How Did King Ranch Casserole Become A Regional Texas Dish?

There's really no dish that exudes warmth and comfort more than a simple yet reliably delicious casserole. For something so basic, it can speak volumes. Whether you make it for friends and neighbors during a tough time or to share at a potluck, casseroles of any kind are not only full of flavor, but meaningful as well. So it's no surprise a down-home Southern state that prioritizes comfort food has its own unofficial state casserole. In Texas, it's all about King Ranch casserole.

Otherwise known as King Ranch chicken, this Tex-Mex take on a traditional favorite is a staple in the Lone Star state. A single casserole dish is packed with juicy pulled chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, cream of mushroom and chicken soups, and shredded cheese, plus, a blast of spice from canned tomatoes and green chiles. It's most notable for being layered with corn tortilla chips as opposed to noodles or potatoes, creating a simultaneously creamy and crunchy bite. It's a truly iconic Texas food you have to try once.

This combination of flavors was likely influenced by chilaquiles, a Mexican staple popular in Texas. But outside its clear link to Mexican flavors, the origins of King Ranch casserole are still questioned to this day. Historians just aren't sure how this unique recipe came to be.

Despite being named after the actual King Ranch located in Kingsville, Texas — known as the largest ranch in the world — the casserole has no known ties to it. In fact, the ranch owner's wife is not a fan of the casserole. 

But what is known is that this recipe was born in Texas around the 1950s. At the time, canned soup was becoming a new cooking staple for post-World War II housewives. Some speculate the original recipe was included in a Campbell's Soup Company (or potentially Pillsbury) recipe pamphlet. But others believe it was the housewives of Texas who invented it for a fundraising cookbook during the rise of Junior League Society clubs, a charity and leadership organization for women.  Despite these competing theories, it seems no one has settled on a single origin.

But regardless of its unknown beginnings, King Ranch casserole picked up in popularity by the 1970s. Variations popped up all over the country, including the White House. Lady Bird Johnson, who some say popularized the Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies used in the dish, had her own King Ranch casserole recipe, still on display at her husband's presidential museum in Austin. And many modern recipes forgo the canned soup in favor of a béchamel base and other homemade ingredients. But no matter how you craft this dish or where, it's clear this heartfelt, uncomplicated casserole has become as iconic as Texas chicken-fried steak.