Ritzy Chicken Casserole

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 7 1/2 cups

Once you taste this comforting chicken casserole you will understand why it's so popular. The buttery Ritz cracker top and bottom crusts offer surprising flavor and texture, and the rich and creamy sauce is unbelievably easy to make, featuring canned cream of chicken soup and sour cream. You may omit the bottom layer of crackers if you'd like to lighten the recipe a bit.

Perfect for weeknight dinners, the chicken casserole takes no more than 15 minutes to put together and bakes to perfection in about 30 to 40 minutes. Make sure to cook the chicken before adding to the sauce. Serve with roasted or steamed broccoli or a simple salad on the side.

A ritzy chicken casserole with a large serving spoon and portion removed, with a plated portion

The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

"This creamy casserole has lots of chickeny flavor from the broth and cream of chicken soup. The contrast between the crunchy Ritz crackers and the creamy chicken filling is great. I served this with a tart green salad" —Craig Ruff

Ritzy Chicken Casserole/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom soup

  • 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream, about 1 cup

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium or unsalted chicken broth

  • 5 cups diced cooked boneless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, optional

  • 60  Ritz crackers (about 2 sleeves, 7 ounces), divided

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325 F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.

    Ingredients to make ritzy chicken casserole

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  2. In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, chicken broth, diced chicken, salt, pepper, and scallions, if using.

    A large glass bowl with soup, sour cream, chicken broth, chopped chicken, salt, and pepper

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  3. Crumble 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.  

    A rectangular baking dish with an even layer of crumbled Ritz crackers at the bottom

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  4. Drizzle half of the melted butter over the crackers.

    A baking dish with crumbled Ritz crackers at the bottom, drizzled with melted butter

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  5. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly over the Ritz cracker layer.

    A baking dish with soup-chicken mixture layered on top of the buttered, crumbled Ritz crackers

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  6. Crush the remaining sleeve of crackers and toss them in a bowl with the remaining half of the melted butter.

    A bowl of crushed Ritz crackers tossed in melted butter

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  7. Sprinkle the buttered cracker crumbs over the chicken mixture.

    A baking dish layered with buttered, crumbled Ritz crackers, soup-chicken mixture, and crumbled Ritz crackers on top

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  8. Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

    A baked ritzy chicken casserole with a golden brown crumbled Ritz cracker topping

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Recipe Variations

  • To make it more colorful and nutritious, feel free to add other ingredients such as pimientos or 1 to 1 1/2 cups of lightly steamed frozen peas, green beans, or mixed vegetables to the chicken and sauce mixture. Steamed asparagus or broccoli are good options as well.
  • Add a few tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley to the filling for color.
  • Sauté 6 to 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter until tender and browned; fold the mushrooms into the chicken mixture.
  • Substitute diced cooked turkey or ham for the chicken.
  • Add cooked bacon to the chicken mixture.
  • Use one of the flavor varieties of Ritz crackers, including whole wheat, bacon, garlic butter, and low sodium.

How To Store

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or a 350 F oven until heated to an internal temperature of 165 F.

Can I Use Canned Chicken in This Casserole?

For quicker preparation, you can use canned chicken instead of cooking raw chicken breasts, substituting about 24 ounces of drained canned chicken breast chunks. Fully cooked roasted or grilled chicken breast strips or rotisserie chicken meat are also great options when time is a factor.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
569 Calories
34g Fat
26g Carbs
39g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 569
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 43%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 147mg 49%
Sodium 619mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 89mg 7%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 385mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)