King Ranch Chicken Casserole is made from scratch with no “cream-of” soups! Layers of corn tortillas, a rich and flavorful sauce, chicken and cheese make up this famous Texas casserole.
King Ranch Chicken is a Texas staple consisting of layers of corn tortillas, chicken, cheese and a semi-spicy cream sauce. The traditional KRC Casserole is made with a can each of Rotel, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. I wanted to recreate the traditional flavor, but without using any "cream-of" soups. This version is made from scratch with sautéed vegetables and a homemade sauce.
Today, bloggers and readers alike remember this casserole much more fondly than in the 1980’s when Texas Monthly described it as “bland – but there when you need it.” The classic casserole had another resurgence in 2020.
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Traditional Flavor without "Cream-of" Soups
It does take a little bit longer to make than just opening a can of cream of soup but I think it tastes better AND by making your own sauce you can control the amount of sodium in this recipe. Plus I think 2020 has shown us it’s handy to be able to make things from scratch.
This recipe has been around on My Texas Kitchen since 2015 but I decided this year, it was time to update with new pictures and more detailed instructions.
Healthier King Ranch Casserole
By omitting the “cream-of” soups, this version is lower in sodium and fat than the original. After many years working in clinical dietetics, I often think of my patients when developing recipes, and try to create lower sodium and reduced fat versions of recipes that they could still enjoy while following a heart healthy diet.
Rather than cutting out all the foods someone loves, I prefer to think, how can we make the foods someone loves more closely fit their prescribed eating pattern? I hope y’all find this Texas favorite nourishing for the body and soul.
Ingredients and Substitutions for King Ranch Chicken
- Butter and Oil – I prefer the ratio of 1:1 butter to oil, but you can use all butter or all oil.
- ½ large white or yellow onion
- 1 large Bell Pepper – green or red
- 1 large Jalapeno
- Minced Garlic
- Flour and seasonings
- Chicken Broth – can substitute Water + 1 Tbsp. Better than Chicken Bouillion
- Milk – 2% or Whole
- Rotel (Diced tomatoes with green chiles) – can substitute fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- Mushrooms – I use canned stems and pieces.
- Yellow Corn Tortillas for the most traditional flavor
- Chicken – Traditionally made with meat from one whole chicken. You can also use rotisserie chicken. I usually keep Tex-Mex Chicken Thighs in the freezer for use in recipes like this.
- Shredded Cheese – Can use a blend of cheddar and monterrey jack. If you would like to reduce calories in this recipe, reduce to 2 cups of cheese by omitting the cheese on the second layer.
How To Make King Ranch Chicken from Scratch
- Prepare a large casserole dish. If you want to make this into three layers, grab a deep dish.
- Sautee vegetables in butter and oil until tender.
- Add flour and seasoning to the vegetable mixture. Stir and cook for one minute.
- Stir in chicken broth and milk. Cook until sauce thickens. Stir constantly.
- I like a more “soupy” sauce, if the sauce gets too thick, add additional chicken broth to thin it out.
- Remove from heat and stir in Rotel, mushrooms, and cooked diced chicken.
- Layer 5 tortillas on bottom of casserole dish.
- Start assembling King Ranch Chicken. Top with ½ of sauce and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat corn tortillas, sauce and ½ cup cheese. Top with corn tortillas and remaining cheese.
- Layers are: tortillas, sauce, cheese, tortillas, sauce, cheese, tortillas, cheese
- Cover with foil and bake! Remove foil and bake for additional 5 minutes .
Three Layer KRC Casserole
The more tortillas you use, the more structure this casserole will have. Some people prefer it this way, while others like myself, like it a little more “soupy”.
To make this into three full layers + the topping, start with a deep 9” X 13” casserole dish. Layer 4 corn tortillas, ⅓ of sauce, ½ cup cheese and repeat twice. Topping with remaining corn tortillas and 1 ½ cups shredded cheese.
Serving and Storage
I like to serve King Ranch Chicken with pinto beans and a simple garden salad.
This casserole freezes well. Thaw before baking, cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
📖 Recipe
King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Tbsp. Grapeseed or Canola Oil
- 1 cup white or yellow Onion diced
- 1 cup Green Bell Pepper diced
- 2 Tbsp. fresh Jalapeno seeded and minced
- 2 tsp. Minced Garlic
- ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. Chili Powder
- 1 tsp. Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Milk (2% or Whole)
- 1 10 oz. can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
- ¼ cup canned mushrooms diced
- 3 cups Cooked Chicken, Chopped or Shredded
- 15 Corn Tortillas
- 3 cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ X 13” casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Heat butter and oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 7-10 minutes or until tender. Stir often. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in flour and spices to vegetable mixture. Cook for one minute. Add chicken broth and milk. Turn heat to medium-high and cook until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Remove sauce from heat and stir in diced tomatoes, mushrooms and chicken.
- Layer 5 corn tortillas on bottom of casserole dish, top with one-half of sauce and one-third of cheese. Repeat layering of tortillas, sauce, and cheese. Top with corn tortillas and remaining shredded cheese.
- Cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is melted.
My hope when I create and share these healthier versions of comfort food, is that a spouse will find this and make it for their loved one, a mom will find this healthier version of a childhood favorite and realize she can indeed serve it to her family, or a cook at a nursing home will find it and make it for their residents.
Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy!
-Alaine
King Ranch Chicken was originally published in August 2015. Updated in July 2021 with new pictures and text.
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Kelly Bone
This is a delicious, comforting dish! I have made it twice in 3 weeks! Thank you for sharing.