Healthy Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe: Still Tasty With Way Fewer Calories!

Learn how to make this healthier Poppy Seed Chicken recipe!

A while back I found out that wasn’t eating nearly enough protein, so I went a little crazy with inserting chicken-based meals into our rotation, haha. This Healthy Poppy Seed Chicken recipe was one of those new meals, and it quickly became a family favorite. Seriously, we have it all the time.

I looked through quite a few versions of this recipe and ended up mixing several together and then altering it a lot to make it healthy, haha. It still totally delivers on taste, though! Like even my chicken averse 4 year old loves it.

And what’s not to love? Tender chicken coated in a flavorful sauce topped with crunchy Ritz crackers (arguably the most addictive of crackers)… yeah, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Did I mention that it’s also really easy to make? Winner, winner, chicken dinner. 😉

So let’s start making!

How to Make Healthy Poppy Seed Chicken

Prepare the chicken

First, cook 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken. I use chicken tenderloins because it’s the part of the chicken with the most protein content.

Most people simmer their chicken on the stove right before making this casserole, and that’s fine. But I like my chicken extra tender, so I cook mine in the crockpot. And honestly, our evenings are usually a bit hectic, so if I can get some of dinner prepped earlier in the day, I do it!

If you want to cook yours in the crockpot, too, simply put the chicken in, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and add about ½ cup of water. Then close the lid and cook it on high for 4-6 hours.

Once the chicken is ready, lightly grease a 9x13casserole pan. Chop up the chicken and place it in the prepared pan.

Make the sauce

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of sour cream, 1 (10.5 ounce) can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.

Add all the layers

Spread the soup mixture on top of the chicken.

Now crush about 1 ½ rolls of Ritz crackers in a plastic zip loc bag. Mix 3 tablespoons of melted butter (either unsalted or salted is fine) with the cracker crumbs; I do this right in the plastic bag.

Sprinkle the cracker crumbs on top of the saucy chicken.

Lastly, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds on top of the cracker layer.

Now it’s baking time! Pop it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Farenheight.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, until the crackers look a little toasty.

Now the most important step: enjoy!

Add some roasted veggies as the perfect side dish to round out this meal.

Let me know how this healthy poppy seed chicken recipe turned out for you!