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.

Pin this recipe for later!

Texas King Ranch Chicken Casserole

King ranch chicken is a layered dish with corn tortillas. I happen to love it but my son doesn’t like the texture of corn tortillas. So for this casserole version of king ranch chicken I decided to forego the tortillas and use rice instead. The result was a tasty chicken, rice and cheesy casserole dish that was a hit! (If you’d like to make the “normal” king ranch chicken try this recipe instead.)

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
• Converted–or long grain rice
• Chicken tenderloins—they can be frozen or fresh (use same cooking time). You can also use breasts or thighs cut into the size of tenders
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Dehydrated onions–I buy the big container from Costco
• Salt
• Sour cream–you can also use plain yogurt
• Cream of chicken soup–I like using Campbells. You can also make your own from scratch.
• Rotel–I like using mild best.
• Shredded cheddar cheese–medium or sharp or you can use a Mexican blend
• Cilantro–for garnish

Steps

• Cook the chicken and rice: Add broth, rice, chicken and seasonings into Instant Pot. Pressure cook for 4 minutes with a 5-10 minute natural pressure release.
• Shred chicken: Move chicken to a cutting board and shred. 
• Layer ingredients in a casserole dish: Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the rice into a 9×9 inch square baking dish. Top the rice with chicken. Evenly spread the Rotel over the top. In a mixing bowl stir together the sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Spread the mixture over the top of the Rotel. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake and serve: Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

Pin this recipe for later!

Notes/Tips

• Can I make this with my air fryer lid instead of the oven? Yes you can. Follow steps 1-3 as stated in the recipe card. Then for step 4 layer the ingredients in the Instant Pot liner instead of a baking dish. Then use your air fryer lid at 350° F for 10 minutes.
• What can I use instead of cream of chicken soup? If you’re not a fan of cream of chicken soup you can make your own from scratch. You can also use another type of cream of soup like cream of mushroom, cream of celery, condensed cheddar soup, etc.
• What is Rotel? Rotel is canned, diced tomatoes and diced chili peppers. It is an ingredient often used in soups, sauces, queso, and casseroles. It’s a convenient way to add extra flavor to recipes that require diced tomatoes. You can usually find it by other diced tomatoes or in the aisle next to Mexican foods. I buy mild version since we don’t love too much spice.
• What is converted rice and why use it? Converted rice is also called parboiled rice has been processed in its husk by soaking, steaming, and drying. As a result, all the nutrients from the husk are absorbed into the grain before it’s removed. The starch content alters in the process, making cooked parboiled rice less sticky than regular white rice. The rice kernels aren’t clumpy and glued together instead they are more separated. I found a bag of parboiled rice at Walmart next to the normal long grain white rice. I also find it in the bulk section at Winco. Look for the Ben’s brand in the orange box as well. Don’t confuse parboiled rice with pre-cooked or minute rice.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 or 3 quart pot.
• To double the recipe double all ingredients and keep the cooking time the same. Bake in a 9×13 inch baking dish instead of 9×9 inch.

More Chicken Casserole Recipes…

• Instant Pot Chicken Surprise
• Instant Pot Smoky Mountain Casserole
• Instant Pot “Stole My Boyfriend” Tetrazzini
• Instant Pot Firecracker Casserole
• Instant Pot Creamy 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.

Pin this recipe for later!

Want More Tried And True Instant Pot Recipes?

• Sign up to receive daily Instant Pot recipes (it’s FREE)
• Join the 365 Days of Instant Pot Recipes Facebook group 
• Subscribe to my YouTube channel 
• Buy the 365 Days of Pressure Cooking Cookbook

Print

*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.