Gluten-Free King Ranch Chicken

Family style Gluten-Free King Ranch Chicken dinner made from scratch. Think rich, creamy sauce, flavoured with Mexican spices and filled with chicken, tomatillos, bell peppers, green chillies, tortilla, fresh cilantro and plenty of cheese.

King Ranch Chicken recipe is for when you need real comfort food the most.

This King Ranch Chicken dish is made in one skillet with minimal effort. In fifteen minutes, you can have this gluten-free chicken dinner ready for the oven and walk away.

For the rich Tex-Mex flavours, I used garlic, onions, green chilli peppers, chilli powder and cumin. The authentic Tex-Mex flavours are making the sauce so good!

Typically King Ranch Chicken recipe is made with cooked leftover chicken and canned soups. However, I wanted to give this Tex-Mex chicken dinner a fresh-tasting chicken and make it healthier, thus avoiding canned soups. 

avoid canned soups if possible

Canned soups are often packed with table salt, which contains a high amount of sodium and sometimes unwanted preservatives. In addition most canned soup contain gluten. By using fresh chicken, the sauce is a lot more flavourful and healthier.

I also added earthy flavoured mushrooms. Although they are optional, mushrooms are a wealth of healthy nutrients, and they texture and flavour.

King Ranch Chicken recipe details

I love this gluten-free family-style chicken dinner recipe because it is super easy to put together. First, you will need a large oven-proof skillet. Yes, the entire Tex-Mex style dinner is made using only one skillet.

If you don’t have one, it is not a problem. You can make the king ranch chicken in a large pot, then transfer it to a greased casserole dish. But, you will have one extra pot to wash.

To make this gluten-free chicken dinner, first, you sauté the onions with peppers. Then stir in garlic, spices and chicken.

The rest is easy – add the chicken broth, tomatillos, pieces of corn tortillas, fresh cilantro and a sour cream mixture with cheese.

Give it a good stir, top with remaining cheese, and bake. Nothing to it! Yet, this hearty chicken dinner is incredibly delicious.

What to serve with king ranch chicken?

This Tex-Mex chicken dinner is so hearty that you can enjoy it just as a stand alone dish. However, I like to add a Gluten-Free Cheesy Mexican Cornbread for dipping into the creamy flavourful sauce, or a light salad.

If you are feeding a large crowd, you can add rice and black beans. I also like to add toppings because they add freshness and extra flavours to the King Ranch Chicken dinner.

Some toppings I would add are fresh cilantro, avocado slices, a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, and for extra heat, thinly sliced green chilli peppers.

King Ranch Chicken is a very popular casserole that originated in Texas. This chicken dish has Tex-Mex flavours and is hearty enough even for big appetites. 

the cooked chicken option

The king ranch chicken dish is also an excellent way to use up leftover chicken or even turkey. For this recipe, you will need 3 cups of shredded chicken. Follow the same directions, except add the cooked chicken at the same time as adding the cilantro.

Need more casserole recipes? Here are my three favourite gluten-free casseroles.

One Pan Chicken and Creamy Mushrooms Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

 Moroccan-Style Baked Lamb Casserole

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Many thanks!

Kristina xx