corn tortillas over flour tortillas. As in most enchilada-type recipes, flour tortillas would get rather gummy in a soupy casserole like this.
- Grated cheese. Cheddar, Colby Jack, or a Mexican blend all work beautifully, depending on your preference. You could also opt to use Monterey Jack or, for extra kick, pepper jack.
- Additional chicken broth. To keep the casserole moist.
- Rotel. AKA, diced tomatoes and green chiles. I've been known to use fresh tomatoes when they're in season, but Rotel is more readily available year-round, so I suppose I need to take back what I said earlier. Feel free to get the can opener back out!
- Fresh minced jalapeños. Optional, for garnish, if you're a fan of a little heat.
How to Make King Ranch Chicken Casserole
It really is a super easy recipe. Here's the scoop!
After you've cooked and shredded your chicken...
Make the Homemade Sauce:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
- Add garlic and saute for a minute until fragrant.
- Stir in flour and whisk continuously.
- Slowly and gradually whisk in the milk, and then the chicken broth.
- Increase the heat and stir continuously until the sauce is thickened.
- Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the spices and set aside.
Assemble the Casserole:
- Spread half of the shredded chicken in the bottom of a greased baking dish.
- Layer with half of the sauce.
- Arrange half of the corn tortillas on top.
- Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese, and then drizzle with half of the chicken broth.
- Repeat the layers one more time!
- Top the whole caboodle with Rotel and minced jalapeños, if using.
- Bake until hot and bubbly. And that's it!
Gluten-Free Version
As I mentioned above in the "Ingredients" section, it's a snap to make King Ranch Casserole gluten-free by simply using a gluten-free flour blend in the homemade sauce. Easy peasy!
Enjoying Your King Ranch Chicken
I particularly love this recipe for the way the tortillas soften into the sauce, causing the scrumptious layers to practically meld together.
You can garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and/or diced avocado if you like.
Or you can just enjoy the steamy simplicity of chicken, tortillas, and cheese without any adornments.
Any way you slice it, I'm telling you...King Ranch Chicken Casserole is ultimate. Comfort. Food.
Adults love it.
Kids love it.
Even persnickety toddlers can't wait to get their little mitts on it...
So thank you to my childhood friend's mama for first introducing me to this recipe.
Thank you to my significant other for liking it enough to marry me.
And thank YOU for bringing joy to your family by adding these ingredients to your grocery list and making it for dinner this week!
I promise...King Ranch Chicken Casserole will be an instant keeper in your recipe file.
One last warning, though.
If you happen to be single, be sure to wield the power of this casserole with great care. After all, this is a recipe that's entirely capable of eliciting marriage proposals down the road. 🙂
More Comfort Food Classics
- The BEST Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
- 30-Minute Skillet Lasagna
- Cordon Bleu Casserole
- PERFECT Chicken & Dumplings
- Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
BEST King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups chicken broth OR stock, DIVIDED
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt & freshly ground pepper
- 12 corn tortillas, quartered
- 8 ounces (2 cups) grated cheddar OR Colby Jack cheese
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel (diced tomatoes & green chiles), drained
- 1 jalapeño, seeds & membranes removed and finely diced (optional)
Instructions
- Adjust rack to center position of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the white sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic to the pot and saute until fragrant and light golden brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute. Slowly and gradually whisk in milk and 1 cup chicken stock. Increase heat to medium and stir continuously for several minutes until sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove pot from the heat and stir in cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Evenly scatter half of the shredded chicken in the bottom of the baking dish. Dollop half of the sauce on top of the chicken and use the back of a spoon to spread it in an even layer. Arrange half of the corn tortilla quarters on top, overlapping slightly and tearing in half to fill in any gaps, if necessary. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese on top. Drizzle the entire surface with ½ cup of the remaining chicken broth, including corners and edges. Repeat layers of chicken, sauce, tortillas, cheese, and final ½ cup broth. Evenly sprinkle Rotel and diced jalapeños (if using) over top of the casserole.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
Video
Notes
- You may use leftover chicken or cook it fresh by poaching, baking, grilling, cooking in the slow cooker, etc. I typically cook 3 to 4 (depending on size) frozen chicken breasts (totaling about 1 ½ pounds) for this recipe. Alternatively, a rotisserie chicken torn into chunks yields about 4 cups.
