This poppy seed chicken casserole is one of my all-time favorite chicken casseroles. Like most retro chicken casserole recipes, it's got a can of cream of chicken soup and a buttery cracker crumb topping, and I'm not mad about it. Old-school? Sure. But it's stuck around this long for a reason.
For me, it ticks all the boxes: comforting? Check. Super easy? Check. One where everyone goes back for a second helping? Check.
When I'm craving comfort food, this is the recipe I come back to. Tender shredded chicken is folded into a rich, creamy sauce, then crowned with a buttery Ritz cracker topping and poppy seeds that bakes up until golden and crisp.
It's perfect for hectic weeknights, since a rotisserie chicken (one of my favorite mom hacks) does the hard work for you and keeps the prep to about 10 minutes. And, it's the kind of dinner that even the pickiest eaters at your table will dig into. Pinky promise.
Serve it over white rice--the traditional accompaniment--or egg noodles to catch all that creamy sauce, and add my old fashioned green beans with onion and bacon on the side for a comforting dinner. This one is a quintessential "winner winner, chicken dinner."
Looking for more easy dinner ideas that start with my chicken shortcut? You're in luck! From one-pan casseroles and pasta recipes to easy salads and bowls, check out these recipes using leftover rotisserie chicken and turn that grocery store staple into an easy meal.
Or maybe you're looking for more casseroles to add to your lineup? I happen to have lots of those too!
For breakfast, this sausage and egg casserole with cottage cheese is a great choice, especially since it can be made ahead of time. (Meal preppers, I'm looking at you!)
For the holidays, you can guarantee there will be my broccoli casserole recipe, green bean casserole recipe, squash casserole with Ritz crackers, and corn souffle on the table. But guess what? Those are nice for weeknights and Sunday supper too.
Enough about that though--ready to get to that creamy chicken casserole? Let's do it!
Jump to:
Reasons to Love This Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe
- Just 10 minutes of prep! Using shredded rotisserie chicken means you can skip cooking the chicken from scratch and get the casserole into the oven quickly.
- Ticks all the texture boxes. The sour cream mixture creates a rich, creamy filling while the buttery Ritz crackers bake into a crisp, golden topping.
- Made with simple ingredients. This classic casserole recipe comes together with rotisserie chicken, canned soup, sour cream, crackers, and a few basic pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:
- rotisserie chicken
- cream of chicken soup
- sour cream
- onion powder
- Ritz crackers
- salted butter
- poppy seeds
- hot cooked rice (optional)
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, skin and bone the chicken. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
- Then, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and onion powder. Fold in the chicken and spoon into a 2-quart baking dish.
- Next, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds, and melted butter.
- Finally, sprinkle the cracker mixture over the chicken. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbly. Serve over rice, if desired.
Hint #1: Don't crush the Ritz crackers into a fine powder. Leave some slightly larger crumbs so the buttery topping has more texture after baking. After making a bajillion cracker-topped casseroles in my lifetime, I've found that crushing with your hands (instead of a rolling pin) is the way to go.
Hint #2: If you can, I recommend shredding the rotisserie chicken while it's still warm. It's so much easier than if you let it cool down.
Substitutions
Out of something? Need some ingredient substitutions? I've got you covered:
- Leftover chicken or skinless chicken breasts - Use about 3½ cups of cooked, shredded chicken in place of the rotisserie chicken.
- Ritz crackers - Use another type of cracker if that's what you've got on hand. Cheez-Its, whole wheat Ritz crackers, other buttery crackers--you name it. Panko breadcrumbs are also a great option.
- Cream of chicken soup - Instead of cream of chicken soup, you can use another "cream of" option. The base flavor will change, but cream of celery and cream of mushroom are classic substitutions. You could even use cream of broccoli soup if you'd like.
Note: You can also make cream of chicken soup from scratch if you want to bypass the canned stuff. You'll need the full batch of this homemade cream of chicken soup recipe.
Variations
Check out these additional ways to change up this recipe:
- Biscuit-Topped - Instead of Ritz crackers, top with refrigerated or frozen biscuits. (If using frozen, you may need a longer bake time.
- Cheesy - Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before adding the cracker topping for a cheesy twist.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:
- 11- x 7-inch or 2-quart casserole dish
- large mixing bowl
- medium bowl
- whisk
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Storage
To refrigerate: Cover the casserole dish tightly or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When reheating, I recommend warming in the oven to bring back the crunchy texture of the cracker topping.
To freeze: If you want to make this casserole ahead of time and freeze, I recommend waiting to top it with the crackers. Spoon the filling into a casserole dish or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, top with the cracker mixture, and bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time since the filling will be very cold. Note that the texture may be on the looser side after freezing and thawing.
Tasty Tip
For the crispiest topping, mix the melted butter thoroughly through the cracker crumbs so they're evenly coated before sprinkling them over the casserole. Spread the topping all the way to the edges so every serving gets some of that golden crunch.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Sometimes I get to the store and they're out of rotisserie chicken so I bake chicken breasts instead. You'll need about 1½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 365°F. Then, shred the chicken with with two forks and you'll get about 3½ cups, equivalent to a regular rotisserie chicken.
You'll know it's ready when the filling is bubbling around the edges and the buttery topping is golden brown. You can also stick the tip of a knife in the center for a few seconds and then remove the knife. If the tip is hot, you know the center is too.
Yep! Assemble the filling in the casserole dish, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake. Keep the topping separate so it stays crisp. When you're ready to bake, remove the wrap, sprinkle the cracker mixture evenly over the top, and bake at 350°F until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Depending on how cold your fridge is, you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time to make sure the center gets hot.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this creamy chicken casserole:
🍽Get the recipe
Creamy and Comforting Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Equipment
- 11- x 7-inch baking dish
- measuring spoons
- dry measuring cups
- whisk
- large bowl
- medium bowl
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
- 1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups crushed ritz crackers
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Hot cooked rice (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Remove the skin from the chicken. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. (Equals about 3½ cups.)
- Whisk together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and onion powder in a large bowl. Fold in the chicken until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Stir together the crackers, melted butter, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl until combined.
- Sprinkle the cracker mixture evenly over the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crackers are golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and serve over cooked rice, if desired.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Keep these few food safety things in mind when making this recipe:
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat or eggs.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat or eggs.
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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