Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken Recipe

Published: October 10, 2018Updated: June 24, 2020Author: Momma Cyd
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King Ranch Chicken has been around for years! This Slow Cooker version can be put together in just a matter of minutes and tastes delicious. A layered tortilla chips, chicken, and creamy soup mixture make this comfort food hard to beat.
Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken Recipe

We can’t begin to tell you how much we love using our slow cookers.  It’s so nice to throw all the ingredients in your slow cooker and have no dinner worries for the rest of the day!

Your family will go crazy over this King Ranch Chicken recipe with chicken, cheese, and tortilla chips. It’s so delicious!

Why is it called King Ranch Chicken

No one is exactly sure why it’s called King Ranch Chicken, but this Tex-Mex recipe has been around for years!

It’s rumored that its name comes from King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the United States, although no one has actually found a connection between the dish and the ranch.

It may be a mystery, but this chicken dish has been a favorite in Texas cookbooks and lunchrooms for a long time.

CHoosing the right slow cooker

For this recipe, you’ll need a good slow cooker. Did you know every one of us sisters uses a different slow cooker?

We’re all in different stages of life with different schedules, and because of that we need different things from our slow cookers!

Here are a few suggestions to take into consideration before selecting yours.

How big is your family? If you have a large family, we’d recommend looking at an 8 quart slow cooker so you can make sure your recipes fit all in one.

We love this 8 quart slow cooker. You can find it in a 6 quart size too!

What are your slow cooker needs? Do you need a self timer while you’re gone at the office all day? Or do the simple high and low settings work for your lifestyle?

Check out these self timer slow cookers and these manual slow cookers to see which one will work best for you.

How to Make King Ranch Chicken

Ready to have dinner done in just a matter of minutes? Here are the step by step instructions on making King Ranch Chicken in your slow cooker.

  1. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Spread a layer of tortilla chips in the crock pot to cover the bottom. It’s ok if they are overlapping.
  3. In a medium sized bowl combine the chicken, diced tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, garlic and onion.
  4. Stir until combined.
  5. Place half of the chicken mixture on top of the chips.
  6. Then top with half of the cheese.
  7. Repeat layers.
  8. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 3 hours.

Related recipe: love king ranch chicken? Try our favorite version- Ranch Chicken Casserole!

 

What to serve with King Ranch Chicken

Serves: 8

Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken Recipe

10 minPrep Time

4 hrCook Time

4 hr, 10 Total Time

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Ingredients

  • 14 ounces tortilla chips, white or yellow
  • 5 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
  • 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drain slightly
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Spread a layer of tortilla chips in the crock pot to cover the bottom. (It's ok if they are overlapping.)
  3. In a medium sized bowl combine the chicken, diced tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, garlic and onion.
  4. Stir until combined.
  5. Place half of the chicken mixture on top of the chips.
  6. Then top with half of the cheese.
  7. Repeat layers.
  8. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 3 hours.
  9. Serve with extra tortilla chips.

Nutrition

Calories

2116 cal

Fat

121 g

Carbs

42 g

Protein

208 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
7.8.1.2
215
https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/slow-cooker-king-ranch-chicken-recipe/

 

 

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Every recipe has a beautiful mouth-watering photo and has been picky-eater approved. The directions are simple, easy to follow, and do not require any strange ingredients.


This cookbook includes copycat recipes from Wingers, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Panera, Cheesecake Factory, Kneaders, and so much more. We have you covered from drinks, to dessert and everything in-between.

 

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Have you checked out our YouTube channel?

In this video we’re showing you how to make another one of our favorite Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes, Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwiches. 

 

