Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole is creamy, comforting, and one of my favorite ways to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. It's quick, easy, and a family favorite!
Everything comes together in about 10 minutes. Just mix, pour, and bake.
But the real star of the show is that Ritz cracker topping! Buttery, golden, impossibly crunchy – it's what people remember.
This is my go-to chicken casserole for busy weeknights, and I think it’ll become one of yours too.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken: I love using rotisserie chicken for this recipe. It's juicy, flavorful, and saves so much time. But you can also use leftover cooked chicken, grilled chicken breasts, or canned chicken.
- Ritz Crackers: These buttery crackers give the casserole that iconic golden crunch. Simply put them in a large Ziploc bag and crush them with your hands or a rolling pin. Easy peasy.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: You can swap in cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom soup if that's what you have on hand. They all work great.
- Sour Cream: I go full-fat for the best texture, but light sour cream also works. You can also substitute with plain Greek yogurt.
- Butter: It’s the secret to achieving that coveted crispy, buttery Ritz cracker topping.
- Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
You’ll love how easy this casserole is to prepare! See the recipe card below for full ingredients, measurements, and directions.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread into the baking dish.
3. Make the topping. Stir crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter in a bowl until coated.
4. Sprinkle the cracker topping over the chicken mixture. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until hot, bubbly, and golden.
Recipe Tips
Follow these tips for the best creamy chicken casserole.
- Full-fat is where it’s at! Use full-fat sour cream for a richer, thicker casserole.
- Try a crushing trick. Put the Ritz crackers in a large Ziploc bag and crush them with your hands or a rolling pin.
- Keep it crispy. To keep the cracker topping crisp, don't cover the casserole while baking.
- Try fun variations. Add shredded cheddar cheese to the filling for a cheesy twist. Mix in frozen peas, broccoli florets, or other veggies. Or try crushed potato chips or cornflakes in place of Ritz for a different crunchy topping. You can also add a teaspoon of poppy seeds to the seasonings!
What To Serve with Ritz Chicken Casserole
I like to serve chicken casserole with green beans, broccoli, corn, or a fresh green salad. You can also serve it over hot rice for another great combo.
How to Store Leftovers
This casserole makes for wonderful leftovers!
To Store: Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and can be kept for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: The casserole can be frozen either baked or unbaked. For baked casserole, cool it completely, wrap tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.
For unbaked casserole, assemble without the cracker topping, wrap it well, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then add the topping before baking.
To Reheat: For best results, reheat the casserole covered with aluminum foil at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes until warmed through. Individual portions can be microwaved until heated thoroughly.
Some of our Popular Chicken Recipes
Ritz Cracker Chicken
Ritz Cracker Pork Chops
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Swiss Chicken Casserole
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Dorito Chicken Casserole
Chicken and Potato Casserole
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Chicken and Biscuit Casserole
Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole is a weeknight family favorite. It's rich and creamy with a buttery Ritz cracker topping!
8
servings10
minutes30
minutes365
kcalIngredients
4 cups cooked shredded chicken (from rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts)
1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed (about 45 crackers)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together the shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined. Spread the chicken mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter, stirring until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Sprinkle the buttered cracker crumbs evenly over the top of the chicken mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly, and the cracker topping is crispy and lightly browned.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- For added flavor and nutrition, stir in 1-2 cups of steamed broccoli, peas, carrots, or mixed vegetables to the chicken mixture before topping it with crackers.
- Substitute cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup for the cream of chicken.
- For extra cheesy goodness, mix in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese with the chicken.
- Use crushed potato chips, cornflakes, or panko bread crumbs in place of Ritz for a different crunchy topping.
Nutrition
- Calories: 365kcal
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.4g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 6.6g
- Cholesterol: 92mg
- Sodium: 628mg
- Potassium: 266mg
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Sugar: 3g
- Protein: 18g
- Calcium: 76mg
113 Comments
I had some chicken breasts in the freezer I wanted to use, so I cooked them and then followed the recipe. The result was very delicious!
Can’t wait to make this for my family!
Delicious!
This is delicious. I doubled the recipe and used a can of cream of celery and a can of cheddar cheese soup. I served it over buttered noodles. My family loved it!
Easy to make and delicious
I make a version of this and add frozen peas for added color and to incorporate some vegetables.
Great tip, Vicki! Thanks 🙂
I make this and love it. Even my grandkids eat it and they are picky eaters. I use pease and carrots and if I’m making it for Church I even use stove top stuffing in this dish. I layer dressing on the bottom and it is more filling when eaten.
Been making this for 20 yrs or more. I add a can of diced potatoes and a can of diced carrots.
I like mine with carrots, too.
I’ve never tried it with potatoes, though!
Love these recipes
It is a delicious dish… Will make again!
Cannot wait to try it!
I will make it very soon, it sounds great!
my daughter in law has made this for us a couple of times, and we love it. now i can suprise my husband with this delicious meal.
thank you so much
I make a similar chicken casserole except I use cheese it crackers, bottom crust & top crust, add sauteed celery & onions, cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, broccoli florets, seasonings. I also spread cheese on top of filling before topping with cheddar crackers! DELICIOUS 😋
Sounds very tasty. I am gonna try this one for sure.
Hi, the recipe is very delicious, but by the time I spread the mixture in a 9×13 glass baking dish, it was very thin. I added all ingredients. Should I use a smaller pan?
Hi, Rita!
I actually haven’t made this in some time. (But now I think I might make it for Sunday dinner. I’d forgotten how much I love it.)
I don’t remember it being especially thin in a 9×13, but if it is, you could try using a 9×9 dish. Did it “puff up” any after you finished baking it, or was it still pretty thin?
I ask because I’m afraid a 9×9 might be a bit to small and cause spillage during baking. If you change the baking dish size, keep an eye on the baking time. You might need to adjust it slightly.
Can you use poppy seeds in this?
Hi Linda!
Sure, you can sprinkle 1 tablespoon over the top before baking 🙂
I add poppy seeds to the ritz/butter topping.
Yum! I bet that’s delicious!
We loved this recipe. My picky son finished it off. Only thing I like to add to my helping is sprinkle of lemon juice.
We serve this often at our house, and the best ingredient we have added is a couple of sprinkles of Everything Bagle seasoning. Oh my goodness, it’s so delicious!
Hi Debbie!
What a terrific tip 🙂
I’ll definitely try that next time I make this.
Thanks!