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King Ranch Chicken Casserole

King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a Tex-Mex bake with torn corn tortillas layered with shredded chicken in a spiced tomato-cream sauce, then finished with a gooey melted cheddar top. Expect bubbly edges, golden cheese, and smoky cumin with green chile flavor in every scoop.
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Prep Time 55 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken casserole base
  • 3 cup cooked shredded chicken
  • 10 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 0.5 cup diced onion
  • 1 fresh cilantro, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish.
  2. Tear the corn tortillas into pieces so they’re ready for layering.
Make the sauce
  1. Mix cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes with green chiles, sour cream, cumin, and chili powder until smooth.
Assemble the casserole
  1. Layer corn tortillas, cooked shredded chicken, diced onion, and sauce in the dish, repeating layers until everything is used.
  2. Top with shredded cheddar cheese so it covers the surface evenly.
Bake and garnish
  1. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.
  2. Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.

Notes

Assemble ahead: cover and refrigerate overnight, then bake as directed (you may add a few minutes if starting cold). For faster weeknight prep, use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own. Storage: refrigerate leftovers up to 3-4 days; freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt to reduce fat while keeping the creamy texture.