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Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is creamy chicken baked with a buttery Ritz cracker and Parmesan topping. Our family version has one especially handy shortcut: the chicken goes into the casserole raw, so there is no separate step to cook or shred it first. It takes about 15 minutes to put together, then bakes until the sauce is bubbling.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Somebody made this and brought this over to me after I had my first baby. Ever since I have been almost obsessed with this! It is so stinking delicious! Great week night meal, great give away meal/potluck meal!” – Betsy
“This was such a simple and delicious family dinner, everyone went in for seconds!” – Lily
“This creamy chicken casserole recipe is so easy to make and so HEARTY! The BEST weeknight dinner recipe.” – Valentina
A Recipe From Grandma K
This Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole has been in our family for generations. My mom made it when I was growing up, and she got the recipe from my grandma. Now I make it for my own kids. That is about as Favorite Family Recipes as a recipe gets.
Another thing that makes our recipe a little different is how we use the crackers. Some of the buttery Ritz cracker and poppy seed mixture gets folded right into the creamy chicken, then the remaining crackers go on top with Parmesan cheese. I usually keep the rest of dinner simple with rice and a green vegetable, salad, or warm dinner rolls.
🩷 Echo
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes so the pieces cook evenly. The chicken goes into this casserole raw.
- Creamy sauce: Condensed cream of chicken soup and sour cream make the sauce. Use the soup straight from the can without adding water, or use our homemade condensed cream of chicken soup substitute.
- Cracker mixture: Ritz crackers, melted butter, and poppy seeds are mixed together first. Part of this mixture goes into the filling, not just on top.
- Parmesan topping: The remaining cracker crumbs are mixed with Parmesan cheese for the top of the casserole.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Cooked or rotisserie chicken: Use about 4 cups of cooked shredded or diced chicken instead of raw chicken. Since it is already cooked, bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly.
- Cream soup: Cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup can be used in place of cream of chicken soup.
- Sour cream: Plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream if needed.
- Crackers: Other buttery crackers work well. The recipe card also supports cornflakes or breadcrumbs as topping alternatives.
- Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free buttery crackers and make sure the condensed soup is gluten-free, or use a gluten-free homemade cream of chicken soup substitute.
- Vegetables: Peas, chopped broccoli, or green beans can be added. Thaw and drain frozen vegetables well so they don’t add too much liquid.
- Poppy seeds: You can leave them out if needed. The casserole will still work, it just won’t have the same poppy seed flavor and appearance.
How to Make Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
- Prep the crackers. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Crush the Ritz crackers until you have about 2 ½ cups of crumbs.
- Make the buttery cracker mixture. Stir the melted butter, 1 ½ cups of the cracker crumbs, and the poppy seeds together.
- Add the chicken and sauce. Fold the uncooked chicken, condensed cream of chicken soup, and sour cream into the cracker mixture until everything is evenly combined.
- Fill the baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish so the chicken is in an even layer.
- Add the topping. Mix the remaining 1 cup of cracker crumbs with the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the casserole.
- Bake until done. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly, the topping is lightly browned, and the largest pieces of chicken reach 165°F. If the topping browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil while the chicken finishes cooking.
Recipe Tips
- Let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes before serving so the creamy filling has a chance to settle.
- Cut the chicken into similar-size pieces. Uneven pieces make it harder to know when all of the chicken is cooked through.
- Don’t dilute the condensed soup. Adding water or broth can make the casserole thinner than it should be.
- Make sure part of the cracker mixture goes into the filling. The 1 ½ cups of buttery cracker crumbs and poppy seeds are folded in with the chicken, soup, and sour cream.
- Check the chicken with a food thermometer. The largest pieces should reach 165°F before you take the casserole out of the oven.
- If the topping gets dark before the chicken is done, cover the dish loosely with foil and keep baking until the chicken is cooked through.
- If you add frozen vegetables, thaw and drain them first. Extra moisture can make the sauce watery.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: Because this version uses raw chicken, I would assemble the filling no more than a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate it, but keep the final cracker and Parmesan topping separate so it stays crisp. Add the topping just before baking. A cold casserole may need a few extra minutes in the oven, so use the 165°F internal temperature as your final guide.
Storing: Keep leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat individual servings in the microwave or larger portions in a 325°F or 350°F oven until the center reaches 165°F. Covering the casserole for most of the reheating time helps keep the chicken from drying out.
Freezing: Assemble the casserole without the final cracker topping, wrap it well, and freeze it. For best quality, use it within about 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add the cracker topping, and bake until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Pairing Ideas
I usually serve Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole over rice with a simple vegetable. Oven Roasted Green Beans or How to Cook Broccoli both fit well, and Homemade Dinner Rolls are great for scooping up the creamy sauce. If you want an easy dessert to finish the meal, The Best Homemade Brownies are always a good choice.
More Quick Casserole Recipes
Having a few delicious casserole recipes in your arsenal will save you lots of time and headaches around dinnertime. Here are a few of our favorites!
If you make this Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing how these family recipes turn out in your kitchen. 💛
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup, or condensed cream of chicken soup substitute
- 12 ounces sour cream
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.Crush the 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers (about 2 ½ cups).
- Stir melted butter, 1 ½ cups crushed Ritz crackers and poppy seeds together in a bowl.
- Fold in uncooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream until well blended.
- Pour mixture into a 9×13 inch pan.
- In a separate bowl, mix remaining 1 cup of Ritz crackers and Parmesan cheese.
- Spread Ritz cracker topping evenly over casserole.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly, the topping is lightly browned, and the chicken reaches 165°F in the largest pieces. If needed, continue baking and check again after about 5 minutes.
Notes
- The chicken goes into this casserole raw. Cut it evenly and cook until the largest pieces reach 165°F.
- Don’t put all of the crackers on top. The buttery cracker and poppy seed mixture is folded into the filling before the final topping is added.
- For a shortcut, use about 4 cups cooked shredded or diced chicken and begin checking the casserole after 25 to 30 minutes.
- Other buttery crackers can replace Ritz. Cornflakes or breadcrumbs can also be used for the topping.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free crackers and confirm that the condensed soup is gluten-free.
- For make-ahead prep, keep the final cracker topping separate until baking.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days and reheat to 165°F.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Somebody made this and brought this over to me after I had my first baby. Ever since I have been almost obsessed with this! It is so stinking delicious! Great week night meal, great give away meal/potluck meal!
This was such a simple and delicious family dinner, everyone went in for seconds!
This creamy chicken casserole recipe is so easy to make and so HEARTY! The BEST weeknight dinner recipe.
This was so good, I was a little hesitant but I am so glad that I tried it! We were fighting over the leftovers.