Name: King Ranch Chicken
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons butter; 1.5 cups chopped yellow onion; 1 cup chopped red bell pepper; 1 cup chopped poblano peppers (about 2 medium peppers); 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; .5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; .25 cup all-purpose flour; 1.75 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth; 1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained; 1.5 cups sour cream; 2 pounds coarsely chopped smoked chicken (about 5 cups); 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese; 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese; 18 (8-inch) soft taco-size corn tortillas; .25 cup canola oil; Vegetable cooking spray

A king among casseroles.

Jessica Dupuy

Updated on August 17, 2021

King Ranch Chicken — Photo: Southern Living

Active Time:

1 hrs

Total Time:

1 hrs 35 mins

Yield:

12 serves

Hailing from an era when casseroles were king, this Tex-Mex dish still reigns supreme at church suppers and neighborhood potlucks. Though not an invention of the famed King Ranch—it's more likely the creation of a ladies' Junior League—the spicy flavors of chili powder, roasted peppers, and toasted cumin never fail to please.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped poblano peppers (about 2 medium peppers)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 ½ cups sour cream
2 pounds coarsely chopped smoked chicken (about 5 cups)
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
18 (8-inch) soft taco-size corn tortillas
¼ cup canola oil
Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.
Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in broth, and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes and sour cream.
Stir together chicken and cilantro in a large bowl; stir in vegetable mixture. Combine both cheeses in a small bowl.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Lightly brush each tortilla on both sides with oil. Cook tortillas, in batches, in hot skillet 1 to 2 minutes each side or until lightly browned and crisp on both sides.
Line bottom of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 13- x 9-inch baking dish with 6 tortillas, overlapping slightly, to cover bottom of dish. Top with half of chicken mixture and one-third of cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining tortillas and cheese. Lightly coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover baking dish.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Tips

We tested with Swanson Natural Goodness 33% Less Sodium Chicken Broth.