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  1. Nicole says:
    January 7, 2014
    This looks so yummy and I LOVE crock pot recipes!!
    Reply
  2. Jen says:
    January 7, 2014
    Do you have to cook the chicken before you put it all together and then cook for 6 hours in the crock pot??
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 8, 2014
      Yes, cook the chicken and dice it before putting it in the crock pot. You may be able to get by on less than six hours. Your onions need to be cooked through and the cooking time softens the tortilla chips. But they are also good when a little bit crunchy! :)
      Reply
    • CassWen says:
      January 10, 2014
      Jen, I was astounded by this as well! Glad to know I wasn't the only one. Putting already cooked chicken in the crockpot for 4-6 hours sounded like the results would be a dish with chicken the consistency of leather in it. I'm going to try it though because overall it sounds easy and tasty.
      Reply
  3. Amanda says:
    January 8, 2014
    @Jen Yes, the recipe states "cooked & diced"
    Reply
  4. Renae says:
    January 8, 2014
    I was wondering about the chicken too since it seems like a lot of time in the crock pot due to the fact that the chicken is already cooked. I'm sure the others just wanted to clarify as well. This sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it!!
    Reply
    • Puncher says:
      April 11, 2016
      I have cooked this for years. I stew a whole chicken, then use half of the chicken stripped from the bone and freeze the other half for another recipe or double this. I don't like too much of the soup so I use one can cream of mushroom chicken. And, rather than tortilla chips, I use corn chips.
      Reply
      • Puncher says:
        April 11, 2016
        I might add that you can buy slow cooker casserole's now. An hour is enough to cook this.
        Reply
  5. Happy Valley Chow says:
    January 8, 2014
    Wonderful recipe! Definitely need to give this a try :) Happy Blogging! Happy Valley Chow
    Reply
  6. Liz says:
    January 8, 2014
    Thank you for the nice recipe and have a wonderful day. I think you posted some time last year.
    Reply
  7. Joann says:
    January 8, 2014
    I was looking at the comments about cooking the chicken. I do a cream of chicken soup (3-4cans) depends, and the boneless, skinless chicken tenders(raw) and put in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours and it turns out delicious serve with egg noodles. So if you're cooking this for 6 hours I wouldn't see why you couldn't put the chicken in raw. That's just my opinion :) . But this looks delicious can't wait to try maybe this weekend :)
    Reply
    • janay says:
      January 12, 2014
      How did it go with the raw chicken? I also wondered why cook chicken then put in crockpot for 6 hours.
      Reply
      • Stacy Moulton says:
        May 2, 2014
        Has anyone tried to make this with raw chicken?
        Reply
        • Laura says:
          May 17, 2014
          I have. It worked out great.
          Reply
  8. Katie says:
    January 8, 2014
    Just made this for dinner tonight and it was yummy! I cheated by buying a bag of frozen grilled chicken strips, putting them in the fridge overnight to thaw and then just chopping them up for the recipe. I loved how easy this was.
    Reply
  9. Elen says:
    January 12, 2014
    I wonder, could I assemble this and bake it?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 13, 2014
      You could bake it. Your chips will not be as soft. But that doesn't really change the taste of the dish. Just watch it closely. We have only made it in the slow cooker.
      Reply
    • Alicia Elliott says:
      December 13, 2014
      I have a recipe that is a baked King Ranch, and instead of tortilla chips, you just just tortillas! You just tear them up when you are layering!!
      Reply
  10. Lyn says:
    January 13, 2014
    The Directions include mixing in the Chicken Broth, but broth isn't listed in the ingredients - how much should be used?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 13, 2014
      Hi Lyn, chicken broth is listed in the ingredients. It is the last ingredient listed.....1 cup chicken broth. Hope this helps! Have a great day. :)
      Reply
  11. Kim says:
    January 17, 2014
    I just made this recipe- had it cooking on low and only lasted 5 hours before I decided it had to be done. Everything had turned to mush and it had no taste. Are you really supposed to cook it for 6 hours? I feel like after a couple hours at the most it looked like your picture.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 18, 2014
      The tortilla chips will soften as they cook. The recipes says to serve with extra tortilla chips too. We liked the soft chips, similar to a casserole. Crock pots also vary slightly with temps and we have found the older they get the more off they are temperature wise. So 5 hours may have been enough with your crock pot. Thanks so much for stopping by SixSistersStuff.com. Have a terrific weekend.
      Reply
  12. Cherie says:
    January 19, 2014
    I make recipe like this in a casserole! It's sooooo yummy. I add it corn, cumin and paprika to mine. My sister ate 4 helping!
    Reply
  13. Amy S says:
    January 23, 2014
    I'm sorry. Maybe I missed something, but this was just not that good!
    Reply
  14. Rebecca says:
    January 24, 2014
    I was excited to check out this recipe but I was put off by the whole "cooked chicken" thing. I just don't see the point in using a slow cooker for 6 hours if I have to start off with already cooked chicken.
    Reply
    • Erica says:
      June 9, 2014
