Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole is shredded chicken folded into cream of chicken soup and sour cream, then covered with a thick layer of buttery crushed crackers. Prep takes about 10 minutes, and a rotisserie chicken does most of the work.
How to make Ritz cracker chicken casserole: Stir 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken with a 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of sour cream and sliced green onions, then spread it in a greased 9×13-inch dish. Toss 2 sleeves of coarsely crushed Ritz crackers with 1/2 cup of melted butter, scatter them over the filling right before baking, and bake uncovered at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges bubble. Let it rest 5 minutes before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- About 10 minutes of prep: cooked chicken, one can of soup, sour cream and a couple of sleeves of crackers.
- No raw chicken to cook: rotisserie or leftover chicken goes straight into the bowl.
- A crunchy, buttery top: the crumbs are tossed in butter before they go on, not just drizzled.
- Make-ahead friendly: the filling can wait in the fridge for up to 1 day. The topping goes on at baking time.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: You need 3 cups of cooked chicken. I use rotisserie chicken; leftover or canned chicken also works. Shred it rather than dicing it: diced chicken does not soak up the sauce and can make the casserole watery.
- Cream of chicken soup: Use one 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup, straight from the can. The 10.75-ounce size works the same way. Cream of chicken with herbs or cream of mushroom can stand in.
- Sour cream: One cup is standard. The filling is soup and sour cream only, with no cream cheese and no cottage cheese.
- Green onions: Half a cup, sliced. They are optional.
- Ritz crackers: Two sleeves cover a 9×13 dish. That is about 60 crackers, roughly 30 per sleeve, or about 7 ounces.
- Butter: Use 1/2 cup (1 stick), melted. Salted or unsalted butter both work, so use whichever you have.
- Poppy seeds: These are optional. A teaspoon tossed with the crumbs is a common addition.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded, not diced (rotisserie or leftover)
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (10.5 ounces), undiluted; cream of chicken with herbs or cream of mushroom also work
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup green onions, sliced (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers (about 60 crackers, about 7 ounces), coarsely crushed with some medium pieces left
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional), tossed with the crumbs
How to Make Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Make the filling. In a large bowl, stir the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and green onions together. Stir in the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper. Spread the filling evenly in the dish.
3. Crush the crackers. Put the crackers in a large zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Stop while some medium pieces are left so the top stays crunchy instead of turning to dust.
4. Butter the crumbs. Pour the melted butter into the bag, add the poppy seeds if using, and toss until every crumb is coated.
5. Top right before baking. Scatter the buttered crumbs evenly over the filling just before the dish goes into the oven.
6. Bake uncovered. Bake uncovered on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is golden, the edges bubble and the center reaches 165°F. If the top browns too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
7. Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest 5 minutes before serving.
How to Keep the Ritz Topping Crisp
The topping is the part people ask about most. A few small habits decide whether it comes out crunchy or soft.
- Toss the crumbs in the butter; don’t just drizzle it on. Mix the crushed crackers and melted butter in a bowl or bag before sprinkling them over the filling. Pre-tossing is the fix for a soggy top.
- Crush coarsely. Leave some medium pieces. Crumbs crushed too fine turn into a dusty layer instead of a crunchy top. I use a zip-top bag and a rolling pin, then pour the butter right into the same bag.
- Coat every crumb. If the topping is not crisp, the usual advice is to check that the crackers were well coated in butter. If you use more or fewer crumbs, raise or lower the butter to match.
- Add the topping at the last minute. Put the crumbs on right before the dish goes into the oven, not while the filling sits waiting.
- Bake uncovered on the middle rack. Always bake it uncovered; the crust cooks crispier on the middle rack. If the top gets dark before the filling is bubbling, lay foil loosely over it.
Make-Ahead and Freezing
For both make-ahead and freezing, keep the buttered crumbs separate from the filling and add them only at baking time.
| Plan | What to do | Baking |
|---|---|---|
| Same day | Make the filling, top it and bake | 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes |
| Up to 1 day ahead | Cover the filling in the dish and refrigerate; keep the crackers and butter separate | Add the topping right before baking; allow about 10 extra minutes from cold |
| Frozen, unbaked | Wrap the filling well, without the topping, and freeze up to 3 months | Thaw overnight in the fridge, add fresh buttered crumbs, then bake at 350°F until golden and the center reaches 165°F |
You can also split the filling into two smaller pans, bake one and freeze the other. Wrap the frozen pan well to avoid freezer burn. Freeze the casserole before baking, not after. USDA FSIS notes that cream sauces do not always freeze well. That is a quality issue, not a safety one.
