Recipe Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole

This easy King Ranch Chicken Casserole combines juicy chicken, colorful peppers, tortillas, and Mexican-inspired spices together in a bubbly, creamy, cheesy sauce. It cooks in one pan, doesn’t use canned soup, and is begging to be topped with all of your favorites (more cheese anyone?).

From time to time, we'll send you the best of Well Plated. We respect your privacy and you can opt out anytime.

5 Star Review “This was so good, better than the canned soup, heavy version. Absolutely loved it and so did my husband!” — Jen —

Family Favorite Easy King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe

King Ranch chicken is like an enchilada, pan of Chicken Nachos, and your grandma’s best casserole rolled into one gooey dish of comfort food bliss.

If you would like a mild King Ranch chicken that isn’t spicy, you can omit the jalapeno and swap for extra bell peppers.

Cut this recipe time even further by swapping in precooked chicken or leftover chicken made with one of these easy methods (or use store-bought rotisserie chicken):

King Ranch Chicken Casserole (no Canned Soup)

Use any of your favorite taco or nacho toppings to garnish this easy skillet King Ranch chicken. Here are a few of my favs:

I think you could assemble the casserole up until the point of broiling, let it cool, then refrigerate it for 8 hours. Let come to room temperature, then rewarm it in a 350 degrees F oven.

The BEST king ranch chicken casserole! This easy, from scratch version is made without canned soup. Cheesy, creamy, and ready in 30 minutes!

Actually Make The Meals. Think About What You Could Do With All That Time Back

From time to time, we’ll send you the best of Well Plated. We respect your privacy and you can opt out anytime.

Serving: 1 of 4 (without toppings) Calories: 318 kcal Carbohydrates: 26 g Protein: 27 g Fat: 13 g Saturated Fat: 5 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g Cholesterol: 64 mg Potassium: 716 mg Fiber: 5 g Sugar: 8 g Vitamin A: 2630 IU Vitamin C: 116 mg Calcium: 316 mg Iron: 3 mg

Personally, I prefer the taste and texture of making King Ranch chicken with corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Tortilla chips become mushy once incorporated, so they are better saved for Mexican Corn Dip.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe

I do not follow a keto diet, so I don’t feel comfortable advising whether or not this recipe aligns with a keto diet as it is written. That said, I’m sure this recipe could be adapted with some tweaks if you want to make a keto King Ranch chicken recipe. For example, try using low carb tortillas and omit the beans.

Yes, I think this recipe would work well with chicken thighs too. Use my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, Grilled Chicken Thighs, or Chicken Thighs in the Oven for the cooking method.

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!The best thing about this recipe is that it’s made from scratch, which means there is no canned soup involved. Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole is layered with corn tortillas, Mexican cheese, sour cream, and shredded chicken. It makes a great make-ahead freezer meal. You will never have a better king ranch chicken casserole than this!

King Ranch Beef Casserole

Make sure to check all the information that I have provided alongside the main Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole recipe, as they will help you to make this casserole.

Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole is comfort food at its best! This casserole originated in Texas and has been a potluck favorite for years! This casserole is known for utilizing canned soup and Rotel tomatoes. For the creamy factor, Pioneer Woman used sour cream instead of canned soup, and Jared hot salsa over Rotel tomatoes for extra heat and extra flavor!

You’ll need cooked, shredded, or diced chicken for this Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole recipe, however, a variety of options will work.

Chicken Jalapeño Popper Casserole Recipe

Yes! Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole is the ultimate prep-ahead meal to get dinner on the table quickly and easily — even on busy nights. After assembling the casserole, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to a day. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for at least thirty minutes before putting it in the oven.

To freeze Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole before baking, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, cover with foil, and store for up to 3 months. Thaw Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole overnight in the refrigerator, then allow it to come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes, follow the recipe instructions for baking.

Cover the Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole with foil for the first 30 minutes, and then bake the frozen casserole for about 15-30 more minutes (uncovered), or until heated through.

Pioneer Woman's Favorite Enchiladas Recipe

You can keep leftover baked Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the leftover baked casserole for 3 months in an airtight container.

You can either microwave the casserole or heat it in a skillet with a splash of water and cover it until it is fully heated. You can also reheat a baked Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole covered in the oven at 350 degrees until it is thoroughly heated.

Microwave your Pioneer Woman King Ranch Casserole in increments of 30 to 60 seconds until it is heated to your satisfaction; in most cases, 2 minutes is more than enough time to get your casserole to the desired temperature.

King Ranch Chicken Pasta

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2, 000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

YUM YUM! It's just me so I cut in half. Used 3 small cans of chicken (making it even easier) couldn't find my cumin powder so had to use a sprinkle of the seed. No cilantro as I don't like the taste of it. There is PLENTY for a family of 4 IMO! Soo Good. Thank you!!Flip through the pages of Ree Drummond's many cookbooks and the words chicken, bacon, and ranch pop up again and again. That's why chicken bacon ranch casserole is so perfect! This favorite family dinner combines tender chicken, smoky bacon, and zesty ranch seasoning in a crowd-pleasing baked pasta dish. Easy to make and ready in about 45 minutes, this casserole is a weeknight winner that your family will beg for every single night!

Making this dish is super easy, thanks to a few store-bought shortcuts. Start by cooking some bacon, then cook the onions and garlic in the flavorful bacon drippings. After that, cream cheese and milk get mixed together with dry ranch seasoning mix to form the creamy base of this delicious casserole. Next, in goes the pasta, rotisserie chicken, pimientos, and green onion, before being topped with bacon and cheese; then bake for just 15 minutes.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe

Try this homemade ranch seasoning mix recipe! It's a mix of dry herbs like dill, parsley, and chives, along with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. To bring home the flavor, a bit of dry buttermilk powder is also stirred in.

This recipe calls for dry ranch seasoning mix, which is more concentrated in flavor than a standard bottle of prepared salad dressing. However, if that’s all you have on hand, substitute 1 cup of the milk with 1 cup of prepared ranch dressing, and add additional salt and pepper, if you like. For even more flavor, whip up a batch of Ree's homemade ranch dressing to drizzle over the top—because you can't have too much ranch!

This recipe call for 4 cups of rotisserie chicken, which is about how much chicken can be pulled from a standard deli-roasted bird. If your family prefers all white meat, get two rotisserie chickens, use leftover cooked chicken, or sauté 4 cups chopped boneless-skinless chicken breast in olive oil until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. 

King Ranch Chicken Is The Best Comfort Food

Tip: If you'd like to add a vegetable to this casserole, stir in 4 cups spinach with the chicken in step 3, or add 2 cups of broccoli florets to the pasta during the last 2 minutes of its cook time.

Whether he’s stirring something new and delicious into his skillet cornbread, adding a healthy twist to a favorite comfort food recipe, or trying out a new exotic spice, Senior Food Editor Josh Miller loves dreaming up delicious, cookable recipes for PioneerWoman.com. When he hangs up his apron for the day, you can him in his pottery studio, creating fun and functional items for the kitchen and home.

Marinade Is the Secret to Juicy Grilled Chicken Our Best Dinner Ideas Served On a Sheet Pan Supermarket Slaw Is the New Green Goddess Salad 40 Easy Recipes Using a Rotisserie Chicken

King Ranch Casserole

Chicken Pasta Salad Is an Instant Potluck Classic Chicken Parmigiana Chicken and Dressing Sheet Pan Supper Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry is a Dinner Winner

How to Roast a Juicy Spatchcock Chicken These Chicken Wings Are Coated in Garlic and Parm Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings Are Golden and Crispy BBQ Chicken Tacos are so Easy in the Instant Pot