King Ranch Chicken Casserole
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 7, 2025 
This King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe is a creamy, cheesy, rich Texan classic, and guaranteed mood enhancer for cold winter evenings featuring layers of cheese, chicken, tortillas and bold green chiles!
King Ranch Chicken Casserole History
King Ranch, one of the largest and most historically innovative ranches in the world, was founded in the 1800s by a runaway, Richard King, who made a name for himself later in life in both the steamboat industry and ranching. These days many things are named after the epic King Ranch, from lavish leather car interiors and furniture to creamy casserole recipes.
I’m not sure there’s a final word on whether Texas King Ranch Casserole actually originated at King Ranch, or whether it’s just a popular Texan title to tag on. Either way, this ultra-creamy enchilada-style chicken casserole is a massive hit with anyone who tastes it.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Over the holidays I visited my brother in Texas. I’m always enamored by the vast variety of regional specialties found in Texas. My brother introduced me to a Texas chicken casserole I had never tried before, King Ranch Chicken Casserole.
Easy King Ranch Chicken Casserole Made From Scratch
When researching King Ranch Chicken Casserole, I found most recipes include condensed cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. However, I am not a fan of adding processed condensed soup to any recipe. I find you can get better flavor and texture with fresh ingredients.
So I started from scratch with sour cream, green chiles, and tomatillo salsa verde, then tossed it with fresh cilantro and chopped chicken. The result is a super silky casserole base with a hint of spice.
This King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a wonderful freezer make-ahead meal, and is also handy for potlucks and tailgating!
Chicken Casserole Ingredients
The creamy, savory chicken filling is layered in a casserole dish with shredded cheese and torn tortillas, then baked until golden and bubbly. The rich sauce saturates the tortillas, forming tender decadent layers of spicy, cheesy goodness.
- Chopped Cooked Chicken – You can use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken to make this recipe even easier. You can even us leftover holiday turkey!
- Sour Cream
- Yellow onion – or sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- Garlic – peeled and minced
- Butter
- Jarred Tomatillo Salsa Verde – your choice of mild or hot
- Chopped Green Chiles – 13.5 oz can
- Chopped Cilantro
- Ground Cumin
- Shredded Mexican Style Cheese – or Monterey jack or cheddar cheese
- White Corn Tortillas – or flour tortillas
How to Make King Ranch Chicken Casserole
I think my Texan friends would approve of this Easy King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe. It has a definitive Tex-Mex flavor, an overall luxurious quality, and can be thrown together in minutes to feed the masses! One casserole is enough to yield 16 deliciously satisfying servings.
Find the full Chicken Casserole recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
PS – My brother would tell you it’s best with Cholula, a popular hot sauce in Texas, doused over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can serve this casserole completely on its own for an easy and filling meal. Or, serve it with a side of Spanish rice, some extra tortillas and an easy tomato salad!
Yes! I love making this chicken casserole a few days before I am planning to enjoy it.
Simply allow it to cool completely before wrapping, and keep it in the freezer for up to three months or in the fridge for up to four days.
If frozen, allow the casserole to thaw completely before reheating. Bake uncovered in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly hot.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but be sure you double-check the ingredients list for your corn tortillas and shredded cheese: some brands use gluten-based preservatives.
You can easily make this casserole keto by substituting the white corn tortillas for a keto-friendly tortilla made with coconut, almond and/or cassava flour.
Sure, you can! Add other vegetables like diced tomatoes, red bell peppers, or poblano peppers. You can also throw in additional spices like garlic powder, chili powder, or cayenne pepper.
Looking for More Favorite One-Pan Recipes?
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- Mom’s Best Beef Pot Roast Recipe
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- Easy Jambalaya Recipe
- Sunday Gravy (Meat Sauce)
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Chili Recipe
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King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped cooked chicken (use leftovers or a rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 large onions, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 16 ounces jarred tomatillo salsa verde, mild or hot
- 13.5 ounces chopped green chiles
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 cups shredded Mexican style cheese
- 20 white corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a skillet over medium heat and add the butter, onions, and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften.
- In a large bowl mix the sautéed onions and garlic, chopped chicken, sour cream, salsa verde, chopped green chiles, cilantro, and cumin.
- Tear the tortillas into rough pieces. Spoon one-quarter of the chicken filling in the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish. Top with 1 cup shredded cheese. Then spread a single layer of torn tortillas over the top. Repeat layering the chicken filling, cheese, and tortillas three layers high, using up all the tortillas. Spread the last one-quarter of chicken filling and 1 cup of cheese over the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Wait at least 5 minutes before cutting. Serve warm!
Hi, Sommer. I love your blog and your recipes. I live south of Houston, TX, and I have to say, your King Ranch Chicken Casserole is very different from what I am accustomed to. We have always used cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups and Rotel tomatoes. That said, your recipe absolutely sounds delicious, and I am anxious to try it. Thanks for sharing this new version of a classic Texas dish!
Absolutely, Sharonk! This is not the King Ranch Casserole most Texans know, not to say this can’t be good. As a matter of fact, Sommer’s recipe closely resembles my Chicken Enchilada casserole.
Hi Sharon,
LOL! Yes, I know that is the classic preparation. Secretly I have an aversion to adding canned soup to flavor recipes. It’s a personal problem. ;)
I adjusted the recipe to taste like the one my brother introduced me too… without the canned soup. I figure there are others out there like me.
The very moment I see that a recipe, any recipe, calls for canned cream of… soup, I move on to find a different recipe. They put “thickening agents” in those soups to make them seem as if they’re chock-full of cream, but they’re not. Those thickening agents leave you with a gloppy taste and mouth feel. Ick!
I liked it but it was too spicy for my kids. Next time, I will cut the onions by half.
Thank you thank you thank you for creating and sharing a recipe for this casserole that does not include any cream of soup. I cannot stand any dish that includes cream of soups and this is the first recipe for King Ranch Casserole that I have found that doesn’t have that in it. Thank you
I followed the recipe exactly and it came out battery. Any ideas?
Opps…wattery.
Hi Bridgie,
I’m sorry that happened. I’m guess it that you used a very watery salsa verde. It that possible?
I covered four chicken breasts in jar of salsa verde and cooked low and slow in crock pot for about 7 hours to really infuse flavor. When I got home from work, I pulled out chicken and let cool slightly then cut it up (~4.5 cups). So very tender! Then I put recipe together and popped it in the oven. Topped with sour cream, more salsa verde (or Herdez guacamole salsa – addictive!), diced tomatoes, diced avocado, and green onion. It was absolutely delicious!
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!
10 STARS, SOME REASON I cant get the stars to clic, I posted a comment that actually appeared on my search. So I see I must post it here too. I made this mayebe a couple months ago, WOW! I was skeptical at first being all king ranch recipes are basically all the same! This was screaming “try me” I will never make the old ways again, this is in a category of it’s own! Delicious and thank GOD I tried it. Rotisserie chicken is the way to go!
This is delicious and so easy to make!
PENOMINAL! I actually already commented on the recipe posted before hitting “read me” I posted a picture as well. IT’S A KEEPER! Followed as it said, no changes, after all if I changed it, I wouldn’t be reviewing for others on this specific recipe! I hate when people do that crap. If you don’t make don’t review, want opinions on the recipe at hand.
Can you make this the day before and heat up? Do the corn tortillas need to be heated prior to placing in dish?
Easy and wonderful. Everyone loved it.
Does this freeze well?
Hi TJ,
Absolutely! Just wrap it very well, so it doesn’t get freezer burn. :)