Crispy Ritz Cracker Chicken is a kid-approved, 30-minute dinner recipe that makes weeknight cooking a breeze. These juicy, tender chicken breasts are topped with crumbled, buttery Ritz crackers and seasoned with garlic!
Looking for more easy chicken dinners that come together in a flash? Try my MIYM Chicken or my Chicken and Noodles!
Buttery Baked Ritz Cracker Chicken
Today I’m coming back to you guys with another chicken dinner. We eat a lot of chicken around here… it’s just so easy, versatile, and quick. This Ritz Cracker Chicken recipe checks all of those boxes, plus the ones labeled “picky-eater-approved” and “instant family favorite,” for good measure.
Why is that? Let me paint you the mouth-watering picture. It all starts with chicken breasts that are coated in crunchy Ritz cracker crumbs and a simple seasoning mix. Next, all of this is thrown into the oven to bake to buttery perfection. The final result is tender, juicy chicken with a wonderfully crispy exterior that you can serve with practically any side dish you like!
So, now you see why I’m so excited to share this classic baked chicken recipe with you. A crispy chicken dinner that comes together in 30 minutes, without using the fryer? Sounds like a win to me!
What Makes Chicken with Ritz Crackers So Good?
Okay, so there might be a couple more details to add to that picture! In addition to the fabulous taste, I love making Ritz Cracker Chicken because it:
- Pairs with Everything: Want to add pasta? Sounds good. Rice? Roasted vegetables? Those will work too. Check out the servings section below to get some more suggestions on possible side dishes!
- Can Be Customized: I like to keep it simple with garlic powder, but you can definitely play around with Italian seasoning, paprika, or other spices if you want.
- Comes Together Quickly: I know, I already mentioned this part… but it’s so key! It takes literally 10 minutes to prep the chicken, and then all you have to do is wait for it to come out of the oven.
What You’ll Need
On to the ingredients! There’s not much to discuss here, as there are only a couple of things to round up for this crispy chicken dinner. Also, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below to find the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Chicken Breasts: I like to use lean, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to approximately half an inch in thickness to ensure that they cook evenly. You could also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Eggs: The beaten eggs will bind the seasoned cracker crumbs to the chicken while it bakes.
- Ritz Crackers: Crushed crackers give the chicken its ultra-crunchy exterior. Feel free to switch up the cracker type if needed (you could also use Saltines, for example).
- Butter: Baking your chicken with cubed butter makes it turn out incredibly tender and flavorful. You could use salted or unsalted butter, either kind works!
- Seasoning: Like I mentioned above, I just add in salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Simple, but tried and true!
How to Make Ritz Cracker Chicken
Whipping this Ritz chicken together is (say it with me) SO easy. There are two basic stages to this recipe: coating the chicken and baking it. This is the step-by-step breakdown:
- Mix the Coating Ingredients: After you preheat the oven, mix together cracker crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Prepare the Chicken: Rinse the chicken breasts, then pat them dry. To coat them, dip each piece in the egg mixture and evenly cover them with the crumbs.
- Bake: Place your chicken breasts in a 9×13 baking dish, scatter cubed butter around them, and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Enjoy: That’s all! Feel free to spoon extra butter on top of your chicken if you like.
Tips for Success
As you can see, this chicken with crushed crackers is pretty much foolproof, but there are a couple of tips and tricks that are worth mentioning:
- Adjusting for the Thickness of the Chicken: I like to buy already trimmed chicken that is sliced thin when I make this. You don’t have to… BUT if you use thicker chicken breast, you’ll have to adjust the bake time.
- How to Know When the Chicken is Done: When the juices run clear, you’ll know that the chicken is done. It’s always a good idea to use a meat thermometer, though, and ensure that the internal temperature has reached at least 165F.
- Substitutes for Eggs: If you don’t have any eggs, or would rather make the recipe without them, you can use mayonnaise or sour cream to bind the coating to the chicken.
- Use Shallow Bowls for the Seasoning and Egg Wash: It’s a lot easier to evenly coat the chicken if you use shallow bowls.
Serving Suggestions
Now that you’ve got the main course squared away, it’s time to pick a side. Here are a few of my go-to options:
- Rice or Pasta: Serving this chicken over a simple bed of rice is the easiest option, but you can also make a side of Buttery Lemon Spaghetti, or pasta with tomato sauce, etc.
- Salad or Veggies: Any green veggie will pair nicely with this meal, or you could make a light salad.
- Mashed Potatoes: Who doesn’t love Mashed Potatoes? If you’ve got a little more time on your hands, I highly recommend mixing some together!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If by some chance you have leftovers for this meal, here’s how to store and reheat everything:
- To Store: Keep any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days once it has cooled.
- To Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy some more crispy chicken, reheat it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, or in the oven (at about 350F) until warmed through.
Can I Freeze Ritz Cracker Chicken?
Sure! Ritz Cracker Chicken can be frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Once thawed, follow the same instructions to reheat.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
On the lookout for simple chicken recipes that the whole family will love? Check out these ones:
- Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets
- Creamy Chicken and Rice
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
- Easy Peanut Ginger Chicken
Ritz Cracker Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Crispy Ritz Cracker Chicken is a kid-approved, 30-minute dinner recipe that makes weeknight cooking a breeze. These juicy, tender chicken breasts are topped with crumbled, buttery Ritz crackers and seasoned with garlic!
Ingredients
- 1 – 1/4 pounds lean boneless chicken breasts pounded or sliced thin (approx 1/2 inch)
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 sleeve Ritz Butter round crackers (about 30), crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- In medium bowl combine crushed crackers, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Rinse and pat each chicken breast dry. Dip each breast into the whisked eggs and then into the cracker mixture, coating evenly.
- Place chicken into a 9×13 baking dish. Scatter the cubes of butter around the chicken in the baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
- Serve immediately, spooning extra butter on top of the chicken if desired.
Notes
- To Store: Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy some more crispy chicken, reheat it in the microwave or the oven (at about 350F) until warmed through.
- To Freeze: Ritz Cracker Chicken can be frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Once thawed, follow the same instructions to reheat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 1065.9 mg
- Fat: 20.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.9 g
- Protein: 9.7 g
- Cholesterol: 105.2 mg
I thought it needed an herb-y taste, so I added some Italian seasoning. Other than that, very good and juicy.
So good! We used the veggie flavored crackers and everyone loved it! Thank you.
I’ve made this recipe a few times in the past few years and it is by far my favorite chicken recipe. So delicious!
I make this also but instead of using egg to dredge the chicken in I melt my stick of butter and mix it in with the cracker crumbs then roll my chicken pieces in and bake. So yummy! This is my grandsons favorite meal :0)
My family loved this chicken! Easy to make, and tasty.
Not what I expected when I opened ththe recipe but it was delicious! Pretty easy to make and tasted really good. Had the wrong crackers but still worked out and I left nary a crumb in the dish.
Just curious, asking as an inexperienced cook, why rinse and dry the chicken?
I don’t do ever that but many people insist you should.
I’ve heard that you should pat it dry but not rinse as contaminants from water can get on your chicken.
So easy and so very good! This is a definite keeper and will be a great dish to take to others! Thanks so much for sharing it!
How about using chicken thighs since I just cannot develop a taste for chicken breast? And if so, how to adjust the cooking time?
Yes sure! And if you use boneless thighs, the baking time won’t change too much!
I used boneless, skinless thighs at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and they were perfect.