Description
King ranch chicken casserole layers chicken, tortillas, cheese, and sauce into a rich baked dish. It is hearty and perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Broth and Aromatics:
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 whole large onion, coarsely cut up
- 1 large garlic clove smashed
- 8 whole cilantro stems with leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Spices:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
Chicken and Main Components:
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts cut into one-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced small
- 3/4 of a large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies, drained
- 8 white or yellow 6-inch corn tortillas cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups Jack cheese, shredded
- Chopped cilantro, as garnish
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit before you begin any other prep work.
- Combine 3 cups of chicken stock with 1/4 of a large onion (coarsely cut), 1 smashed garlic clove, 8 cilantro stems with leaves, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, and 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano in a small pot over medium-high heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add your 1 pound of boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces, then cover again and take the pot off the heat.
- Let the chicken sit in the hot liquid for exactly 5 minutes without disturbing it.
- Pour everything through a strainer and keep the broth; the chicken pieces go on a plate to cool while you discard the solids.
- Once cool enough to handle, you can shred the chicken with two forks if you prefer that texture, or leave the pieces as they are.
- In a large nonstick pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter together with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
- Add your diced orange bell pepper, diced green bell pepper, diced small jalapeno, and the remaining 3/4 of the large onion (diced) to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of minced fresh garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Lower your heat to medium-low, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and stir constantly for 2 minutes.
- Increase the heat back to medium-high and slowly pour in the reserved broth while stirring to create a smooth sauce.
- Add your drained 10-ounce can of Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies, 8 corn tortillas cut into 1-inch pieces, and the cooled chicken pieces to the pan and stir everything together.
- Remove from heat and transfer the mixture into a 9x9x3-inch casserole dish that you’ve sprayed with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded Jack cheese evenly across the top and bake for 15 minutes until the dish is hot and bubbling around the edges.
- Move the casserole under your broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the cheese lightly.
- Let your finished dish rest for 10 minutes before serving each portion topped with chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
- The chicken doesn’t fully cook in the broth, so don’t worry if it looks slightly underdone after step 4-it finishes cooking in the casserole and reaches the proper temperature by the time everything is hot and bubbly.
- Shredding the chicken into smaller pieces helps it distribute evenly throughout the dish and makes each bite more flavorful than leaving it in large chunks.
- For a creamier sauce, use half-and-half or heavy cream mixed with your reserved broth instead of using broth alone, and reduce the amount slightly so your casserole doesn’t become too thin.
- If corn tortillas aren’t available, crushed tortilla chips work well as a substitute, though add them just before baking to keep them from becoming too soggy during the broiling step.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Baked Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 407 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg