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King Ranch chicken
Texas chicken, tortilla and chilli-cheese casserole
King Ranch chicken is the layered casserole every Texan has eaten at a potluck, baby shower or after a funeral, named, without any proof, after the famous ranch in South Texas. Corn tortillas are layered like lasagne with shredded chicken, peppers, tinned tomatoes with green chiles, a creamy sauce and lots of cheese. This version makes the sauce from scratch instead of tinned soup. Chef's tip: lightly fry or toast the tortillas first so the layers hold up instead of turning to mush.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
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Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Melt the 1 ⅜ oz butter in a pan, cook the 1 onion and 1 green pepper for 6 minutes, then the 2 cloves garlic for 1 minute.
7 minStep 2: Stir in the 3 tbsp plain flour, then slowly whisk in the 1 ¾ cups chicken stock and simmer 3 minutes until thick. Off the heat stir in the ¾ cup soured cream, 14 oz tinned tomatoes with green chiles, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp salt. Fold in the 1 ½ lb cooked chicken, shredded.
6 minStep 3: Layer a third of the 12 corn tortillas in a 23 × 33 cm dish, then a third of the chicken mixture and a third of the 9 oz grated cheddar. Repeat twice.
8 minStep 4: Bake for 35–40 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top, and the centre is piping hot. A common mistake is serving at once; rest 10 minutes so it cuts into neat squares.
50 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does king Ranch chicken take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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