This post may contain affiliate links.
Ritz Cracker Chicken is the ultimate easy comfort dinner, with juicy chicken breasts coated in buttery, crispy Ritz cracker crumbs and baked until golden. I made this on a busy weeknight when I needed something the whole family would devour, and the kids cleaned their plates. If you love our Monterey chicken, this Ritz cracker chicken is your next weeknight win.
A simple Ritz cracker and butter coating gives the chicken an irresistibly crispy crust without any frying.
Ritz Cracker Chicken Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 610kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crispy, buttery, savory
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our Monterey chicken
Quick Answer
Season chicken breasts, dip them in beaten egg, and coat in crushed Ritz crackers mixed with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Place in a baking dish, dot with butter, and bake at 375 degrees until golden and cooked through. This Ritz cracker chicken is crispy and juicy.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Ritz make it buttery. Crushed Ritz crackers create a rich, buttery, crispy coating that beats plain breadcrumbs.
- No frying needed. Baking with a few pats of butter gives a golden crust without the mess of frying.
- Egg helps it stick. Dipping in egg first gives the cracker crumbs something to grip so the coating stays on.
- Simple seasoning. Garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, and paprika add savory flavor to the crumbs.
- Juicy and quick. Baking just until 165 degrees keeps the chicken juicy in about 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is an easy, budget friendly dinner the whole family loves.
- The buttery Ritz cracker coating is crispy without any frying.
- It comes together in about 40 minutes with simple ingredients.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this Ritz cracker chicken so good. Just a few pantry staples.
- Ritz Crackers: Crushed into a buttery, crispy coating that is the star of the dish.
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless and skinless, they bake up juicy under the crunchy crust.
- Eggs: The glue that helps the cracker crumbs stick to the chicken.
- Butter: Dotted on top to help the coating turn golden and rich.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika flavor the crumbs.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This Ritz cracker chicken is easy to customize.
- Cheesy: Add grated Parmesan to the cracker crumbs.
- Spicy: Mix in cayenne or hot sauce in the egg wash.
- Chicken tenders: Use tenders and reduce the bake time.
- Ranch flavor: Add a packet of ranch seasoning to the crumbs.
- Different crackers: Swap in other buttery crackers if needed.
How to Make Ritz Cracker Chicken
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Set up a dredging station with chicken, beaten eggs, and crushed Ritz crackers.
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika to the crackers.
- Stir the crumb coating together until combined.
- Dip each chicken breast in the beaten egg.
- Press the chicken into the Ritz crumb mixture to coat both sides.
- Place the coated chicken in a baking dish.
- Dot the tops with small pieces of butter.
- Bake until golden and the chicken reaches 165 degrees, then serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Crush the crackers finely so they coat the chicken evenly.
- Pound thick breasts to an even thickness so they cook through evenly.
- Press the crumbs on firmly so the coating sticks well.
- Dot with butter for a golden, crispy top without frying.
- Use a thermometer and bake just to 165 degrees to keep the chicken juicy.
- Let it rest a few minutes before serving so the juices settle.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This Ritz cracker chicken is a comfort food dinner that pairs with all the classic sides. Serve it with mashed potatoes, corn, and a green vegetable for a complete meal.
It is great over a salad, sliced into wraps, or alongside pasta. Leftovers make an easy lunch the next day.
For a full comfort food spread, serve it with our homemade french fries or a side of potato salad.
Ritz Cracker Chicken FAQs
Yes. You can crush the crackers and mix the coating ahead, and even bread the chicken a few hours in advance. Bake the Ritz cracker chicken fresh for the crispiest crust.
Yes. Boneless thighs work great in this Ritz cracker chicken and stay extra juicy. Adjust the bake time as needed until they reach 165 degrees.
Pat the chicken dry, dip it fully in egg, and press the Ritz crumbs on firmly. This helps the coating stay on your Ritz cracker chicken while it bakes.
Yes. Air fry the breaded Ritz cracker chicken at 375 degrees, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through. Spray lightly with oil for extra crispiness.
Store leftover Ritz cracker chicken in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to keep the coating crispy rather than the microwave.
Yes. Freeze the cooked, cooled Ritz cracker chicken for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven until hot and crispy.
Need more easy chicken dinners? Try our Monterey chicken next.
Serve this Ritz cracker chicken with a bowl of French onion dip for game day.
Pair that ranch love with my one pot ranch chicken pasta on busy weeknights.
Keep the crowd pleasers coming with my bacon wrapped pierogies.
My potato chip chicken runs the same cracker aisle magic with ridged chips and cheese.
Ritz Cracker Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups crushed Ritz crackers
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup unsalted butter small diced
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the salt and pepper, set aside.
- Place the eggs in a medium-sized shallow bowl and beat well with a fork, set aside.
- Place the crushed crackers, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika in a medium-sized shallow bowl and stir to combine.
- Dip the chicken into the egg and coat it, let any excess egg drip off.
- Place the chicken into the cracker crumb mixture and press the crumbs in on both sides.
- Place the chicken into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Take ¼ cup of the leftover cracker mixture and sprinkle it on top of the chicken.
- Place the diced butter around the chicken, not directly on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, check for an internal temperature of 165°F, if it is not done, put it back in until an internal temperature reaches 165°F. Cook time will vary on how big the chicken is.
- Garnish with parsley, optional, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Double this recipe for larger crowds or family.
- Make sure you use butter crackers.
- The butter should not be placed directly on top of the chicken pieces.
- Your chicken will be done once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- This goes great with various sides, so serve with your favorite.
- Do not forget to season your chicken before coating.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
This was very easy to prepare and bake. I did use less butter, though, 5 TBS for roughly 1.5 pounds of chicken breast. That seemed to be about right, as 1/2 cup may have been too much. I also pounded the chicken flat and baked for about 45 minutes to reach the correct temperature and brown the coating. We enjoyed it, and I will probably make it again.
Very easy and delicious!
My advice would be, to take off the skin and de-bone the thighs. After that, you can proceed with the written directions, I would bake for 20 minutes and check the temperature, they probably would not need to bake for as long.
Sounds great! What changes would I make if I only have thighs that are not boneless or skinless? Thanks.
Sounds good! I’m going to make it! Let you know what I think when I do.