Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Poppy Seed Chicken is our family favorite casserole served over white rice.  This easy Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is a creamy and delicious meal your entire family will love!

I’ve been making this Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole for over 10 years now and it is still one of our favorite creamy casseroles. Over the years I’ve perfected the recipe, creating the BEST and easiest method.

I love putting Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole on our meal plan.  It’s cheap AND the perfect weeknight meal!

What to Serve With Poppy Seed Chicken

We serve rice with our Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole as well as a vegetable side such as green beans, broccoli, or peas and carrots.  It’s even easier when using frozen vegetables steam-able in the microwave!

During my college years, my roomies and I would sneak Poppy Seed Chicken from the school cafeteria back to our dorm rooms for a delicious midnight snack.  You might be thinking, “Cafeteria food!? Yuck!”  Not when it comes to the Poppy Seed Chicken!

The BEST Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole Recipe

You may have seen Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole recipes from Paula Deen and the Pioneer Woman, but I am the biggest fan of my own recipe.  My version of Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is a hot creamy chicken dish that is topped with toasted buttery Ritz crackers and poppy seeds.  It is rich and dreamy!

Tips for Making Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

When I’m on a good rotation, I will boil chicken once a month and shred it for the freezer.  This way I have my favorite cooked shredded chicken on hand to quickly throw into recipes like this.  Click here for my easy tutorial on cooking and freezing shredded chicken.  If you do not have shredded chicken on hand, you can use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  Easy peasy!

This easy recipe is the perfect weeknight meal to get dinner on the table fast.  Simply mix three ingredients in a bowl and bake 20 minutes in a casserole dish.  Then, top with a mixture of crushed Ritz crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter.  Bake another 10 minutes for that irresistible crispy Ritz topping and it’s ready!

Even though it’s in our regular meal rotation, my oldest son requests this for his birthday meal every year and still gobbles it down.  I’ll admit, we all act like little piggies when this meal is at our table!

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Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Poppy Seed Chicken is our family favorite casserole served over white rice. This easy Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is a creamy and delicious meal your entire family will love!

Course Main Course

Keyword Poppy Seed Chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 10-oz. can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

• 2 sleeves Ritz crackers crushed
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup butter melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease a casserole dish. 
   

2. Mix soup, sour cream and chicken in a large bowl. Pour into the pan and bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the crushed crackers and poppy seeds. Stir in the melted butter and evenly coat. 
   

4. After the chicken has baked 20 minutes, spread the crackers over the top of the casserole and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Serve over rice.

Update notes:  This recipe was originally published on April 14, 2007.  Updated on December 5, 2018 with new photos and improved recipe tips.