Italian Cracker Chicken – A Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Italian Cracker Chicken is a quick meal that has only four ingredients and is perfect for a weeknight meal your entire family will devour. This recipe is sometimes called Club Chicken, but it really doesn’t matter what type of cracker you use. This baked chicken dish turns out perfect every time.
Italian Cracker Chicken
A few years ago, one of my best friends – Jennifer – shared a recipe for a quick and easy chicken dish with me that has become a favorite of our family. This baked chicken lightly breaded with cracker crumbs and seasoned with Italian dressing mix makes the perfect weeknight dinner. It takes just minutes to prep and is ready is less than an hour.
This cracker chicken recipe is often times called Club Chicken or Ritz Cracker Chicken depending on what type of cracker crumbs you use. We just use what we have on hand; Ritz crackers, Club crackers, butter crackers, they all taste great.
Club Chicken Recipe
The butter chicken recipe below calls for 1.5 pounds of chicken which is the most popular size package in our grocery stores. This is usually 8 chicken tenderloins or 3-4 chicken breasts. If you have a bigger family, just use as much chicken as you need, crush a few extra crackers and melt an extra Tablespoon or two of butter.
We usually have extra of the cracker crumb mixture left so we sprinkle it over the chicken in the baking dish to get a bit more breading on top. The cracker crumbs on the bottom of the pan after the chicken bakes are delicious. We may be known to clean out the baking dish with a fork once all the chicken is served!
Ingredient List for Club Chicken Recipe
- Chicken, breast or tenderloins
- Crackers, crushed (Club, Ritz or butter crackers)
- Dry Italian Seasoning Mix
- Butter, melted
How to Make Ritz Cracker Chicken
Step by Step directions on how to make Italian Cracker Chicken
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix crackers and Italian dressing mix in a plastic bag.
- Shake chicken in cracker mix and put in dish. Pour melted butter on chicken.
- Bake until internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F.
Full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for Ritz cracker chicken is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
FAQs on Cracker Chicken Recipe
Can you use other seasonings instead of dry Italian dressing mix? Dry Ranch seasoning also tastes amazing in exchange for the dry Italian seasoning blend. Check out our Amazon store to find either of these dressing mixes and other favorite ingredients.
What cut of chicken is used for Ritz Cracker Chicken? Use boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins. If using chicken tenderloins, reduce your cooking time. We have used boneless chicken thighs when that is all we have in the freezer.
How do you know if your chicken is cooking all the way? Use a meat thermometer and cook the chicken breasts to 165 degree F. I like a digital meat thermometer where you can set the target temperature and it beeps when the meat hits that exact temperature.
What kind of crackers do you use to make Italian Cracker Chicken? The cool thing about this cracker chicken is that you can use whatever type of crackers you have on hand. Use Club crackers, Ritz crackers, butter crackers or saltines, if desired.
What is the best way to crush crackers? An easy way to crush crackers is to place them in a sealed plastic bag, and then crunch them up with a rolling pin or food mallet. You could also use a food processor.
What can I make with chicken tenders? Make this Italian Cracker Chicken or these Potato Chip Crusted Baked Chicken Tenders.
Easy Chicken Recipes
Italian Cracker Chicken – A Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts or tenderloins
- 1 cup crushed crackers Club, Ritz both work nicely
- 1 oz. package Italian dressing mix
- 3 – 4 Tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix crushed crackers and Italian dressing mix in a resealable plastic bag.
- Place chicken in cracker mixture and shake to coat. If using chicken breasts, do one piece at a time.
- Place chicken in the prepared dish.
- If you have leftover cracker crumbs and want extra breading on your chicken, sprinkle some of the leftover crumbs on top of the chicken in the baking dish.
- Pour melted butter over cracker-covered chicken evenly.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. If using chicken tenderloins, cook time might be slightly quicker.
Notes
- Use chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins for this cracker chicken recipe. If you use tenderloins, the baking time will be reduced.
- How do you know if your chicken is cooking all the way? Use a meat thermometer and cook the chicken breasts to 165 degree F. I like a digital meat thermometer where you can set the target temperature and it beeps when the meat hits that exact temperature.
- The cool thing about this cracker chicken is that you can use whatever type of crackers you have on hand. Use Club crackers, Ritz crackers, butter crackers or saltines, if desired.Â
- An easy way to crush crackers is to place them in a sealed zip lock bag, and then crunch them up with a rolling pin or food mallet.Â
- Try swapping out dry Italian seasoning for dry ranch seasoning blend.Â
- Family love chicken tenders? Also try our Potato Chip Crusted Baked Chicken Tenders.
- Please note that carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information vary greatly depending on the products used. The nutritional figures below are auto-calculated and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
Nutrition
