This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
Poppy seed chicken casserole is such a classic dish that is incredibly easy to make! A creamy chicken casserole topped with a buttery ritz topping; this will be the best casserole that you ever make!
Casseroles are some of my family’s very favorite dinners! There are so many different options and they are usually quick and easy to make. Not to mention delicious! Try out some more of my casserole recipes like this easy taco casserole, this delicious tuna noodle casserole, or this yummy breakfast casserole.
A Reader’s Review
Another winner! My family loved it!
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole Recipe
If you have been searching for the most delicious casserole of all time… well, you just found it! I am not kidding when I tell you that this casserole is so good that your family will devour it. In fact, you may want to double it because it will get eaten so quickly! This casserole is topped with buttery Ritz crackers that provide a stark contrast to the deliciously creamy chicken.
You know you’ve made a good dinner when even your kids eat it without any complaints. And even better than that, when they ask for it weekly! Not only does this poppy seed casserole taste delicious, but it’s super easy to make too. It takes less than 35 minutes from start to finish! We served this up with some delicious green beans and on top of some rice. Add in some dinner rolls, and you have yourself a meal to remember!
Ingredients in this Casserole
The ingredients that you need to make this poppy seed chicken casserole recipe are simple and easy, and the best part… You probably already have everything on hand in your kitchen! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Cooked Chicken: To make things super easy, I grab a cooked rotisserie chicken from Costo and shred it up. It saves me so much time! Or, I quickly cook some frozen chicken breasts in my instant pot with this recipe!
- Sour Cream: This gives that delightful and delicious creamy texture.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: You can buy this at the store or make some at home with this recipe!
- Parmesan Cheese: This sprinkled throughout the casserole brings a delicious flavor.
- Poppy Seeds: Once you make this casserole, you will always make sure that you have some of these on hand! You will want to make it all the time.
- Ritz Crackers: Crush these up and use them to top the casserole. They will get brown and crispy as they cook.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter in this recipe.
How Do You Make Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole?
This recipe doesn’t require much more than mixing everything together in one bowl and then cooking it for a few minutes. It’s so easy, and the best part… You don’t have very many dishes to wash afterward! I love a delicious dinner and an easy cleanup!
- Combine: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add cooked chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, shredded parmesan cheese, and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Mix until incorporated. Spread along the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish or 9×9 inch pan.
- Bake: Crush the Ritz crackers, add melted butter, and toss to coat in the butter. Sprinkle on top of the chicken mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
Variations
I love casseroles so much because you can easily change them up or add to them to fit your needs. This poppy seed chicken casserole is no exception! Here are a few more ideas that you can try!
- Vegetables: You can easily add in a few vegetables! I have tried it with broccoli and carrots and thought it was absolutely delicious!
- Rice: I like to serve this dish on top of some cooked rice to make it a little bit heartier and more filling. You can use brown or white rice (or even cauliflower rice), depending on what you prefer!
Can I Freeze Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole?
If you want to make this ahead, you can easily freeze it! Make sure to freeze this poppy seed chicken casserole before baking and without the cracker topping. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in your freezer. It will last about 3 months. When you are ready to cook it, remove the casserole from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Mix the Ritz topping mixture and add it to your casserole before putting it into the oven.
What to Serve with Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
If you are wondering what you should serve with this casserole, my answer would be that it goes with just about anything! But I’ve come up with a few favorites that will go with it so well. It will become a regular meal on your weekly dinner rotation!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
The Very Best Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked, shredded chicken (about 2-3 cups)
- (1) 8 ounce container sour cream
- (1) 10.75 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 sleeve Ritz Crackers (about 1 cup crushed)
- 1/2 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add cooked chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, shredded parmesan cheese, and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Mix until incorporated. Spread along the bottom of a 2-quart casserole or 9×9 inch pan.
- Crush the Ritz crackers, add melted butter, and toss to coat in the butter. Sprinkle on top of the chicken mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this recipe! But my family hunts and I’ve also made it with pheasant breast. It was great!
This is the exact recipe and exbf showed me and I fell in love, however he cooked his chicken in carrots and celery, he threw it out but I added the veggies. Both are delicious. I LOVE THIS RECIPE!
Been making this for years but I add a pkg out frozen broccoli and 2 cups out cheddar cheese. Leave out the poppy seeds as my daughter doesn’t like them to get stuck in her teeth lol
The whole family loved this!
Very good, very typical ingredients. I’m wondering why bother with poppy seeds that have no flavor and get stuck in your teeth? Are they for looks only?
Love it!! It is definitely a keeper. I’m curious…Should I have toasted the poppy seeds first???
For the nutrition facts on this, what was the serving size? Or how many servings does this make!?
I am in the process of adding in nutritional information at this time. In the mean time you can use myfitnesspal.com.
One of the pictures shows rice in this dish. Do you have another recipe that has rice in it? Think that might be good too.
Yes, we love to make rice on the side with green beans to make it a complete dinner! Hope you can do the same!
Hi! Can I put this together the day before and refrigerate until ready to bake?
Yes, that sounds great! Enjoy!
This dish looks delicious, and I am anxious to try it. My question is what way do cook your chicken, do you just brown the cubes or how do you cook it to begin with. Thanks so much.
You can do either! I like to cook the whole chicken at once and then cut it into cubes or you can prepare the chicken and cut it cubbed and then add it to the dish. Either way will be great! Enjoy your chicken casserole!
How long can you keep dish frozen? I know a lot of people say cream based dishes aren’t the best frozen too long.
I would recommend 3 to 6 months frozen for meals. It is a great meal and I recommend eating it cooked and served but a frozen meal is great for the future. Enjoy! XOXO
Been making this for over 20 years!! Definitely an easy go-to!
Another winner! My family loved it!
This recipe looks very tasty. I was reading through the ingredients and noticed it calls for 1/2 shredded parmesan cheese. What is the unit of measure?
Thank you for letting me know. It is half a cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Enjoy! XOXO
Thank you so much. I’ve been making quite afew of your recipes lately. They are fabulous. My 3 boys love them.
Dear Alyssa,
I love your recipes and like to print them for later. My printer works for other places but not your. Any ideas?
HMM! I am bummed it is not working for you. I will look into this and see what I can do. It is an extra step but you can always copy and paste the recipe into a word document in the mean time if needed and print from there. Thanks so much for letting me know! XOXO