Description
King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a comforting Tex-Mex layered casserole featuring seasoned chicken, sautéed vegetables, creamy tomato and sour cream sauce, and layers of crunchy tortilla chips topped with melted cheddar cheese. Perfect for a hearty family dinner, this baked dish combines bold flavors with a satisfying texture contrast.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 green onions
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Cheese and Chips
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- 5 cups tortilla chip strips (thick rectangular type)
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Place chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to an even thickness of about 3/4 to 1 inch. Season both sides with chili powder.
- Cook Chicken: Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken and cook about 5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board to cool.
- Prep Vegetables and Cheese: While chicken cooks, finely dice the onion and green bell pepper, shred cheddar cheese, and preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet, add butter, diced onion, and bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add Flour: Stir in the flour and continue to sauté for about 1 minute until flour coats the skillet bottom and turns golden brown.
- Make Gravy: Gradually add chicken broth, stirring to dissolve flour and brown bits. Bring to a simmer until thickened, then remove from heat.
- Combine Chicken and Tomatoes: Drain diced tomatoes with green chiles. Dice cooked chicken and stir both into the gravy.
- Finish Sauce: Stir in sour cream and half of the shredded cheddar until well combined.
- Assemble Casserole: Layer a few handfuls of tortilla chip strips in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spoon half the chicken mixture over chips. Add another layer of tortilla chips (about half previous amount), then spoon remaining chicken mixture on top. Sprinkle remaining 1.5 cups cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake: Bake casserole in preheated 375ºF oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling around edges.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle sliced green onions on top after baking. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use thick rectangular tortilla chips for best texture; thin chips will become too soggy.
- Can substitute cooked rotisserie chicken to save time.
- To make it milder, use diced tomatoes without green chiles.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated covered in the oven.
- For extra flavor, add a layer of black beans or corn in the layering step.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
