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!
Get the INSTANT POT King Ranch Chicken recipe here
Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken
From what I’ve read King Ranch Chicken is one of those casseroles that is at every potluck in Texas. I’m not sure about that but what I do know is that my version is super yummy and has no cream of soups and makes an excellent weeknight dinner. My version has Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles), corn tortillas, a few spices, chicken and lots of cheese.
The corn tortillas are added in right at the end so they don’t get mushy. Usually I’m not a fan of corn tortillas but for this recipe they are a must. If you use flour tortillas they get gummy. Plus if you’re serving someone who needs to eat gluten free the corn tortillas make that easy.
I know this isn’t the prettiest thing to look at but it sure tastes good. And the leftovers taste great too. Try out this Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken this week!
More Slow Cooker Recipes…
Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage Country Boil
Slow Cooker Beef and Cheddar Ranch Potatoes
Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
What Slow Cooker Did You Use?
To make Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken I used my Ninja Auto-iQ 6 Quart Slow Cooker.* My favorite feature of this slow cooker is that it has a stove top function. This is perfect for sauteing or browning before you slow cook. This slow cooker has four manual cooking functions: slow cook, stove top sear/Saute, steam, and bake.
Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Total Time: 45 minute
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
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!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (10 oz) can rotel (I used mild)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 11 (6 inch) soft corn tortillas, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups grated medium or sharp cheddar cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- Sour cream, for topping
Instructions
- Add broth, onion, chicken, rotel, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano and salt into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Place chicken on a cutting board. Shred or dice into pieces. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker.
- Turn the slow cooker to high. In a bowl stir together the half and half and the cornstarch together until smooth. Stir the mixture into the slow cooker. It should thicken up shortly.
- Add in the tortillas and the cheese. Stir. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Scoop onto serving dishes and top with cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.
Notes
I used my Ninja Auto-iQ 6 Quart Slow Cooker.*
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
*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.
I decided to try this recipe because there were no “cream of” soup. It’s PERFECT for a family with hungry teens!
I always cut chicken into pieces before I freeze it. I cook the chicken and onions before I put them in the crockpot to prevent crunchy onions. Since I didn’t have Rotel Tomatoes, I used 1 15oz can of petite diced tomatoes and 1 large can of mild diced green chiles.
DELISH!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Christine! Good tips!
Great recipe! I cook the chicken and onions before I put them in the crockpot to prevent crunchy onions. Since I didn’t have Rotel Tomatoes, I used 1 15oz can of petite diced tomatoes and 1 large can of mild diced green chiles.
DELISH!
★★★★★
I made this last night with stew meat instead of chicken. It was really good!
★★★★★
Awesome! Great idea on the stew meat!
This recipe was a desaster. After 4 hrs in the pt on low the thawed chicken was cooked but the onions were still raw. Removed the chicken, set the cooker to high to fully cook the onions. After 1 hr added back the chicken and heated through. Followed rest as written. End result was a soupy slop. Will not make again.
★
Recipe not clear do I add frozen or thawed out chicken. Haven’t tried it because not clear
You can use either. for fresh use 4 hours for frozen use 6 hours cooking time!
We made this tonight and it was awesome. We love that there are no “Cream of..” soups in this recipe. One change we made was, at the end we had a little more juice than we wanted, so we moved it to a casserole dish, threw in some more corn tortillas and baked in the oven for 30 minutes. Gave it some crunch on the top and helped soak up the extra sauce. It was perfect. Our kids are grown, so we might go with original or hot Rotel next time. Thanks Karen!
Yum! sounds like a great plan. I’m glad you liked it Brenda!
I don’t understand why this doesn’t have 50000 5 star reviews. I made this last night and it was the best king ranch chicken I’ve had! It was so much easier than any recipe for this I’ve ever made too! I am just learning to cook and your recipes are helping me so much because they are so easy to follow and SOOOOOOO GOOD!
★★★★★
Oh thanks so much what I nice comment! I’m glad you liked it and that you’re learning to cook 🙂
I have not tried this yet. But I can’t wait to. I do have a question. Do you drain the Rotel? Thanks for any help you can give me. Have a wonderful day.
★★★★
I don’t drain it
I made this over the weekend for a pot luck. It was really good. Did not add the half and half with cornstarch. I am growing cilantro in my herb garden and added it to the sour cream. Served with big dipper tortilla chips.
It was a hit and I will surely make it again.
★★★★
Good call on the big dipper tortilla chips