King Ranch chicken is usually loaded with carbs, a can of cream of mushroom soup here, a can of cream of chicken soup there. Keto King Ranch casserole builds all of that flavor from scratch instead, no cans of anything required.
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This is another Southern favorite in the same spirit as my Southern Style Green Beans, Tex-Mex Beef Casserole, and Al Pastor Pork Carnitas. It makes a big batch too, my family of four got two full meals out of one pan.
Use a Dutch oven or another oven-safe stovetop-to-oven dish. You can build the sauce and bake the whole thing in the same pot.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on King Ranch Casserole
Canned cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup are the shortcuts most King Ranch recipes lean on, and neither is keto. This version builds that comfort-food flavor from scratch instead, without losing what makes the dish work.
Use a Dutch oven or another oven-safe, stovetop-to-oven dish so the whole thing stays a genuine one-pot meal, sauce built right in the pot the casserole bakes in. Rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken saves real time. I use my own taco seasoning instead of a long list of individual spices, keeping the ingredient list shorter without sacrificing flavor.
Xanthan gum is optional if you want it thicker, and don’t worry if the casserole looks a bit runny straight out of the oven, it firms up as it sets.
This is genuinely flexible too. Milk works in place of heavy cream if that’s what you have, though the sauce runs thinner and the carb count ticks up slightly. If cilantro isn’t your thing, swap in parsley or add extra lime and skip it. One reader uses leftover holiday turkey in place of chicken, a nice way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers.
What You’ll Love About King Ranch Casserole
- Genuinely flexible on protein, works with rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or even leftover turkey.
- A true one-pot recipe if you use an oven-safe pot for both the sauce and the bake.
- Makes a big batch, plenty for two family dinners from one casserole.
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken – Cubed. Rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken both save real time.
- Mushrooms – Sliced.
- Cream cheese – Full fat, softened.
- Chicken broth – Low sodium.
- Canned tomatoes with chilies – With juice.
- Sour cream and heavy whipping cream – Full fat. Milk works as a substitute for the cream, though the sauce runs thinner.
- Taco seasoning – Homemade keeps this cleaner and cuts down on the number of individual spices needed.
- Red and green bell pepper – Diced.
- Onion – Diced.
- Cheddar and Monterey jack cheese – Shredded.
- Cilantro – Fresh, chopped. Swap in parsley, or add extra lime and skip it, if cilantro isn’t your thing.
How to Make King Ranch Casserole
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the mushrooms and onion until just tender, about 6 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and cream cheese. Lower the heat and stir until the cream cheese has fully dissolved. Add the canned tomatoes with chilies.
Add the taco seasoning, diced red and green bell pepper, and chicken. Remove from the heat and stir in most of the cheddar cheese. Season with salt to taste.
Mix in the sour cream and heavy whipping cream. If needed, transfer the mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish. Top with the remaining Monterey jack cheese.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes, adjusting for the size of your dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.
Make It A Meal
I use my own Keto Taco Seasoning for this instead of a long spice list. On the side, Southern Style Green Beans rounds out the plate, or add Cheesy Keto Crackers for something crunchy alongside a simple salad.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until hot and bubbly, or in the microwave. This can be prepped up to a few days ahead through the point of baking, then baked fresh when you are ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe runs about 6 net carbs per 3/4 cup serving. The number in the recipe card below will recalculate once this post is republished, so use it as an estimate until then.
Yes, that’s a fine swap. The sauce will be a bit thinner, and the carb count will tick up slightly, but it still works.
Parsley works well as a substitute for a similar fresh, herbal note. You can also just add a bit of extra lime and skip the herb entirely.
Yes, one reader specifically uses leftover holiday turkey in place of chicken, which makes this a good way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers.
Add Preferred SourceKing Ranch Casserole (Keto, Low-Carb)
Ingredients
- 5 cups cooked chicken cubed
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 14 ounce Rotel tomatoes with Chilies
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cilantro. chopped
Instructions
- In a large oven-safe Dutch oven or skillet, heat the 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat and sautee the mushrooms and onions until just tender. About 6 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and cream cheese. Lower the heat and combine well until the cream cheese has dissolved. Add the can of Rotel tomatoes with chilies.
- Add the 3 tbsp of taco spice, diced red bell peppers, diced green peppers, and chicken. Remove from the heat and add the 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Season with the 1 tsp of salt or to taste.
- Mix in the 1 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream.
- If you need to move the mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish, do that now. If it is already in an oven-safe dish, continue to step 6.
- Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese and bake in a pre-heated 375-F oven until hot and bubbly (about 20 minutes but could be more or less depending on the size of your casserole dish.
- Garnish with some chopped cilantro, and dig in!
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Use an oven-safe Dutch oven or skillet to keep this a genuine one-pot meal, from sauce to bake.
- Don’t worry if the casserole looks a bit runny straight out of the oven. It firms up as it cools.
- Use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken to save real time on a busy night.
- You can thicken this dish with a 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum if you like, or leave it as-is. Don’t worry if it is a bit runny right out of the oven – it thickens up a bit as it sets.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Like This? Also Try:
- Chicken Taco Casserole
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Keto Shrimp Scampi
- and be sure to check out my cookbook page!
I have never heard of this before, but it looks like a delicious protein packed meal.
I’ve never heard of King Ranch Casserole before reading your recipe. It sounds delicious! All of my favorite ingredients all rolled into one comforting casserole. Thanks for enlightening me on something new today!
What a great casserole for busy weeknights! Definitely adding this to my dinner line up for the week!
It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, it has tomatoes. In short, good stuff. We love this and will make this often. 🙂
Under ingredients you show 1/2 cup onion and under directions it’s 1/2 cup green onion, can I use both?
Oh! That’s a typo! I should have said “diced green peppers”. You certainly could add green onions, too, but I’d save them for a garnish sprinkled on top. Sorry for the confusion! ~Jenn
Such a hearty dinner and so easy to make!
Made this tonight! Delicious. The entire family loved it. So easy to put together.
So glad you liked it! It’s a fav in my house, too!
This is so delicious. I use a Rotisserie chicken, which works out perfectly.
Thank you so much for doing all of the work to make this dish keto! Love that I don’t have to miss out on one of my favorite dishes anymore.
I love a one-pan meal that calls for chicken. My family will love this!
Love casseroles! I am always looking for some new and low carb recipe. Can’t wait to make it this week and.yum
Found some one carb tortillas ffrom Mr. Tortilla. I think that I will try to layer them in this. Miss my King Ranch casserole. We used to make it after Thanksgiving and use left over turkey.
Great idea! I think I’ll try it, too!
Chef Jenn,
Do you have any recommendations to replace the cilantro? I cannot tolerated the taste and usually avoid dishes that include it in the recipe. Thank you.
Hi, sure! You can swap out the cilantro and add parsley. It benefits from a fresh, herbal pop. Or, give it a bit of extra lime and just omit the cilatnro.
Can I used milk instead of whipping cream
Absolutely! It’s going to bump up your carb count a bit and the sauce may be a bit thinner, but yes, that’s a fine swap! ~Jenn