Poppy Seed Chicken

Poppy Seed Chicken – everyone loves this easy and comforting chicken casserole! Rice and a creamy chicken sauce topped with buttery crackers and poppy seeds. Yum!

This is one chicken dinner that the whole family can agree on. I like to serve it with green beans,  spinach salad or some vegetables like zucchini and carrots. 

Today I am sharing a fast and easy chicken main dish that is perfect for weeknight dinners. You start with chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce, then top it off with buttery crackers. It’s a recipe that’s been around for ages, and once you try it you will know why it is so popular!

I got the recipe from my roommate in college, and my family has always enjoyed it.  But a few months ago I added some dry onions and a little swiss cheese to the original recipe. It really vamped up the flavor. Now my kids like it even more!

This is a great recipe for when you need to take dinner to someone. Even the pickiest of eaters seem to love it.

How to make the Best Poppy Seed Chicken

• cooked chicken breasts – I cook my own, but a rotisserie chicken works just as well
• cream of chicken soup – you can use canned condensed soup, or make it from scratch
• sour cream – I use light or fat free to cut down on the saturated fat
• milk
• dry minced onions – I have also made it with sliced green onions
• swiss cheese – this perks up the flavor, and makes the sauce extra creamy
• rice – Leftover rice is perfect for this recipe, any kind will do.
• Ritz crackers, or any type of buttery cracker
• melted butter
• poppy seeds

Tips for making Poppy Seed Chicken

-If you don’t have swiss cheese, parmesan cheese is an acceptable substitution. 

-We like baking the casserole with the rice, because the sauce soaks into the rice and flavors it. But if you prefer, you can just bake it without the rice and serve it over hot cooked rice. 

MORE TASTY CHICKEN RECIPES

• Italian Chicken Pasta
• From Scratch Chicken Haystacks
• Lemon Chicken Pasta
• Mustard Chicken
• Chicken Parmesan

Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe

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Yield: 6 servings

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

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Rice, creamy chicken, and a buttery topping make this a favorite family dinner recipe!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Topping

• 1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz crackers (1 sleeve), crushed
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 2 tsp poppy seeds

Casserole

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1 10.75 ounce can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp dry minced onion
• 1/3 cup grated swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish or 9x13" baking dish with non stick spray.
2. Crush crackers, then pour them into a small bowl. Stir in the butter and poppy seeds; set aside.
3. Spread rice in prepared pan.
4. Mix chicken, soup, sour cream, milk, onions, and cheese in a heavy saucepan. Heat through over medium heat, stirring constantly.
5. Pour chicken mixture over the top of the rice and spread evenly.
6. Sprinkle crackers on top of chicken mixture.
7. Bake at 350° for about 25-30 minutes or till bubbly.

Notes

The original recipe calls for regular sour cream and 1/4 cup butter in the topping. I lightened it up a bit, but if you like to live on the edge, go ahead and use the full fat version.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 488Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 671mgCarbohydrates: 43gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 29g

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(Originally published Jan 4, 2009, updated August 2019.)