Ritz cracker chicken casserole has a creamy, rich chicken filling with a buttery, crunchy cracker topping.
This simple 5 ingredient recipe creates a delicious comfort dish that the whole family will love.
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!
Ingredients for Ritz cracker chicken casserole
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- You can substitute with cream of celery or cream of mushroom.
- Ritz crackers
- butter-For less sodium, you can use unsalted butter.
Watch how to make
Variations:
For an added twist add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Add in chopped broccoli for a chicken and broccoli casserole.
Steps
Follow these 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.
Tips
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.
I have found the crust cooks crispier on the oven's middle rack.
Some recipes call for diced chicken. I only recommend using shredded chicken. The shredded chicken soaks up the sauce mixture, where as the diced chicken does not and can create a watery casserole.
Can you freeze chicken casserole?
You can freeze chicken casserole. Wrap tightly in store in freezer in an air tight container.
Completely thaw. Before you bake, set out on counter to warm up to room for 15 minutes. Then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Sides for chicken casserole
Looking for tasty sides to go with your chicken casserole? Try some of these!
- Southern Slow Cooker Green Beans and Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Seven Layer Salad
- Baked Calico Beans
- Southern Potato Salad
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
- 1 ½ sleeves 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.1 ½ sleeves 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
- Some recipes call for diced chicken. I only recommend using shredded chicken. The shredded chicken soaks up the sauce mixture, where as the diced chicken does not and can create a watery casserole.
- 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.
