Ritz cracker chicken casserole combines shredded chicken, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup with a buttery, crunchy cracker topping. With just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep, it's an easy comfort-food dinner.
"This one brings me back! My mom used to make something like this and it's so delicious and comforting. Great recipe!"
★★★★★- Tracy
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🔍 Quick Look: Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole (5 Ingredients)
⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🕒 Cook Time: 30 minutes, plus 5 minutes of resting
👥 Servings: 6
📊 Calories: 432 per serving
🍗 Main Ingredients: chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, Ritz crackers, butter
⭐ Difficulty: Easy
❤️ You'll Love It Because: Just 5 ingredients, a creamy chicken filling, buttery Ritz cracker topping. An old-fashioned family favorite that's easy enough for a weeknight.
A Note From my Kitchen
This is my mother-in law's recipe. She makes it for our family several times a year for family gatherings. We love the creamy filling and crunchy topping.
The best part of this recipe is that it is so EASY! However, the casserole comes out tasting amazing like you have been working hard in the kitchen... Give it a try and you will see why this vintage recipe continues to stick around over the years! Enjoy! ~Katie.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
You will need the following ingredients to make Ritz cracker chicken casserole.
- Cooked shredded chicken- Boiled chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken are great options. Rotisserie chicken is seasoned with salt. If you use Rotisserie chicken you might want to use salt free cream of chicken and unsalted butter to reduce the amount of salt in the casserole. I don't recommend canned chicken.
- Sour cream- For best results, use full fat sour cream. This will make your casserole thick and rich.
- Cream of chicken soup- Use condensed cream of chicken soup straight from the can; do not add water or milk. You can substitute with the same amount of cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup.
- Ritz crackers
- Butter- For less sodium, you can use unsalted butter.
*Full recipe with ingredient measurements is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Add-In suggestions
- Make it cheesy by adding 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add in chopped broccoli for a chicken and broccoli casserole.
- Some recipe variations add 1 teaspoon of poppy seed.
Watch How to Make
How to Make Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
Follow these steps to make Ritz cracker chicken casserole.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix sour cream, cream of chicken soup and shredded chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture evenly on a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- In another mixing bowl, mix crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter.
- Sprinkle crackers evenly over the chicken casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until Ritz cracker topping is golden brown.
- You can serve immediately, but it is best to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Cracker Topping Tip
Some people crush their Ritz crackers in the Ritz wrappers. Anytime I have tried that, the packages busted open and I had crumbs everywhere. For better result, crush your crackers in a large Ziploc bag. A rolling pin works great for crushing the crackers. Then mix the melted butter with the crackers in the Ziploc bag. All of the mess will stay in the bag and you can throw away the bag when done for easy cleanup.
Cooking tips
- I have found the crust cooks crispier on the oven's middle rack.
- I prefer shredded chicken because it mixes evenly with the creamy sauce, giving you chicken in every bite. Shred it into bite sized pieces rather than leaving long strands.
Here is a video showing how to shred chicken easily:
Can you freeze chicken casserole?
Yes! You can freeze chicken casserole. For the best topping, freeze the chicken filling without the Ritz crackers and butter. Place filling in a freezer-safe container, seal tightly, and freeze.
Completely thaw in the refrigerator. Spread the thawed filling in a greased baking dish, then add freshly crushed Ritz crackers mixed with melted butter.
Bake uncovered at 350°F 30-45 minutes. A refrigerated filling may need longer than the usual 30 minutes. If the crackers brown before the center is hot, loosely cover with foil.
Sides for chicken casserole
Looking for tasty sides to go with your chicken casserole? Try some of these!
About the Recipe
This recipe originated from my sweet mother-in-law (Patricia Crenshaw). She has made this for our family several times and it has become a favorite.
There is something comforting and wonderful about the creamy filling with the buttery crunchy topping that brings smiles on my family's face.
She often makes two casseroles because we devour the first batch so quickly and want to enjoy leftovers.
The sweet potato casserole recipe is also originated from her. If you enjoy this recipe, I know you will like that one too!
Did your chicken casserole out delicious? Please leave me a comment below if you make this and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post a picture of your casserole on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 10.5 ounce cream of chicken soup
- 48 Ritz Crackers crushed
- ½ cup butter (1 stick) melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and shredded chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture evenly on the 9 x 13 inch baking dish.8 ounces sour cream, 10.5 ounce cream of chicken soup , 3 cups chicken
- In another mixing bowl, mix crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter.48 Ritz Crackers, ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- Sprinkle crackers evenly over the chicken casserole.
- Bake uncovered on middle rack for 30 minutes or until Ritz cracker topping is golden brown.
- You can serve immediately, but it is best to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- I prefer shredded chicken because it mixes evenly with the creamy sauce, giving you chicken in every bite.
- For an added twist add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Rotisserie chicken is seasoned with salt. If you use Rotisserie chicken you might want to use salt free cream of chicken and unsalted butter to reduce the amount of salt in the casserole. I don't recommend canned chicken.
Mindy-Sue says
Love this recipe. I used for a bit more savory flavor Ritz’s Everything flavor crackers. I bought it by accident in a hurry at the market once and it turned out delicious. Been making that way ever since.
Marjorie Butler says
I loved the quick fix dinner ideas and all of them that I have tried so far have been wonderful.
Beverly Johnston says
I made this today and really liked it!
Tamara says
What do you think? Could I make half in a 8x8 and then freeze the other half in an 8x8? My only question is if I should put the Ritz crackers on prior to freezing or freeze in a separate bag and make day of to prevent them being soggy as the dish thaws.
Katie Crenshaw says
Yes, You can split the recipe up and freeze half. I would not freeze the cracker topping. I would add the cracker topping after the casserole has been thawed. I hope this helps.
Betsy Vakay says
My mother-in-law gave me this recipe in 1978 and I’ve been making it ever since! Everyone always loves it, including kids and picky eaters! I’ll be making it next week to a new mama. I always add poppy seeds to the topping. It adds a bit of taste, color, and crunch!
Katie Crenshaw says
Easy dinner! We love it.
Nakitia N Moore says
Added a little shredded cheese to mine and some onion it was fabulous
Amy Liu Dong says
Honestly, I am a fan of making easy but delicious and healthy meals for my family, and this one is perfect!
Jamie says
Wow! Totally love this casserole dish, looks incredibly delicious and yummy! Plus we only 5 ingredients to make this awesome and comfortable dish for everyone to enjoy!
Gloria says
Reminds me of my childhood. Love classic casseroles.
Ann says
This chicken casserole recipe was super delicious! Very easy and quick to make - perfect for busy weekday nights.
Tracy says
This one brings me back! My mom used to make something like this and it's so delicious and comforting. Great recipe!
Dominique Gosselin says
Made it with greek yogurt and cream of mushroom and it is delicious. Also added some crispy onions. Thanks for the recipe!