Dinner / Casseroles & pot pies
Poppy Seed Chicken
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Creamy chicken under a golden crackle of buttered cracker crumbs and poppy seeds, spooned over rice or egg noodles. It's the dish that tells someone they were looked after, one warm spoonful at a time.
The short version
Whisk a quick sauce of butter, flour, broth and milk, take it off the heat and stir in sour cream and poppy seeds, then fold in shredded chicken. Top with buttered cracker crumbs and bake at 350°F until golden, about 25 minutes. Serve over rice or egg noodles.
What makes ours better
the tricks Nonna pretends she never taught me
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Make the sauce from scratch. Butter, flour, broth and milk are done in five minutes and taste like chicken instead of a can. You also decide how salty it is.
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Stir the sour cream in off the heat. Sour cream curdles if it boils. Folding it in after the sauce leaves the burner keeps it smooth and gives the tang that makes this dish what it is.
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Put poppy seeds in the sauce and in the topping. A tablespoon in the sauce gives it a nutty, faintly sweet note and a bit of crunch throughout, and the seeds on top toast in the oven.
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Add dry mustard and a little thyme. Both are quiet, but they sharpen the creamy sauce so it doesn't taste flat.
What you need
the cast, in order of appearance
- Unsalted butter3 tablespoons
- All-purpose flour¼ cup
- Dry mustard½ teaspoon
- Dried thyme½ teaspoon
- Chicken broth1¼ cups
- Whole milk¾ cup
- Sour cream¾ cup
- Shredded cooked chicken4 cups
Chicken and sauce
Topping
yes, all of the butter
Steps
nobody opens the oven door. looking at you, Dad.
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Heat the oven, prep the dish
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Butter a 2-quart baking dish, such as 11×7 inches.
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Make the topping
Crush the crackers in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin, or pulse in a food processor, until you have coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Toss them with the melted butter and poppy seeds in a bowl and set aside.
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Start the sauce
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder and thyme and cook for 1 minute, until it smells like toasted bread and looks bubbly.
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Add the liquid
Pour in the broth a little at a time, whisking until smooth, then add the milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking, and cook 3 to 4 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon.
A pot that's too hot scorches the bottom. Keep it at a lively simmer, not a boil.
About 4 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Finish the sauce
Take the pan off the heat. Whisk in the sour cream, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Fold in the chicken until every piece is coated. Taste and adjust the salt.
Sour cream splits if it boils, so keep the pot off the burner until it's mixed in.
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Fill and top
Scrape the chicken mixture into the dish and spread it evenly. Scatter the buttered cracker crumbs over the top in an even layer.
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Bake
Bake 22 to 28 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges and the crumbs are deep golden brown. The sauce is already hot, so you're browning the top and heating through.
About 25 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Rest and serve
Let the casserole sit 5 minutes so the sauce settles. Serve over hot rice or buttered egg noodles.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- To start from raw chicken, simmer 1½ pounds of boneless breasts or thighs in lightly salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, until 165°F inside, then shred. A splash of the cooking liquid can stand in for some of the broth.
- Crush the crackers coarsely. A fine powder makes a pasty top instead of a crisp one.
- Make ahead by assembling the filling in the dish and chilling up to 1 day. Add the buttered crumbs just before baking and give it 8 to 10 extra minutes.
- Doubling works in a 9×13-inch dish. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
- Storage. Fridge, 4 days. Freezer, 2 months, without the topping. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, then uncover and add fresh buttered crumbs if the top has gone soft.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
What is poppy seed chicken?
A Southern church-supper casserole of shredded chicken in a creamy sour cream sauce, topped with buttery cracker crumbs and poppy seeds. It's usually served over rice.
Can I use canned cream of chicken soup?
Yes. Mix one 10.5-ounce can with ¾ cup sour cream and the poppy seeds and seasonings, and skip the butter, flour, broth and milk. Our scratch sauce tastes fresher and isn't as salty.
What do poppy seeds do in this dish?
They add a faint nutty flavor and a little crunch. The dish still tastes good without them, but it won't be poppy seed chicken.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Build it up to a day ahead without the topping, then add the crumbs and bake it 8 to 10 minutes longer.
Can I use a different topping?
Crushed buttery crackers are traditional, and panko mixed with a tablespoon of melted butter and a pinch of salt gives a crisper, less rich top.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
Made it?
be honest. I can take it. probably.
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Published October 29, 2026.