- All-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour all work for the sauce. Or, to make this recipe gluten-free, you may substitute gluten-free baking mix in place of regular flour.
- You can use regular whole milk or an unsweetened non-dairy milk (such as almond milk) in the sauce.
- If you can't find Rotel, you may use a regular can of diced tomatoes plus a small (4-ounce) can of diced green chiles in its place. Or you can use an equivalent amount of fresh diced tomatoes and green chiles.
Nutrition
Post originally published on September 28, 2014, and updated on October 22, 2019, and February 3, 2022.
Can you make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes! Assemble the casserole as directed in a freezer-safe baking dish, but don't bake it. Wrap it tightly with several layers of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy the casserole, allow it to completely thaw in the refrigerator overnight. While your oven preheats, let the dish come to room temperature for about 30 minutes and then bake as directed.
Question: Do you drain the rotel when you are pouring over top layer?
Yes. "Drained" is mentioned in the ingredient list on the recipe card, but the font is a lighter gray so I apologize if it was easy to miss. 🙂
Hello,
I actually have cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup handy, may you advise how to use in this recipe 🙂
Just substitute the canned soups in place of the homemade sauce. 🙂 You can use one can per layer, or stir them together and then use half of the mixture for each layer. Hope that helps!
How many ounces of canned soup should I use to substitute the homemade sauce??
Two cans of soup may be subbed for the homemade sauce (the original recipe called for one can cream of chicken plus one can cream of mushroom). Hope that helps!
I love that this recipe doesn't use canned soup! The sauce is totally doable and so much better made from scratch.
New family fave! This was super easy which is also so helpful during the week. Adding this to our rotation, thank you!!!
I have used this recipe numerous times. We love it. Sometimes I layer it but sometimes I just mix it all up. Today I used the last of our smoked turkey to make it. It was just as delicious as expected.
Thank you for the recipe.
Delicious. I halved recipe. I read wrong and mixed all chicken broth and milk to make sauce. After layering realized. So i drizzled little on top. Assumed needed so it would not be dry?
Incredible! I made this for dinner and it came out perfect! I divided the recipe into two 9x9 pans so I can take one to a friend. Everything about this recipe is perfect, from the consistency of the sauce, to the level of heat. This one is a keeper. Thank you for sharing this one!
Thanks so much for offering a from-scratch version of this! My mom used to make it years ago with the canned soup and it was delicious. Can't wait to try it!
Hi Samantha! I have this recipe on my menu plan for this week, can't wait to try it! I love every recipe of yours that I've tried and pass them on to my friends and family! I'm super excited about using your canned soup substitution with other recipes. Could you tell me how many "cans" this equals and I'm assuming this would be considered diluted with equal cans of liquid, i.e., if this equals 1 can it would also equal 1 can of liquid or 2:2, correct?
Hi Tish! The original recipe that I adapted this casserole from called for one can cream of chicken plus one can cream of mushroom. So the homemade sauce is an amount that approximately replaces two total cans of condensed cream soup (without any dilution). Does that make sense and answer your question? And I'm so happy to hear that you enjoy my recipes! 🙂
Can this be made ahead or will the tortillas break down?
You can make this recipe ahead of time, but yes, the tortillas will get a bit softer after sitting. This is such a cheesy, melty casserole that everything ends up running together anyway, so tortillas that are a bit more broken down have never bothered us. But it's really just a matter of personal preference! 🙂
I made this for my husband’s birthday party since I needed a good “enchilada” type recipe to feed a crowd. This recipe is spot on. I loved that it didn’t use canned soup. We like spicy so I put 2 diced jalapeños into the sauce. I cooked a whole Mary’s chicken (humane) in my crockpot and had the lovely broth to use. I also used organic grass fed cheese which I grated using a box grater so there was no anti-caking agent in the cheese. This is a great recipe. Definitely a keeper.
