Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken (Easy Cheesy Casserole)
This wildly popular, heavily textured Texas casserole completely solves your busy weeknight dinner struggles! You get tender shredded chicken layered with corn tortillas, fresh vegetables, and savory green chilies, all smothered in a thick, ridiculously cheesy sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Cooked shredded chicken homemade or pulled from a rotisserie chicken
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced tomatoes with green chilies, completely undrained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Cream of chicken soup condensed and highly savory
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Cream of mushroom soup condensed and deeply earthy
- 3/4 cup Chicken broth cold or room temperature
- 1 medium Yellow onion totally peeled and diced
- 1 medium Red bell pepper washed and diced into small squares
- 2 teaspoons Fresh garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt coarse or fine
- 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper heavily cracked
- 1 tablespoon Taco seasoning powder mild and earthy
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese freshly shredded and divided perfectly in half
- 12 Corn tortillas cut cleanly into 1-inch pieces and divided
- Non-stick cooking spray for heavily greasing the ceramic pot
Instructions
- Grease and Base: Spray the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker insert aggressively with non-stick cooking spray. Layer exactly half of your cut corn tortilla pieces evenly across the bottom of the cold pot.
- Mix the Filling: Combine your shredded chicken, undrained tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and chicken broth in a large bowl. Add the diced onion, red bell pepper, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and taco seasoning, mixing until completely combined.
- Layer the Casserole: Pour exactly half of your chicken filling straight over the tortillas inside the pot. Sprinkle 1 cup of your shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the wet meat mixture.
- Repeat the Layers: Scatter the remaining half of your cut corn tortillas directly over the cheese layer. Pour the rest of your chicken mixture over the starches, coating the top of the casserole completely.
- Cook to Perfection: Cover the slow cooker tightly with its glass lid. Cook on the high setting for exactly 3.5 hours, or flip the dial to the low setting to simmer undisturbed for 5 to 6 hours.
- Melt and Serve: Sprinkle the final 1 cup of cheddar cheese completely over the top of the hot casserole during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Slice the steaming, bubbling casserole into huge portions and serve immediately while hot!
Notes
Tortilla Warning: You absolutely must use corn tortillas for the best authentic results, though you can swap them for flour or low-carb tortillas if your family prefers a softer, gummier texture.
Cheese Secret: Do not buy pre-shredded cheese in plastic bags from the grocery store. It contains a heavy powdery coating that aggressively prevents it from melting smoothly, leaving your thick sauce horribly grainy.
Storage Instructions: Let the hot casserole cool completely to room temperature before packing it away. Store the heavy leftovers divided into single-serve portions in the refrigerator for up to 4 consecutive days.