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!
This is the greatest recipe ever!!!! It’s become my favorite staple. Sometimes I add black olives, tomatoes, poblano pepper (and leave out the green chilies) and it is SO GOOD– you just cannot go wrong with it. Thank you for sharing!
I made this tonight and it was amazing. Thank you for the recipe!
I added spanish rice w/ spices and a can of tomatoes and w/green chiles
I’m keto, changed the corn tortillas with shaved chicken breast…..still amazing! Great recipe!
The ultimate test for any recipe is if my kids eat it and they asked for seconds!!! Definitely adding this to my recipe rotation !
Excelente and super easy to make it. Love it. Thanks for sharing
This is a new family favorite. It would also make an amazing dip for tortilla chips.
Mmmmmm….. yummy!! I’ve made this a few times following the recipe and it’s so good. Seldom any leftovers in our house of 7. When I made it last night, I added an 8oz container of a “Mexican Street Corn” dip that I thought looked interesting while shopping and then later couldn’t decide what to do with it…lol… (it’s in the grocer case by the hummus), anyway, it has been in the fridge making me feel guilty for waste, then I just threw it in the chicken mixture. It made this dish that everyone already loves even more satisfying!
I hate it when someone makes a lot of changes to a recipe then gives it a poor rating. I have not made this as written, so I cannot review the actual recipe, but I think that this is a great base to get creative with and I am sure great as written. I didn’t have all of the ingredients listed, so for a somewhat healthier keto/low carb version, I substituted full fat plain yogurt for the sour cream. I also added some chili flakes instead of chopped chilis and added a small can of sliced olives and added some seasoning (taco and/or cajun to taste) and low carb tortillas.
Loves this recipe- supper easy to make and pretty quick too. Will be making again!
The flavor was great! I knocked a star off because I followed the recipe to a tee but my sauce broke. I suspect it was the acid from the salsa verde and the sour cream cooking together (I had my skepticism when I read the recipe, but figured I’d give it a shot anyway). Next time I’ll add some cornstarch or something to stabilize the sauce, but I’ll definitely try again!
I’ve made this over and over again haha – follow it by the book then sometimes have thrown in jalapeños. Even made it once for my in-laws and now my mother in law makes it! Thank you for sharing ❤️
Side note – if you completely alter the recipe and it doesn’t “turn out right” I don’t think you are entitled to leave a less than 5 star review. It isn’t the chef/recipes fault for your lack of cooking skills.