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?
- Chicken Minestrone Soup
- Homemade Beefaroni
- One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet
- Lahmacun Turkish Pizza (Armenian Lahmajun)
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta (One-Pot!)
- Mom’s Best Beef Pot Roast Recipe
- Stuffed Mexican Cornbread
- Easy Jambalaya Recipe
- Sunday Gravy (Meat Sauce)
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Chili Recipe
- Buffalo Chicken and Rice Skillet Recipe
- Balsamic Steak Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe
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!
In New Mexico we call this dish Chicken Enchiladas.
Great base recipe for those that do not want to use canned soup. I cut this down to four servings, but made the following adjustments: Upped the cumin to 1 tsp for four servings and added 1/2 tsp ground coriander, along with 1/4 cup of cilantro leaves. I love cilantro. Added one jalapeño to the sautéed onion mixture. Used 6 oz of salsa verde, a 4oz can of green Chile’s and upped the sour cream for the 4 servings (possibly 3/4 cup). Used about 1 1/2 cups of shredded chicken and added in about 1/4 cup of water + 1 tsp of chicken base to add a another layer of chicken flavor. Used white cheddar and Monterey Jack combo for cheese. And I made homemade corn tortillas (used 5). The end result was something that finally cured my craving for authentic Mexican flavors without the restaurant!
Thank you for coming up with something that didn’t require a sodium laden addition to achieve flavor!
Big hit!! Only thing I did different was the salsa, I couldn’t find salsa Verde so I used regular salsa, and I cut back on the diced green chillies cuz we are big wussies with too much spice lol. It was sooooo good!!
As true as the other reviews, this recipe was a huge hit! I made it exactly as written. For those who like measurements instead of sizes, my large sweet yellow onion chopped up to be a little over two cups and it was just right. This is a definite keeper for many occasions and a feed-all casual dinner!
Just tried this tonight for dinner and it was such a huge hit and feeds an army!!! Love it!
Two things:
1) This was delicious and will be making again
2) There’s actually no ranch in this recipe
Hi Mike,
LOL! Yes, the title actually refers to the famous King Ranch in Texas, not the ingredient. However, maybe we should make a version with ranch dressing in it?
Tweek it as you wish
Hi, I had a quick question and hope you can get back to me quickly as I am in the process of making my grocery list. I wanted to make this recipe, “King Ranch Chicken Casserole”, for a potluck that’s on Sunday. I was wondering if you used White Onions or Yellow Onions for your recipe as you did not specify. I want to make sure I make it with the correct ingredients, so everyone will love this dish. I have never made it before, so I’m not sure what is best. Thank you for your time.
Hi Amber,
You can use either. I almost always use sweet onions, but this casserole will taste great no matter which variety you choose. :)
Our family loves this recipe. With four teen boys , I’m always looking for something they will all like… this is it! On a cold day in Colorado, like today, this is a go-to recipe. Thanks for making it so yummy without the processed soup!
I saw this question in the comments, but not an answer. Is the amount for the green chilies 13.5 oz. as printed OR should it have been 3.5 ounces? Thanks!
Hi Cheryl!
You will need 3 – 4.5 ounce cans, or 13.5 ounces. :)
Wonderful!!!! This was my first time making King Ranch and my whole family loved it. They said it a keeper. I also appreciate there is not canned cream soups! Thank you for sharing this great recipe. Regards Maria
I am guessing that you meant a 3.5 oz can of chiles, not 13.5 oz. Made it with the one 3.5 oz can and it was fantastic!