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RecipesWhipped Up

Tex-Mex

King Ranch Chicken

Torn tortillas, chicken, peppers, and a seasoned cream sauce bake into a layered casserole that slices like a soft lasagna.

Prep
25 min
Cook
35 min
Total
1 hr
Servings
8
Difficulty
Easy
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A serving of King Ranch chicken casserole with peppers and tortillas

Photo: Wesley Fryer (CC BY). Source

Why you’ll love it

  • Corn tortillas, not chips.
  • The sauce has to be loose or the tortillas stay tough.
  • 350°F, covered first.
  • Rotisserie chicken keeps this practical.

Ingredients

Servings8

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 350°F. Cook onion and pepper in butter until soft. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and salt.

  2. 2

    Sprinkle in the flour, then whisk in broth and milk. Simmer until slightly thick. Stir in the tomatoes.

  3. 3

    Spread a little sauce in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Layer tortillas, chicken, sauce, and cheese. Repeat and finish with cheese.

  4. 4

    Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes, until bubbling.

Pro tips

  • If the top looks dry, spoon a little extra sauce on before the last bake.
  • Let it sit 10 minutes so the tortillas set.
  • Flour tortillas work in a pinch. Corn tastes more like the original.

Easy substitutions

Cheddar
A mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack
Canned tomatoes with chiles
Diced tomatoes plus 1 chopped jalapeño

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Reheating

Cover and warm at 325°F until hot.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
420
Protein
30 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
20 g
Fiber
3 g

Moderate · Oven · High Protein

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients