Description

This King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a comforting Texas-inspired dish featuring tender chicken, a creamy chili-spiced sauce with bell peppers and onions, layers of crunchy tortilla chips, and melted cheddar cheese baked to perfection. Ideal for family dinners, it offers a hearty, flavorful meal with a satisfying blend of textures and spices.

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 (for garnish)

Sauce and Filling

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (divided: 1/2 cup and 1.5 cups)

Casserole Base

5 cups tortilla chip strips (thick rectangular style preferred)

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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 the seasoned chicken and cook about 5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove to a cutting board to cool.
Prep Vegetables and Cheese: While chicken cooks, finely dice the onion and bell pepper, and shred the cheddar cheese. Preheat the 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 and Make Roux: Stir in the flour and cook for about one minute until golden and coating the skillet bottom.
Add Chicken Broth: Pour in chicken broth, stir to dissolve flour and browning. Simmer until thickened into a gravy, then remove from heat.
Combine Chicken and Sauce: Drain diced tomatoes with green chiles. Dice cooked chicken and stir it along with tomatoes into the gravy.
Add Dairy: Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese until fully combined.
Assemble Casserole: Layer a few handfuls of tortilla chip strips in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spread half the chicken mixture over the chips. Add more tortilla chips (about half as much as the first layer), then spoon the remaining chicken mixture on top. Finish with the remaining 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake: Bake in the preheated 375ºF oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly around the edges.
Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle sliced green onions on top after baking and serve hot.

Notes

Use thick rectangular tortilla chips for best texture, such as those from Mission or a similar brand.
You can substitute rotisserie chicken for a quicker version.
Drain the diced tomatoes with green chiles well to avoid excess liquid in the casserole.
To make it spicier, add jalapeños or extra chili powder.
Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated covered at 350ºF until warmed through.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 450 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 550 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