Spicy Recipe: King Ranch Chicken (2024)

This King Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe is the epitome of cheesy hearty comfort food. It's basically a creamy cheesy chicken enchilada casserole in lasagna form! So easy to mix together and then you just slide it in the oven to bake! Weeknight perfection!

What is King Ranch Chicken Casserole?

If savory chicken enchiladas could marry lasagna in all of it's glorious layers, they would have a king ranch chicken casserole baby. King ranch chicken has layers of soft warm tortillas in between layers of cheesy chicken and peppers, all topped off with more cheese! Did I forget to mention that this dish is totally gluten-free?!?

How do you make the King Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe?

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except for the tortillas). Stir to combine.
3. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, layer a single layer of the tortillas on the bottom of the pan.
4. Place ⅓ of the mixture on top of the tortillas. Do this tortilla-mixture layering two more times (so there is 3 layers total of each of the two layers)
5. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the extra shredded cheese and then bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the chicken pieces are cooked thoroughly. Let sit 5 minutes to cool and set and then enjoy!

What ingredients do I need to make this King Ranch Chicken recipe?

You will need:

• 1 Can Rotel tomatoes, I like the hot variety
• 1 can cream of Chicken*, Gluten-Free of course!
• 1 can chicken broth **, Gluten-Free as well
• 4 cups cubed chicken, you can use shredded chicken like my Salsa Lime Chicken or you can use two, 12.5 ounce cans of canned chicken!
• 2 cups shredded cheese, plus some for sprinkling on the top of the dish., I prefer colby-jack for this recipe
• ½ chopped red onion
• crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha to taste, we like it spicy and we use both!
• Gluten-Free corn tortillas (10-12 depending on the size of tortilla, but one package of tortillas will be enough)

King Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe tips:

When I am running short on time I will mix all of the ingredients in the "stuffing" layer (the chicken, Rotel tomatoes, broth, etc.) together beforehand so that all I need to do before putting it the oven is layer the cheesy delicious mix overtop layer upon layer of tortilla.

If you aren't a fan of heat, omit the red pepper flakes and the sriracha sauce from the recipe. The ingredients in this recipe have plenty of flavor in them all on their own. The added heat is just a little treat for those you want a little spice.

This is a hearty meal so if you have leftovers, it's not because it's not the most delicious casserole you have ever smacked your lips over but it's because you are so full from stuffing your face with every ounce of it that you could. You can store leftover king ranch chicken casserole in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.

In fact, I think I love this recipe reheated in the microwave (1-2 minutes per piece of casserole depending on how your microwave cooks) even more than when it's fresh out of the oven. Or maybe it's just the fact that I get to eat this casserole again for a second time. 🙂

How can I make this King Ranch Chicken Casserole fancy-looking?

• Add a drizzle of sriracha on the top of your casserole.
• Top your delicious piece of king ranch chicken with a dollop of sour cream or pico de gallo or even salsa!
• Sprinkle your casserole with chopped cilantro or parsley.
• Add lime zest to the top of each piece of casserole or squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over your still sizzling baked meal! So amazingly satisfying!

What to serve with this King Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe?

King Ranch Chicken Casserole plays well with lots of things, including:

• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Sriracha Mayo Cream Broccoli
• Chipotle-Lime Radish Salad
• Garlic Cilantro Lime Rice
• Holy Guacamole
• Skinny Mexican Grilled Corn

Want more casserole recipes?

Here are a few other casserole favorites!

• Caprese Quinoa Casserole
• Skinny Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake
• Spaghetti Squash Taco Bake
• Skinny Gluten-Free Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

* I really like this GF cream of chicken soup

** And this wheat-free chicken broth is my fav for casseroles.

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This King Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe is the epitome of cheesy hearty comfort food. It's basically a creamy cheesy chicken enchilada casserole in lasagna form! So easy to mix together and then you just slide it in the oven to bake! Weeknight perfection!

Ingredients

• 1 Can Rotel tomatoes, I like the hot variety
• 1 can cream of Chicken *, Gluten-Free of course!
• 1 can chicken broth **, Gluten-Free as well
• 4 cups cubed chicken or you can use two, 12.5 ounce cans of canned chicken!
• 2 cups shredded cheese, plus some for sprinkling on the top of the dish., I prefer colby-jack for this recipe
• ½ chopped red onion
• crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha to taste, we like it spicy and we use both!
• Gluten-Free corn tortillas (10-12 depending on the size of tortilla, but one package of tortillas will be enough)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except for the tortillas). Stir to combine.
3. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, layer a single layer of the tortillas on the bottom of the pan.
4. Place ⅓ of the mixture on top of the tortillas. Do this tortilla-mixture layering two more times (so there is 3 layers total of each of the two layers)
5. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the extra shredded cheese and then bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the chicken pieces are cooked thoroughly. Let sit 5 minutes to cool and set and then enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 8 Servings
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 331Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 862mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 25g

See Also

10 Minute Homemade Egg Drop Soup Recipe