      I thought the same thing! What is the point in pre-cooking the chicken if you're going to put it in the crock pot for six hours? And if you have to cook and dice the chicken first, then it's definitely not a throw-all-the-ingredients-in-your-crock-pot-and-go kind of recipe. Too much prep and you lose the whole point in using your crock pot. Looks yummy, but I don't think I'll ever get around to trying it.
      Reply
  15. Heather says:
    January 28, 2014
    I used raw chicken. I guess it worked okay. The biggest problems were that the chips turned to mush and my (raw) chicken was way over cooked and it was so salty and just generally gross.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 30, 2014
      We have only made this using the recipe directions and have never had a problem. It's one of our favorite recipes. I know it seems strange to cook the chicken first then put it all into a slow cooker, but it sure turns out great. You could maybe get by on a little less cooking time. Just watch it closely. Slow cookers vary. Cyd (mom of the Six Sisters)
      Reply
  16. Melissa says:
    January 30, 2014
    I recommend adding cumin.. for tex mex flavor
    Reply
  17. Vanesa says:
    February 7, 2014
    Can you make it w/out the chips?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 18, 2014
      Yes, it will be fine without the chips!
      Reply
    • E.R. White says:
      June 15, 2014
      Some folks (people who may have to watch salt intake,) make it with yellow corn tortillas.....(torn in bite-size pieces)..... you don't get the salt you get with the chips....
      Reply
      • Cyd says:
        June 17, 2014
        Great idea!! Thanks for sharing that with us!
        Reply
        • Michelle Quintanilla says:
          December 19, 2017
          ah thank you! i know this is super late but I've been looking to see if subbing torn up corn tortillas are okay instead of the chips. You'd be surprised how hard it is to get that one detail.
          Reply
          • Cyd says:
            December 19, 2017
            I think corn tortillas will work great! :)
  19. Lainie says:
    February 9, 2014
    I too ended up with complete mush, with very little flavor despite my seasoning the chicken before I cooked it. I have had zero success using the crock pot and my husband is threatening to throw it out! As a FT working mom, I'm desperate for some tasty meals to come out of the damn thing!
    Reply
    • Jennifer says:
      February 18, 2014
      Not sure if you will read this reply but i have awesome awesome crock pot recipes. A great beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs, teriyaki meatballs, tomato parmesan soup.....i didn't have success with this particular recipe either, but definitely don't throw out the crock pot!
      Reply
    • Linda Castle says:
      January 17, 2019
      Try a beef stew or pot roast. They come out great and McCormick makes packaged mixes especially for slow cookers/crock pots.
      Reply
  20. Kelly says:
    February 12, 2014
    Hi everyone! This is actually a very popular dish that I make very often, it is one of my favorite foods. The only shock to me is that you can make it in a slow cooker! I have always made it as a casserole. To make it in the oven you preheat it to 350 degrees and bake it for 20-25 minutes, with the chicken being previously boiled on the stove top until it is done. This always tastes way better if you use Doritos instead of regular Tortilla chips also. I will have to try to make it in the slow cooker to see if it works. I am going to use raw chicken cut into cubes though.
    Reply
  21. Jennifer says:
    February 18, 2014
    Ok so did i do something wrong?? This turned out to be a goopy mess. All chips were basically gone and mush. Seemed more like a dip in the end........ kinda gross to be honest. Cooked 6 hours on low, had to half the recipe.....but that's the only change i made....
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 18, 2014
      The chips that are in the crock pot soften with the cooking. We add more at the end. So sorry it didn't work out for you. We have never had a problem with this recipe and we have it all the time.
      Reply
      • Jennifer says:
        February 18, 2014
        Haha mine did more than soften, which i did expect, they totally disintegrated. My mom said maybe i used the wrong type of chips.....i used restaurant style tostitos, i probably should have used a thicker heartier chip...... restaurant style is thinner than some other kinds. Ah well. Just a warning to other review readers, make sure to use the right chip! :-)
        Reply
    • Jerry says:
      March 18, 2019
      Its the juices from cooking the raw chicken, that why we use cooked chicken, try with using left over rotisserie chicken, i think you will be surprised.
      Reply
  22. Terry says:
    May 2, 2014
    We have this all the time! It's perfect for cooking in my motor home while we're traveling, then we have a meal ready when we stop. I use raw chicken cut in small chunks and it comes out great. I also use tortillas torn into a few strips instead of chips, and no chicken broth. Maybe the broth is what makes it "mush" as other reviewers noted.
    Reply
  23. Tara says:
    July 15, 2014
    I like the flavors of this recipe, but the chips were just either burned to the side of the crock pot or useless mush. I would rather just skip the chips and serve yummy crunchy chips at the table. Treat is more as a nachos-style dip. Still yummy though!
    Reply
  24. Megan says:
    September 4, 2014
    I make this in a casserole in the oven as well. I will definitely try to make in the crock pot. We prefer yellow corn tortillas torn up so you do not get mushy salty chip taste like ^ previous commenters were talking about. Also, the broth could be what is making it mushy since I don't use broth to make this recipe. It depends on if you want it more of a dip or an actual meal I guess. I have always eaten it as a casserole. Also, remember that times vary due to the size of the crockpot and each one is different. Crockpots are kind of a trial and error thing if you cannot be there to watch it and test the timing with a new recipe especially one that has a few different ways of making it.
