Description
King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a comforting Tex-Mex layered casserole featuring tender chicken cooked with sautéed vegetables, rich cheese, and crunchy tortilla chips baked to bubbly perfection. This classic family favorite is easy to make and perfect for a hearty weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Vegetables and Sauce
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Cheese and Topping
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (divided: 1/2 cup plus 1.5 cups)
- 5 cups tortilla chip strips (thick rectangular style)
- 2 green onions, sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to an even thickness about 3/4 to 1-inch thick. Season both sides with chili powder.
- Cook the chicken: Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook about 5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove and let cool on a cutting board.
- Prep vegetables and cheese: While cooking chicken, finely dice onion and green bell pepper, shred cheddar cheese, and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Sauté vegetables: In the same skillet, add butter, diced onion, and bell pepper. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add flour: Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute until flour coats the skillet bottom and turns golden brown.
- Make gravy: Pour in chicken broth, stir to dissolve flour and scrape up browned bits. Simmer until thickened, then remove from heat.
- Combine chicken and tomatoes: Dice the cooked chicken and stir it along with drained diced tomatoes and green chiles into the gravy.
- Add sour cream and cheese: Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar until well combined.
- Assemble casserole: Layer tortilla chip strips on the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spoon half the chicken mixture over the chips, add more tortilla chips (about half the amount of the first layer), then top with remaining chicken mixture. Finish with remaining 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake and serve: Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 15 minutes until cheese melts and casserole bubbles. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve hot.
Notes
- Use thick rectangular tortilla chip strips for best texture; they hold up well in the casserole without getting mushy.
- Make sure to drain the canned diced tomatoes with green chiles well to avoid excess moisture.
- Pounding the chicken evenly helps it cook uniformly and stay tender.
- For a spicier version, add additional chili powder or hot sauce to the chicken mixture.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in the oven or microwave.
