This oven baked 4-ingredient chicken with Ritz cracker topping is the kind of simple, comforting casserole-style supper that has earned a permanent place in church cookbooks and family recipe boxes for good reason. With tender chicken, a buttery crumb coating, and a creamy baked finish, it comes together with pantry basics and turns out hearty enough for a weeknight dinner but familiar and comforting enough for potlucks, holidays, and those small-town gatherings where everybody expects a dependable hot dish on the table.
Serve this chicken with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or fluffy rice to catch every bit of the creamy, buttery goodness. For vegetables, green beans, peas, steamed broccoli, or a simple side salad all fit right in, and if you are feeding a crowd, a basket of warm rolls and a fruit salad make it feel like a full Sunday dinner without much extra work.
Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Chicken Ritz Cracker
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly butter or grease a rectangular baking dish.
2. If using large chicken breasts, cut them into smaller serving-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
3. Spread the sour cream over each piece of chicken, coating all sides well.
4. Press the sour cream-coated chicken into the crushed Ritz crackers until each piece is thoroughly covered.
5. Arrange the coated chicken pieces in the prepared baking dish and drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top.
6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the cracker topping is golden brown and crisp.
7. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving so the coating can set a bit and the juices stay in the meat.
Variations & Tips
For extra flavor: Add a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, or black pepper to the crushed crackers before coating the chicken. Even though the original is wonderfully plain and comforting, a little seasoning can give it a more savory supper feel.
For picky eaters: Use chicken tenders instead of larger chicken pieces so they bake a little faster and are easier for kids to serve themselves. Smaller pieces also give you more crunchy edges, which is usually the first thing to disappear at the table.
To keep the topping crisp: Avoid crowding the pan too tightly. Leaving a little space between pieces helps the hot air circulate so the cracker coating browns instead of steaming.
Make it ahead: Coat the chicken and place it in the baking dish a few hours ahead, then cover and refrigerate. Wait to drizzle on the melted butter until just before baking for the best texture.
Try a creamy variation: If your family likes a little more sauce, spread a thin layer of cream of chicken soup in the bottom of the baking dish before adding the coated chicken. It is not part of the classic 4-ingredient version, but it makes the meal stretch nicely over rice or noodles.
