Ritz Cracker Chicken - Cheesy chicken covered with crispy, baked Ritz Crackers and topped with a creamy, flavorful sauce!
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My son's last day of Kindergarten is tomorrow! Where has the time gone?! He's super excited to be moving on to 1st grade in the fall, but for now, he's looking forward to summer break! Heck, we're all looking forward to summer around here. The past few weeks have been rainy and cooler and I'm ready for those hot days and warm summer nights. I say, "BRING IT ON!"
We spend most of our time outdoors in the summer. We have such an active neighborhood with children all around, so there's always something going on. The kids play outside longer, dinner gets pushed until later, and before you know it, we all barrel into the house, look at the clock and realize that bedtime should have been about 30 minutes ago. Ahh, the summer.
While we give our grill quite the workout in the summer, it doesn't mean we ignore the oven. Some days there are just recipes I crave that aren't possible on the grill and this Ritz Cracker Chicken is one of them!
Could it be the cheddar cheese that I smoosh onto the chicken that makes it taste so good or is it the Ritz Cracker crust? The jury's still out on that one, but if I were to make an educated guess, I would say it's both.
What makes this chicken truly amazing, however, is the creamy chicken soup mixture you spoon over the top to give it one final burst of flavor.
I'm going to be honest with you about this chicken. This was not a planned post. This was just a normal dinner we were making one evening that I decided to document at the very last minute. #foodbloggerproblems
Is it worthy of sharing with you? YES, absolutely. It's delicious. My husband tells me it's the best chicken ever. I reminded him that he said the same thing about my Lemon Fried Chicken.
These impromptu photo shoots happen all of the time in our house, and to give you fair warning, they happen even more frequently in the summer. We're just so gosh darn busy! While the photography isn't exactly up to my normal standards, I knew you'd forgive me when you tasted the chicken.
What I love about this chicken is that it's versatile. Choose any flavor of Ritz Cracker you would like! I used Roasted Vegetable because that's what I had on hand. I served it with a noodle side dish and some broccoli.
We ate it ALL up. Let me tell you. While I was snapping pics at the table (yes the table) Josh, my hubby, was on the final bite of his first piece of chicken. He ran back to the pan and grabbed another. Did he think I wouldn't notice?
With the whirlwind of weeks we've been having lately there are probably plenty of things he's gotten away with that I haven't noticed! If your summer days are as busy as ours, you're going to need quick and easy recipes like this one. Don't fall victim to fast food. Keep things simple and delicious. . .and you'll make it through this busy summer just fine!
Ritz Cracker Chicken
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHICKEN
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (crushed (I used Roasted Vegetable flavor))
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt
- Garlic pepper
- FOR THE SAUCE
- 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the egg and ¼ cup milk.
- Place the crushed crumbs in a shallow dish and the cheddar cheese in another.
- Salt and pepper the chicken breasts, to taste.
- Dip the breasts into the egg and milk mixture.
- Cover the breasts with shredded cheese using your fingers to press the cheese onto the chicken.
- Place breasts into crumbs and cover entirely.
- Position chicken onto baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until breasts are fully cooked and the centers no longer pink.
- While chicken bakes, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the chicken soup, sour cream and milk. Whisk together until well-combined and warmed through. Serve sauce over the chicken.
Notes
- Cracker Choice: While Ritz crackers are a classic choice for this recipe, feel free to experiment with different flavors or types of crackers to customize the taste. For example, you could try using plain or seasoned crackers, or even panko breadcrumbs for a different texture.
- Cheese Coverage: Ensure that the shredded cheddar cheese fully covers the chicken breasts to create a flavorful and cheesy crust. Press the cheese onto the chicken firmly to help it adhere during baking. This not only adds flavor but also helps keep the chicken moist as it cooks.
- Sauce Consistency: When preparing the sauce, adjust the milk quantity based on your desired consistency. If you prefer a thicker sauce, use less milk, and if you prefer a thinner sauce, add more milk accordingly. Additionally, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking before serving it over the chicken.
Susan Henry
I've cooked this chicken a few times. It's great.
Stephanie Roddy
This is delicious-- Tender, moist, just great flavor! Substituted gouda as I have one who doesn't care for cheddar. Also used chicken thighs and baked about 25 minutes. Served with buttered noodles with garlic parsley salt. This is a winner, winner, chix dinner!! Great recipe💟
Lisa Bumgarner
Fixing to try this for super. It looks really, really great. ❤️🍽️🍽️
Lolli
I made this recipe. Very good. Instead of spooning the sauce over once it was plated I covered the breasts in the cooking pan. It's great which ever way you serve it.
Jan
Tried this recipe for first time last night. While this is so good, (even my picky husband loved it) & I will make this again, I had one problem preparing it. After you dip the chicken into the egg/milk mixture, then into the cheese mixture it’s wet so absolutely no way that cheese will stay on your chicken. So I ended up just combining the crumbs & cheese & did best I could to get all that to stick on the chicken. Has anyone else had this problem?
Tiffany
Add a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise to the milk and egg mixture and stir it really well. This will help solve that problem
Deborah Adams
I made this tonight and it was so good! I forgot the garlic pepper but it didn't seem to diminish the taste. I did go back and looked at the recipe.....but did not see where the garlic pepper was used in the recipe.....can you please advise.
Sara
In step 5 when you season the chicken, you would use the salt and garlic pepper. So glad you enjoyed it!
Anonymous
This was really a good dish. I had to thin out the gravy a little but the taste was there! Definitely will make it again.
Michelle Swider
What are some good sides made with this?
Sara
Hi Michelle! Mashed potatoes, veggie casserole or a salad are all great options! Enjoy!
Anonymous
Just made this with Townhouse crackers (no Ritz on hand). It is delicious! Next time the only change I will make is to bake on a cookie sheet with wire insert so the bottom stays crispy as well.
Sara
Yes! Placing the chicken on a rack is a great idea! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Lyndsay
Hi quick question for you. I'm making this tonight can you tell me Roughly how many crackers are in a sleeve? Our boxes of Ritz Crackers comes in a full bag not sleeves.
Sara
Lyndsay, I'd say 25 or so?
Lyndsay
Thanks so much Sara. Merry Christmas ?