Unleash Flavor with the Ultimate Keto King Ranch Casserole

If you’re looking for a delicious low-carb meal that will please the whole family, look no further. This quick and easy Low-Carb King Ranch Chicken Casserole is delicious comfort food in every way. Loaded with chicken, veggies, and lots of cheese, it's a fantastic meal in under an hour!

What is King Ranch Chicken Casserole?

King Ranch chicken is a Tex-Mex casserole. Its name comes from King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the United States. Some people think it came from the King Ranch which is the biggest ranch in the United States. It is in Texas and larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. They make amazing beef but aren’t known for chicken. No matter where this recipe came from, it has a definite southwestern flair! Traditionally, King Ranch chicken is made with a cream sauce, diced tomatoes, and green chilies.

King Ranch Chicken has been a staple comfort food dish for many since childhood. As a kid, it always seemed to be a process putting the casserole together but years later, making it for their own family, they realize how simple it really is and have found ways to plan ahead and cut the prep time.

Why Keto King Ranch Casserole?

You can eat king ranch chicken on the keto diet when you substitute heavy carb ingredients for low carb ingredients. Also, it has plenty of fat content to help achieve your fat macros when trying to achieve ketosis. This low-carb king ranch chicken casserole is a delicious and easy way to enjoy your favorite Tex-Mex dish.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Below is the list of the ingredients that you’ll need to make this keto King Ranch chicken casserole. Almost all King Ranch chicken recipes have Ro-Tel tomatoes in them.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Chicken: You can use leftover cooked shredded chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken for a quick throw-together casserole for a busy weeknight. If you are roasting or baking off some chicken breasts, it will add about 20-30 to your prep time. You can use a rotisserie chicken, leftover baked or roasted chicken or cook it on the spot. Typically, just use chicken breast for this but you can use white or dark. You can use pulled chicken as well if you don't want your chicken in cubes.
Cream Soup Substitute: According to all the old church cookbooks I have consulted, King Ranch Chicken is traditionally made with canned soup ( and sometimes cheese food…no thanks). This is a no, no in many people's books. Instead of canned cream soups, heavy whipping cream is used to make it creamy.
Tortillas: The key part of this recipe is the base layer which is made of low-carb tortillas. To save yourself time, it is suggested just buying some low-carb tortillas that are already made.
Cheese: Sharp cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, or any other flavor. Freshly grated cheese instead of bagged cheese is recommended.
Rotel Tomatoes: Ro-Tel canned tomatoes are low-carb and filled with lots of flavor too. If you use a hot flavored Rotel then it will elevate the spice.
Almond Flour: Almond flour is used in place of all-purpose flour to help thicken the chicken stock. Almond flour also adds a subtle nutty taste that gives this Low-Carb King Ranch Chicken Casserole extra flavor.

Recipe

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (or diced) or 2 ½ to 3 cups of cooked chicken
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (depending on desired heat level)
1 10oz can Original Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilis, drained well
1 12oz carton Pacific Foods Cream of Mushroom
1 12oz carton Pacific Foods Cream of Chicken
3 tablespoons heavy cream
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
12-15 corn tortillas (if making gluten free, make sure tortilla are gluten free)
2 cups Colby jack cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Add butter to large skillet over medium high heat. When butter melts, add onion and bell pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
To a large bowl add cooked chicken, Rotel, chopped jalapeno, both soups, cream, pepper, and cumin. Stir well to combine. Add cooked veggies and stir to combine.
You are ready to assemble! Butter or spray a deep 9×9 casserole dish. Start with a layer of tortillas. Cut 2 tortillas in half and place the cut side along the edges of the pan and place one hole tortilla to cove the hole in the center. Spoon about 1- 1 ½ cups of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas and spread evenly. Top with ½ cup of shredded cheese…now tortillas…you may have to cut a few to fill in the holes in the corners.
Repeat layers ending with chicken mixture and cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 35 -40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Check after 25 minutes, if cheese is getting too brown, lay a piece of foil over the top.
Let sit at least 15-20 minutes before cutting. Keep leftovers in container tightly sealed and refrigerate. It is even better the next day!
You can also bake it off the day before serving, refrigerate and reheat before serving. To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 300 for 45-50 minutes or until heated through.

Alternative Instructions

Cut up chicken into bite sized pieces if using raw. Dice onion and bell pepper. If you are using raw chicken, melt 1 Tbs of the butter or coconut oil in a pan and cook the chicken until done. Remove from pan and set aside. Melt additional 1 Tbs of butter or coconut oil and cook bell pepper and onion on medium low until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add spices to pan. Mix them well with onions and peppers and cook for approximately 3 minutes, stirring constantly. You want to release the fragrance of the spices and have people wander into the kitchen and ask what smells so delicious.
Add the cup of broth and stir it until you've loosened up all the pieces of spice on the bottom of the pan. Add cream, chile, and salsa, mixing well.
Cover and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the end of 15 minutes, very carefully remove 1 1/2 cups of the hot mixture and put into an emulsion beaker or blender. (PLEASE use caution here!)
Blend mixture until thickened. If using stick blender, keep blender in the bottom of the beaker to avoid being burned. Carefully pour blended mixture back into pan.
Stir well and then add yogurt. After it’s all combined, add meat. Mix meat into sauce and gather sauce, tortillas, and cheese. Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a 9x13 baking dish, begin by layering sauce/meat mixture. Just put enough to wet the bottom of the pan. Place whole tortillas in bottom (do not overlap), then tear another tortilla and fit it in around the empty spots.
Ladle half the sauce/meat mixture on top of the tortillas. Evenly spread 1/2 of the cheese over the sauce/meat mixture.
Repeat for second layer, layering tortillas, then sauce, and ending with remaining cheese mixture. It's ready for the oven!
Bake at 350o for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions

This is a great meal to make-ahead and freeze for another dinner. I use a disposable 9-inch square pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to store and freeze the casserole. These are nice to have on hand for make-ahead meals like this. When ready to bake, place in preheated oven at 350 and bake covered for 1-hour, then remove the cover and bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

This needs nothing more than maybe a side salad or steam your favorite veggies. We love to serve avocado slices over the top and sometimes hot sauce. Serve with my Authentic & Simple Texas Guacamole and Fresh Garlic Salsa for a complete Tex-Mex experience! You can eat this casserole with your favorite vegetables.

Other Keto Recipes

If you enjoyed this keto King Ranch chicken casserole recipe, here are some more family-friendly chicken casseroles you should make next. You can eat pizza casserole on the keto diet by using this substitute crust made of the very versatile cauliflower! Our keto recipes with ham are excellent, especially this casserole. You can enjoy this easy low carb tuna casserole and stay in ketosis. Try any of these low carb dinner ideas for the family. Learn how to make pork chops on the keto diet. Like ribs? Lastly, enjoy any number of our amazing low carb ground beef recipes like this hamburger casserole.

Conclusion

This King Ranch Chicken Casserole is super simple to put together and served up with a simple salad and authentic guacamole and you have yourself one yummy meal! A fast and easy meal perfect for busy nights. Great for the low-carber in your life.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

tags: #keto #king #ranch #casserole #recipe