Description
Crispy Cheddar Chicken is a comforting baked dish featuring juicy chicken coated with crushed crackers and cheddar cheese, then finished with a creamy sauce. It’s crunchy, cheesy, and perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 sleeves of Ritz (butter) crackers (about 1 to 1½ cups crushed)
- 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 (14‑ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Grease or spray a 9×13‑inch baking dish.
- Cut each chicken breast into 2 or 3 large chunks (8–12 pieces total).
- Crush the crackers into fine crumbs using a food processor or zip bag.
- In a shallow bowl, mix crushed crackers, grated cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and dried parsley.
- In another bowl, pour the milk.
- Dip each chicken piece in milk, then coat in the cracker-cheese mixture.
- Arrange coated chicken in a single layer in the baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until golden and cooked through (165 °F / 74 °C).
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and butter. Stir until smooth and heated through.
- Serve the chicken topped with the sauce or serve the sauce on the side.
Notes
- Use flour before milk if the coating doesn’t stick well.
- Swap in gluten-free crackers and soup for a gluten-free version.
- Coat chicken ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Leftovers reheat best in the oven to maintain crispiness.
- Freeze unbaked coated chicken, not the cooked version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
