King Ranch Chicken

[South Dakota Guy]

There are a lot of different recipes for King Ranch Chicken, this one is my wife's version. Though I have lived in South Dakota since 2007, I was born and raised in Texas and spent the majority of my 61 years there. King Ranch Chicken is a tongue-in-cheek name for this dish as the King Ranch in Texas is probably the largest ranch in the US and they are all about beef, not chicken. Where we live in the midwest, casseroles or "hot dishes" as they are called locally, are very popular. Before the pandemic, my wife was strongly encouraged to make a hot dish for a contest at work (she works for Citibank) and this is the recipe she made. She got first place too which surprised us but probably shouldn't have. The slight spiciness of the Rotel Tomatoes and the tanginess of the black olives really set her dish apart from her competition. She normally bakes this dish in the oven, but everyone had to use a crockpot for the contest at work so that is an option.

King ranch chicken

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 12 oz can sliced black olives
2.5 lbs shredded chicken breast
12 corn tortillas 6 inch
3 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325

Cook the chicken using your preferred method. Shred the chicken.

Mix soups, Rotel tomatoes, olives and chicken in a large bowl.

In a 13 x 9 baking dish, spray with Pam then layer one third each of tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese evenly in dish. Repeat layers twice more.

Bake uncovered 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

I find it is best to let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour to cool a little and thicken.

 

[GreenJay]

I haven't made this in years, really good! The black olives sound like an excellent addition, yum!

 

[South Dakota Guy]

I haven't made this in years, really good! The black olives sound like an excellent addition, yum!

When I lived in Texas, it seemed that almost every family made some version or other of King Ranch Chicken. Even someone that has never cooked before can make this easy dish. I don't know why but we mostly seem to eat it in the winter. Probably because the oven heats the house and that makes the AC work harder (and raises the electric bill!). I grill or smoke something every week during the warmer months.

 

[N F C]

There are a lot of different recipes for King Ranch Chicken, this one is my wife's version. Though I have lived in South Dakota since 2007, I was born and raised in Texas and spent the majority of my 61 years there. King Ranch Chicken is a tongue-in-cheek name for this dish as the King Ranch in Texas is probably the largest ranch in the US and they are all about beef, not chicken. Where we live in the midwest, casseroles or "hot dishes" as they are called locally, are very popular. Before the pandemic, my wife was strongly encouraged to make a hot dish for a contest at work (she works for Citibank) and this is the recipe she made. She got first place too which surprised us but probably shouldn't have. The slight spiciness of the Rotel Tomatoes and the tanginess of the black olives really set her dish apart from her competition. She normally bakes this dish in the oven, but everyone had to use a crockpot for the contest at work so that is an option.

King ranch chicken

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 12 oz can sliced black olives
2.5 lbs shredded chicken breast
12 corn tortillas 6 inch
3 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325

Cook the chicken using your preferred method. Shred the chicken.

Mix soups, Rotel tomatoes and chicken in a large bowl.

In a 13 x 9 baking dish, spray with Pam then layer one third each of tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese evenly in dish. Repeat layers twice more.

Bake uncovered 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

I find it is best to let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour to cool a little and thicken.

That sounds delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe!

 

[South Dakota Guy]

That sounds delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe!

Thanks! We use the Original Rotel tomatoes which have medium hot chilies in them, but you could use the Mild version, the Hot version or even the Fire Foasted version of Rotel tomatoes. You could even use one original and one mild to adjust the spiciness to your family's taste.

 

[N F C]

Thanks! We use the Original Rotel tomatoes which have medium hot chilies in them, but you could use the Mild version, the Hot version or even the Fire Foasted version of Rotel tomatoes. You could even use one original and one mild to adjust the spiciness to your family's taste.

We like things with a bit of a kick. I usually buy the version of Rotel with green chilis in them and we use them for a lot of meals.

 

[South Dakota Guy]

We like things with a bit of a kick. I usually buy the version of Rotel with green chilis in them and we use them for a lot of meals.

I like things spicier than my wife. The Original Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilies works best for us. Not too spicy for her but spicy enough for me.