Creamy poppy seed chicken casserole features a luscious sauce laden with tender chunks of chicken, onions, garlic, and a sprinkle of poppy seeds all topped with a buttery cracker crumb topping. A quick and easy dinner solution, this poppy seed chicken is delicious over a bed of fluffy white rice.

I don’t cook with poppy seed very frequently.

In fact, I cook with them so infrequently that when I first served this poppy seed casserole years ago to my youngest on, he asked me why I served him dirty chicken.

It took some convincing to explain to him that the poppy seeds were not in fact dirt but instead poppy seeds like you’d find on a bagel.

Once we stopped laughing so hard we were crying and finally coaxed him to taste his chicken, he happily ate it.

For good reason.

It’s easily one of the creamiest chicken dishes I’ve ever had.

Sauteed onion and garlic are stirred into a homemade cream of chicken soup sauce.

Add a dash of poppy seeds, shredded chicken, salt & pepper, and you’re in business.

Spoon it into a casserole dish and add a layer of crushed buttery Ritz crackers, and finally sprinkle on a final layer of crushed buttery Ritz crackers.

The result?

Maximum deliciousness with minimal effort.

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need:

Chicken– Either cooked and roughly chopped chicken breasts or shredded rotisserie chicken.
Butter and flour– To form a roux
Aromatics- Diced onion and minced garlic
Milk– Go for whole milk if possible
Sour cream– Full fat for maximum creaminess
Poppy seeds
Salt and pepper– To taste
Topping– Crushed Ritz crackers and more butter

How to Make

This poppy seed chicken is so easy to make.

To do it, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Saute the onions in the butter until they are soft and then stir in the garlic and saute for an additional minute.

Once the garlic is fragrant, whisk in the flour until it’s combined with the veggies.

Cook, stirring until the flour is golden and pasty.

At this point, stir in the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, until it’s completely incorporated and smooth.

Cook the mixture over medium heat until the mixture reduces slightly and thickens.

Then, stir in the chicken and season everything with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in the sour cream and poppy seeds, until evenly incorporated.

Spread the mixture evenly into a 9×13 baking dish you’ve sprayed with cooking spray.

Melt the butter, and toss it with the crushed crackers coating them well.

Sprinkle the buttery cracker crumbs evenly out over top of the casserole.

Bake the casserole for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the crackers are golden brown and the casserole’s hot and bubbly.

Serve over cooked white rice and enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Tips and Tricks

Use leftover cooked chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken to save time. You could even use canned chicken, just make sure to drain it well and flake with a fork beforehand.
Have a family of cheese lovers? Sprinkle on some cheddar cheese .
To make a full meal you could also stir in some steamed broccoli to the casserole.

Other Creamy Chicken Casseroles

This creamy poppy seed chicken casserole is a delicious, easy meal.

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other easy creamy chicken casseroles?

Try these:

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