I'm so glad this was a hit for your husband's birthday, Barbara!
I made this recipe exactly as directed except I used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and I used canned chicken breast. It was absolutely delicious and so easy and quick to make! Regards, Maria
Great recipe! I tweaked and used roasted piquillo peppers, roasted NM green Chiles, tortilla chips, green onion tops. Threw everything in large bowl mixed. Then poured it in casserole dish. Topped woth more cheese. Simples. Thanks for the inspiration making my own bechamel sauce!
Hi Samantha!
I’d love to include your chicken casserole in a casserole round up I’m doing for Parade Magazine.
If you’re fine with that, could I use one of your gorgeous photos with a link back to your original post (https://www.fivehearthome.com/2014/09/28/king-ranch-chicken-casserole/)?
Thanks so much!
felicia
Hi Felicia! You are more than welcome to include this recipe in your Parade Magazine round-up...what an honor! Feel free to grab a photo and use the link, or let me know if you need me to e-mail you a photo. Thanks so much, and hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe and for making it without the cream of X soup. Can't wait to try it.
You're very welcome, Leigh...I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I had the king ranch chicken casserole a few years back and it was ok, didn't ask for the recipe because of the canned soup used. When I saw the recipe here I knew I had to make it. Well it was a smash hit...delicious. I took pictures and I sent it to my friends and family and they wanted to know what it was. I sent them to your website Sam so you'll be getting more visitors. I love your recipes and I made a bunch of them already, especially the crockpot ones. Thank you for all these yummy recipes, they are my to go to one's most of the time.
Thanks so much for sharing that, Simona...your comment made my night! I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed this King Ranch Chicken Casserole, and I appreciate you sharing my blog with your friends and family. 🙂 Hope you find some other recipes to try from the site that are met with equal success! Happy Friday and have a great weekend!
Hi, Samantha.
I made your King Ranch Chicken Casserole for dinner tonight. My oldest son stopped by for dinner to join the three of us, my younger son and husband and I after work. All I can say is “Oh my goodness” this casserole is wonderful. You can imagine with three hungry men there were not a lot of leftovers. They cleaned the pan! I did add Chipotle chili powder in lieu of regular chili powder and increased by 1 extra teaspoon. It added depth and an underlying smoke smoldering taste.
I wanted to try this recipe because it does not call for canned soup as many of the pinned King Ranch Chicken Casseroles call for. I have eliminated all canned soup from my cooking and all processed foods cooking only with ingredients that I recognize!
I will be searching your site for more of these type recipes! Just wanted to say “thanks” for the post and wanted to send a shout out to tell you how much we loved our dinner tonight. Added a crisp salad and Bush’s Cocina Latina beans. Wonderful!
Suzanne W.
Littleton, CO
Hi Suzanne! Thanks so much for your thoughtful and thorough comment! It makes my day to hear that people are enjoying my recipes. 🙂 I love your suggestion of using chipotle chili powder in this casserole...I'll definitely have to try that sometime! And I'm with you on cooking with real food ingredients...aside from a few treats that I've posted, most of my recipes call for minimally processed ingredients (and when I use a store-bought prepared ingredient -- such as canned biscuits, for example -- I personally buy a natural/organic variety). Anyway, I'm so glad that this was a hit with your family and I hope y'all equally enjoy any other recipes you decide to try from the site. 🙂 Hope you're having a great week!
I've made this twice and it is wonderful! Love the sauce! Definitely a keeper! Thanks for a great recipe.
I'm so happy to hear it, Nicolee! This is definitely one of my family's favorite dinners. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know, and hope you have a great week!