    Reply
  25. Karen I. says:
    September 7, 2014
    We made this today for a church pot luck and it was gone super quick!! Everyone loved it!!
    Reply
  26. Maureen says:
    January 11, 2015
    I made this tonight for my family and we did not like it. We put some sour cream and salsa on and I did get the kids to eat a little but the rest got thrown out. Very bland and they did not like the consistency
    Reply
  27. Angela says:
    January 13, 2015
    I really can't wait to try this. I have only had it backed in the oven, so this will be a good change.
    Reply
  28. Deb says:
    January 28, 2015
    This looked so yummy I just had to try it. It is in the crockpot now for dinner tonight. I did add some cumin and sprinkled some fresh cilantro between the layers. It's been on for a couple of hours and already smells amazing! Going to serve it with Mexican/Spanish style rice and a nice green salad with my homemade Honey Cilantro Lime dressing. I have sour cream, green onion, cilantro and salsa on hand to serve with it as well. Thanks so much!
    Reply
  29. Wendy says:
    February 21, 2015
    Our family loves this recipe. I'm making it with precooked hamburger tomorrow. Hope it turns out as well as the chicken.
    Reply
  30. Rheta says:
    April 24, 2015
    I am going to use this as a base and just cook it on the stove, then layer it and pop it in the oven at 350 for like 30 minutes. Sounds yummy!
    Reply
  31. BNance says:
    November 24, 2015
    So it is King ranch chicken without ranch in it? I saw another recipe that has ranch in it. Did we forget the ranch or just in the name?
    Reply
    • kathleen mermelstein says:
      November 28, 2015
      King Ranch is the largest ranch in Texas. Has nothing to do with ranch dressing.
      Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 2, 2015
      King Ranch is actually a ranch! This recipe is not named after ranch flavoring.
      Reply
  32. Carol says:
    February 20, 2016
    This was awesome and was a huge hit!! I used Clancey's Green Chile and Qeueso tortilla chips from Aldi's, which added even more flavor!
    Reply
  33. Snwbrdnchik says:
    June 6, 2016
    Does any one know the nutritional information on this? It's sounds like it would be good but also not so healthy either.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      June 7, 2016
      Click on the MAGIC button under the picture on the blog post. Then click on NUTRITION in the upper left hand side and it will give you all of the nutritional information on this recipe.
      Reply
  34. Sarah says:
    June 19, 2016
    How many does his serve? It looks great!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      June 20, 2016
      This recipe serves 8 people.
      Reply
      • Sarah says:
        June 20, 2016
        Oh, I see that on the recipe now. Thanks!
        Reply
  35. Meg says:
    November 21, 2016
    I make this all the time. However, I use raw chicken and do not put chips in. When it is done cooking, I put chips in a bowl and put king ranch mixture and shredded cheese on top. I cook for abt 6hrs on low.
    Reply
  36. Mike says:
    December 13, 2018
    It was tasty. We liked it. But this is probably the 4th different recipe of King Ranch I have made. Short of getting an Abuela to make fresh corn tortillas for it, they turn to mush and dissolve in to the casserole. I have tried dipping them in to hot oil like when you make Enchiladas, I have use corn chips, and Tostada shells. They all dissolve. Any one have and suggestions?
    Reply
  37. Tina says:
    January 13, 2019
    I have made this recipe for years, and we all LOVE it! I'm actually in Texas, close to the actual King ranch, so I've had many, many versions of King Ranch casserole. This recipe is the one that I return to time and again for my family, and for potlucks. If you don't want your tortillas mushy, there are several options. You can use real corn tortillas and layer as you would in a baking dish, or use hearty/thick tortilla chips. Also, cut down your cooking time. I prefer to use the thick, restaurant style tortilla chips. It's just easy and quick! If you use Doritos, (such as Nacho cheese flavor), it changes the flavor of the dish (still good, but not the true flavors of King Ranch casserole). I only have to cook in my slow cooker for a about 3 hours, because the chicken is only getting heated through, not actually cooked. 2-3 hours is long enough to heat through, melt your cheese, and soften your tortillas. When I take it to work, I throw all the ingredients into the crock pot, and plug it in no later than 9 AM. It's perfect for our noon luncheon. Thank you Six Sisters for this "keeper", that has become one of my most requested recipes!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 16, 2019
      Hi Tina, We are so glad that you like the easy Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken. Thanks for some great tips on this recipe.
      Reply
  38. Sam says:
    April 18, 2019
    Made this King Ranch Chicken this evening, for the first time. I used cooked chicken, opted to leave out the chicken broth, and added Doritos instead of tortilla chips. I also made plain white rice to add to the finished mix. It was amazing!! Thank you for sharing, we needed something different on the menu. 🤗
    Reply
  39. tbarrows says:
    August 20, 2019
    OMG... this was AWESOME, I used bite size tostitos chips, because that is what I had on hand... and everyone loved it. This is positively a keeper and I am going to put a link for it on my FB page.
    Reply
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