Which Dish to Use
A 9×13-inch dish gives you a thinner layer of filling and plenty of topping. A 2.5-quart or 9×9 dish gives a deeper filling. The smaller dish still bakes at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is golden and the casserole bubbles.
Variations
- Poppy seeds: Toss 1 teaspoon with the buttered crumbs. You can use as much as 2 tablespoons.
- A different soup: Swap in cream of chicken with herbs or cream of mushroom for the plain cream of chicken.
- Greek yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt can stand in for the sour cream.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and to divide large amounts into shallow containers. It also says to eat refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. FSIS says to reheat leftovers to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer.
For a frozen casserole, FSIS says to thaw it in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, and never on the kitchen counter. FSIS also says casseroles can be reheated from frozen, but it takes longer. No recipe gives a from-frozen time for this dish, so thaw it overnight in the fridge first.
To reheat leftovers in the oven, cover the dish so the topping does not over-brown and warm it at 350°F for about 20 to 25 minutes. A handful of fresh crushed Ritz tossed in a little butter brings the crunch back. Freezing baked leftovers makes the crackers soggy.
What to Serve With It
A green vegetable is the usual partner here. Steamed broccoli works, and so does a pan of smothered green beans. Add a basket of warm butter biscuits if you want bread on the table. If you like this and want something richer, the Million Dollar Chicken Casserole builds a similar Ritz-topped bake on cream cheese and cottage cheese. The broccoli rice cheese and chicken casserole puts the same cracker crunch over rice and broccoli. For other weeknight bakes, try the Swiss chicken casserole with its buttered stuffing top, or a creamy chicken rice casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Ritz cracker chicken casserole ahead or freeze it?
Yes. Leave the crackers off either way. For make-ahead, cover the filling in the dish and refrigerate it for up to 1 day. Keep the crackers and butter separate, add the topping right before baking, and allow about 10 extra minutes because the dish starts cold. To freeze, wrap the unbaked filling well and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then add fresh buttered crumbs and bake.
How do I keep the Ritz topping from getting soggy?
Toss the crumbs in the melted butter until every piece is coated, rather than drizzling butter on top. Crush the crackers coarsely and leave some medium pieces. Add the topping right before baking, and bake uncovered on the middle rack. If you assemble the casserole ahead, store the crackers and butter separately until baking time.
How many crackers and how much butter do I need?
For a 9×13 dish, use 2 sleeves, which is about 60 crackers or about 7 ounces. They pair that with 1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted butter. If you use more or fewer crumbs, raise or lower the butter to match.
Can I use diced chicken instead of shredded?
Shredded is the better choice. Diced chicken does not soak up the sauce and can make the casserole watery. Rotisserie, leftover or canned chicken all work as long as you shred it.
Final Notes
Keep the filling simple, toss the crumbs in butter, and put the topping on at the last minute. Bake it uncovered until it is golden and the center reaches 165°F, then give it 5 minutes to rest.
Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
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Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded, not diced; rotisserie or leftover
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces, undiluted; cream of chicken with herbs or cream of mushroom also work
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup green onions sliced; optional
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers about 60 crackers (about 7 ounces), coarsely crushed with some medium pieces left
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, melted
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds optional, tossed with the crumbs
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, stir the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and green onions together. Stir in the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper. Spread the filling evenly in the dish.
- Put the crackers in a large zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Stop while some medium pieces are left so the top stays crunchy instead of turning to dust.
- Pour the melted butter into the bag, add the poppy seeds if using, and toss until every crumb is coated.
- Scatter the buttered crumbs evenly over the filling just before the dish goes into the oven.
- Bake uncovered on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is golden, the edges bubble and the center reaches 165°F. If the top browns too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
- Let the casserole rest 5 minutes before serving.
