Description
King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a classic Tex-Mex comfort food featuring tender chicken cooked with sautéed onions and bell peppers, simmered in a creamy tomato and green chile sauce, layered with crunchy tortilla chips, and topped with melted cheddar cheese. This baked casserole is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for a family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Vegetables and Dairy
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (divided: 1/2 cup and 1.5 cups)
- 2 green onions
Thickener and Liquids
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
Other
- 1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), drained
- 5 cups tortilla chip strips (thick rectangular chips preferred)
Instructions
- Prepare chicken: Place the 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. Add seasoned chicken breasts and cook about 5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove and allow to cool on a clean cutting board.
- Prepare vegetables and cheese: While chicken cooks, finely dice onion and green bell pepper, and shred the cheddar cheese. 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: Sprinkle flour over sautéed vegetables and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly, until flour coats the skillet bottom and turns golden brown.
- Make gravy: Slowly add chicken broth, stirring to dissolve flour and scrape browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until sauce thickens. Remove skillet from heat.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Drain diced tomatoes with green chiles well. Dice cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into the gravy. Add sour cream and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese; mix until combined.
- Assemble casserole: Layer a few handfuls of tortilla chip strips in the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over chips. Add more tortilla chip strips (about half the amount before), then spoon remaining chicken mixture on top. Finally, sprinkle with remaining 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake casserole: Bake in preheated 375ºF oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly around edges.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle sliced green onions over the top after baking. Serve hot and enjoy.
Notes
- Use thick rectangular tortilla chips for best texture; Mission brand or similar brands work well.
- Make sure to drain the canned diced tomatoes with green chiles well to avoid excess liquid in the casserole.
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness ensures it cooks evenly and stays tender.
- You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt for a tangier flavor and some added protein.
- This casserole can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated; bake just before serving to maintain chip crunchiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 750 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: 85 mg
