Name: Ritz Cracker Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1.5-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast; light salt & pepper; 1 sleeve ritz cracker, crushed; 2 large eggs; 1 tablespoon milk; 6 tablespoon all purpose flour; 2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper

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This Ritz Cracker Chicken is made with chicken breasts coated in flour, egg wash, and crushed Ritz crackers, then baked at 400°F until the chicken is cooked through and the coating turns golden and buttery.

For even cooking, I slice the chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thick rather than leaving them whole. That gives the chicken enough time to cook through in about 20 minutes without drying out while keeping the Ritz coating from getting too dark.

Close-up of Ritz Cracker Chicken with a golden, coarse cracker coating and chopped parsley.

How to Make Ritz Cracker Chicken

Prepare the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts horizontally so the pieces are about 1/2 inch thick. Pat them dry, then season lightly with salt and pepper.
Crush the Ritz crackers. Add one sleeve of Ritz crackers to a food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs with no large pieces. If any bigger pieces remain, crumble them by hand.
Set up the breading station. Add the seasoned flour to one shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together in a second bowl, and place the crushed Ritz crackers in a third.
Bread the chicken. Coat each piece first in the flour, then the egg wash, and finally the Ritz crumbs until well covered.
Bake the chicken. Place the breaded chicken on a greased sheet pan and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes. There is no need to flip the chicken while it bakes.
Check for doneness. The chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F. Pieces thicker than about 1/2 inch may need additional time.
Rest before serving. Let the chicken rest for about 5–10 minutes before handling and serving.

Tips for the Best Ritz Cracker Chicken

Keep the chicken about 1/2 inch thick. Pieces that are too thick can leave you waiting on the center while the Ritz coating gets too dark. Pieces that are too thin can dry out before the coating finishes baking.

Slice instead of pounding. Cutting full chicken breasts horizontally gives you more even pieces without smashing the meat too thin.

Crush the Ritz crackers into coarse crumbs. You want them broken down well with no large chunks, but not turned into a fine powder. Oversized cracker pieces can brown too quickly in the oven.

Use the flour first. The flour layer gives the egg wash something to cling to, which helps the Ritz coating stay attached while the chicken bakes.

Keep the seasoning simple. Ritz crackers already bring plenty of buttery flavor, so the chicken only needs a straightforward salt-and-pepper seasoning instead of a long spice list.

Do not flip the chicken. Letting it bake undisturbed gives the bottom side time to brown against the greased sheet pan.

Check the temperature for doneness. About 20 minutes at 400°F works well for 1/2-inch chicken breasts, but thickness can vary. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F.

Baked Ritz Cracker Chicken breasts on a white platter with a golden cracker crust and parsley.

What to Serve with Ritz Cracker Chicken

Ritz Cracker Chicken works well with classic comfort-food sides like Broccoli Casserole, Broccoli Mac & Cheese, mashed potatoes, or green beans.

For something a little different, serve it with Pineapple Cheese Casserole for a sweet-and-savory side that pairs well with the buttery Ritz coating.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken – Juicy chicken breast coated with a savory herb crust for an easy restaurant-style dinner.
Baked Hot Honey Chicken Tenders – Oven-baked chicken tenders coated in a sweet and spicy hot honey glaze.
Baked Chicken and Potatoes – An easy oven dinner with seasoned chicken and potatoes cooked together.
Chicken Cobbler – Creamy chicken and vegetables baked with a buttery biscuit topping.

Ritz Cracker Chicken

Chicken breasts coated in seasoned flour, egg wash, and buttery Ritz cracker crumbs, then baked at 400°F until golden and cooked through.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Ritz Cracker Chicken

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings: serving

Ingredients

1.5-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
light salt & pepper

Breading

1 sleeve ritz cracker, crushed

Egg Wash

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk

Flour station

6 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a sheet pan.
Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Pat dry if needed and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Crush the Ritz crackers into coarse crumbs with no large pieces.
Set up three shallow dishes: the seasoned flour, the eggs whisked with milk, and the crushed Ritz crackers.
Coat each piece of chicken in the flour first, followed by the egg wash, then the Ritz cracker crumbs until well covered.
Place the breaded chicken directly onto the greased sheet pan.
Bake for about 20 minutes without flipping, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F. Thicker pieces may require additional time.
Let the chicken rest for about 5–10 minutes before handling and serving.

Notes

Keep the chicken close to 1/2 inch thick so the center cooks through before the Ritz coating gets too dark. Crush the crackers into coarse crumbs rather than leaving large pieces, which can brown too quickly while baking.

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