Description
A classic Tex-Mex King Ranch Chicken Casserole featuring tender seasoned chicken, sautéed vegetables, creamy cheddar sauce, and crunchy tortilla chips baked to bubbly perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Vegetable and Sauce
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), drained
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Cheese and Toppings
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (divided)
- 5 cups tortilla chip strips (thick rectangular style)
- 2 green onions, sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. 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 chicken breasts and cook approximately 5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.
- Prepare Vegetables and Cheese: While chicken cooks, finely dice onion and bell pepper. Shred 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.
- Make Roux: Add flour to skillet and cook for about 1 minute until flour coats the bottom and turns golden brown.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Stir in chicken broth, scraping up browned bits from bottom. Bring to a simmer to thicken into gravy. Remove from heat.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Dice cooked chicken. Stir chicken and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles into the gravy mixture.
- Add Sour Cream and Cheese: Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar until well combined.
- Assemble Casserole: Layer a few handfuls of tortilla chip strips in the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spoon half the chicken mixture over chips. Add more chip strips (about half the initial amount), then spoon remaining chicken mixture on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated 375ºF oven for 15 minutes until cheese melts and casserole bubbles around the edges.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle sliced green onions on top and serve hot.
Notes
- Use thick rectangular tortilla chips for best texture; they hold up well in the casserole.
- Drain diced tomatoes with green chiles well to prevent excess liquid in the casserole.
- You can substitute cooked rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, add extra chili powder or diced jalapeños.
- Leftovers reheat well and taste even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
