Tex-Mex · main

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

King Ranch Chicken Casserole reads umami 5.6, richness 5.5 and salinity 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Tex-Mex main, about 58 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.6 · Richness 5.5 · Salinity 4.5 · Allium 4.2 · Sweetness 3.4 · Heat 2.4 · Earthy 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Fruity 1.8 · Herbaceous 1.6 · Smoke 1.2 · Bitterness 1.2 · Sourness 0.9 · Nutty 0.9 · Citrus 0.9 · Floral 0.8

What's in it (16)

• unsalted butter — 41 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• red bell pepper — 100 g
• green bell pepper — 100 g
• garlic — 9 g
• all-purpose flour — 23 g
• cumin — 5 g
• chili powder — 5 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 473 g
• regular milk — 237 g
• whole green chile peppers — 284 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• rotisserie chicken — 946 g
• corn tortillas — 1200 g
• shredded sharp process cheese — 341 g

Time & effort: about 58 min (48 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 270.2 kcal, 11 g protein, 13.8 g fat, 28.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden at the edges, 7-8 minutes; add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30-45 seconds.
3. Sprinkle the flour, cumin, and chili powder over the vegetables and stir constantly to cook off the raw flour taste, 1-2 minutes.
4. Whisk in the chicken broth and milk a little at a time, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, and bring to a simmer, whisking often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-6 minutes.
5. Stir in the diced tomatoes with green chiles, salt, and black pepper and simmer 2-3 minutes to meld the flavors, then remove from the heat.
6. Fold the shredded chicken and 2 cups of the cheddar into the sauce until the chicken is well coated and the cheese has melted in.
7. Spread a thin layer of the chicken mixture in the bottom of the prepared dish, layer half the tortilla strips over the sauce, top with half the remaining chicken mixture, then repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
8. Scatter the remaining 1 cup cheddar evenly over the top.
9. Bake uncovered until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the cheese on top is deep golden and the center reaches 165°F, 25-30 minutes.
10. Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving so the layers set.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Gulyás (Goulash) — Hungarian
• Tripas à Moda do Porto — Portuguese
• Cajun Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Gravy — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Tex-Mex Chicken Stew — Tex-Mex
• Taco Stuffed Peppers — Tex-Mex

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.