Poppy Seed Chicken

This creamy Poppy Seed Chicken casserole features a rich, poppyseed-flecked sauce that wraps cozily around tender shredded chicken. Add buttery Ritz crackers, bake until crisp, and dig in!

This rich and creamy poppy seed chicken casserole is one of my family’s favorite weeknight dinners. It’s ready in less than an hour and never fails to bring a little dose of comfort to the table.

Why You’ll Love This Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe

• Cozy Comfort Food: Chicken in cream sauce always creates an instant feeling of coziness! Swirl in a little sour cream and add some Parmesan cheese, and you’ve just made the ultimate cold-weather meal.
• Filling: The combination of cream soup, shredded chicken, and crunchy crackers will be enough to leave you satisfied. Add a slice of fresh bread or a green vegetable to round out your plate.
• Easy Ingredients: Most of the ingredients in this recipe are shelf-stable, so you can stock up on a few of the basics and keep them handy. This is a super recipe to make when you’re not sure what to make for dinner!

What You’ll Need

Simple ingredients come together in this recipe to make a favorite dinner. Here’s what you’ll need to make it. Don’t forget to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

• Chicken – You can save chicken from a roast chicken to use in this recipe or pick up a rotisserie chicken.
• Sour Cream – You can use full-fat or low-fat sour cream.
• Cream of Chicken Soup – Use your preferred brand of cream of chicken soup.
• Parmesan Cheese – Or substitute Romano cheese.
• Poppy Seeds
• Seasonings – Onion powder and garlic powder.
• Salt and Pepper – Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper are best!
• Ritz Crackers – You need about 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers for a bit of crunch.
• Butter – Unsalted or salted butter is fine. Note that if you use salted butter you may need to adjust how much additional salt you add.

How to Make Poppy Seed Chicken

This dish takes just a few minutes to assemble, and it needs about a half hour to bake to perfection. You can see how to do it below.

• Prep. Preheat the oven and grease a 9 x 13-inch dish.
• Make sauce. Combine the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, Parmesan cheese, poppy seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

• Assemble. Spread out the chicken evenly in the casserole dish.
• Add sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

• Make topping. Crush the crackers, add the melted butter, and toss to coat.
• Top. Scatter the cracker crumbs over the top of the casserole.
• Bake. Cook the casserole until hot and bubbly. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Tips & Variations

• Use Breadcrumbs: If you wish, you can substitute homemade or store-bought breadcrumbs for the crushed Ritz crackers. Swap in about 1 cup of breadcrumbs for the crackers.
• Try Different Crackers: I love the buttery crunch from the Ritz, but saltines work well, too. You can also use your favorite gluten-free crackers to make this a gluten-free poppy seed chicken casserole.
• Different Soup: You can try a different “cream of” soup, such as cream of mushroom if you want a little different flavor.
• Turkey: This poppy seed chicken recipe is a great way to use up leftover turkey! Substitute the shredded chicken for turkey, and keep the rest of the ingredients the same. I love making poppy seed turkey casserole with my Thanksgiving turkey.

Serving Suggestions

A simple side of a fresh Avocado Tomato Salad or light Cucumber Salad is the perfect accompaniment to this casserole. Add a side of crispy Parmesan Crusted Potatoes or spoon the casserole over fluffy Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes. A side of vegetables should include my Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and make a flavorful pot of Garlic Butter Parmesan Rice to serve with poppy seed chicken. A loaf of freshly baked bread is always welcome, especially when there’s a rich sauce to soak up! Try a simple loaf of No Knead Dutch Oven Bread, or make my decadent No Knead Skillet Cheese Bread recipe.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

• Fridge – Transfer the leftover casserole to an airtight container, or cover the casserole dish tightly with foil. Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat – Place a portion of the chicken casserole on a microwave-safe plate and heat it in the microwave until heated through. Or, place the casserole dish in a 350°F oven and heat it until the crackers are slightly crisped again and the sauce is bubbling.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

• Chicken and Gravy
• Creamy Pesto Chicken
• Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
• One Pot Creamed Spinach Chicken

Print Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Poppy Seed Chicken

This Poppy Seed Chicken casserole combines tender shredded chicken in a creamy poppy seed sauce, topped with buttery Ritz crackers, and baked until golden.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: poppy seed chicken, poppy seed chicken casserole, poppy seed chicken recipe

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 pound cooked shredded chicken, about 3 cups
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups cream of chicken soup
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, about 1 cup crushed crackers
• ½ cup butter, melted

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, Parmesan cheese, poppy seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
• Place the shredded chicken in the casserole dish and spread it out evenly over the entire bottom surface, then pour the prepared sauce over it and spread it out.
• In a separate bowl or a food processor, crush the Ritz crackers to make about 1 cup of crumbs.
• Pour the melted butter over the crushed Ritz crackers and toss until the crumbs are well coated and combined.
• Sprinkle the buttered cracker crumbs over the chicken mixture in the baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly, and the top is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.