King Ranch Beef Casserole–a cheesy, Tex-Mex-inspired twist on the classic! It’s got seasoned beef, Rotel tomatoes, crispy taco shells and melty cheddar all baked into an easy one pan meal.
King Ranch Beef Casserole
This King Ranch Beef Casserole was such a hit at my house! Greg, Skyler and I pretty much took the whole thing down in one sitting. I love how the Rotel adds so much flavor without making it too spicy, and the taco shells give it the best little crunch mixed in with all the melty cheese. This is a fun change up from the original king ranch chicken we’re used to. Enjoy! (Recipe adapted from King Ranch Beef Casserole).
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey, pork
- Onion–yellow or white
- Green bell pepper
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Rotel
- Cream of chicken–or cream of mushroom soup
- Crispy taco shells–or tortilla chips
- Cheddar cheese–or a mexican blend, colby jack
Steps
Heat oven to 350° F. Heat an oven safe skillet (I used my cast iron skillet*) over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onions and green pepper. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin to season the beef.
Turn heat to low. Stir in the Rotel and cream of chicken.
Break up the taco shells and stir them in along with 1 cup of the cheese.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake for 25 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with shredded lettuce, seasoned black beans and sliced avocados.
- This can be gluten free if you use gluten free cream of chicken soup (Campbell’s makes it now) and gluten free taco shells.
- I used my cast iron skillet*. If you don’t have an oven safe skillet you can transfer the mixture from a pan to a 9×9 inch baking dish.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with green bell pepper are Amish Hamburger Casserole and Pennsylvania Chicken Casserole.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
King Ranch Beef Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
A cheesy, Tex-Mex-inspired twist on the classic! It’s got seasoned beef, Rotel tomatoes, crispy taco shells and melty cheddar all baked into an easy one pan meal.
Ingredients
- 16 oz lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 (10 oz) can Rotel
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (4.9 oz) package of crispy taco shells (12 shells)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350° F.
- Heat an oven safe skillet (I used my cast iron skillet*) over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onions and green pepper. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin to season the beef.
- Turn heat to low. Stir in the Rotel and cream of chicken. Break up the taco shells and stir them in along with 1 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Beef
- Method: Stove and Oven
More king ranch recipes…
Joanna Gaines’ Casserole
A super fast and easy version of king ranch chicken (chicken with salsa verde, tortillas and cheese) that you can make in the Instant Pot or Crockpot.
Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken
This cheesy and creamy chicken casserole with tortillas and Rotel has its roots in Texas but that doesn’t mean us non-Texans can’t enjoy it too! Whip up my version with your slow cooker and NO cream of soups!
Instant Pot King Ranch Chicken
This cheesy and creamy chicken casserole with tortillas and Rotel has its roots in Texas but that doesn’t mean us non-Texans can’t enjoy it too! Whip up my version in just a few minutes using your Instant Pot and NO cream of soups!
Texas King Ranch Chicken Casserole (Instant Pot)
Texas King Ranch Chicken Casserole has the flavors from king ranch chicken but it’s got a few twists from the original recipe. This version has chicken, rice, rotel, sour cream and cream of chicken soup with lots of cheese on top.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
What could you use instead of cream of chicken soup. I can’t use canned soups.
I’ve used cream cheese with chicken Better than bullion. I’m not a fan of condensed soups either. If you’re dairy free you can make a thick chicken gravy with the bullion and a simple roux. Hope this helps!!!
I love these ideas. thanks CJ!