10/08/18

Chicken & Rice Casserole

An easy casserole recipe for creamy rice and fork-tender chicken that cooks in one dish. No need to precook the rice or brown the chicken first – just mix and bake!

JUMP TO RECIPE

If you’ve been with me very long you know how much I love rice. It is my verrrrrry favorite food of all time! Not plain rice, mind you (though I like it too), I mean savory dishes made with rice.

My baby boy – well, he’s 12 now so I guess he’s not a baby anymore except he is because he’ll always be my baby – asked me the other day what one food I would pick if I could only have one thing for the rest of my life.

Chicken & Rice Casserole! An easy casserole recipe for creamy rice and fork-tender chicken that cooks in one dish. No need to precook the rice or brown the chicken first – just mix and bake!

I quickly answered that I would choose rice! He opened his mouth to tell me his answer (which was probably something like Milk Duds) then stopped and just looked at me for a minute…

Then he asked if he chose rice too would that include fried rice, the rice at our favorite Mexican restaurant and chicken bog (like, who am I? the hypothetical game rule maker??). I said sure, why not?! then he told me he wanted to change his answer to rice too.

That apple didn’t fall far from the tree, eh?

Chicken & Rice Casserole! An easy casserole recipe for creamy rice and fork-tender chicken that cooks in one dish. No need to precook the rice or brown the chicken first – just mix and bake!

I have a few rice casserole dishes I make all the time (I’ll list them below) that include ground beef, pork chops or sausage but none that are made with chicken so this weekend I decided to make a new casserole recipe using chicken and rice!

I used chicken broth and cream of celery because I think chicken and celery just go together but also because – and this is weird – I really love cream of celery soup for cooking! They’ve come a looooooong way with canned creamed soups so I use them more than I once did but I especially like cooking with cream of celery. If it’s not your thing, feel free to use whichever variety you like best!

My fear about using cream of chicken in this was that I didn’t want the dish to be too “chickeny”… I wanted there to be some other flavor kicking around in the dish. And since Husband haaaaaates mushrooms, I didn’t use cream of mushroom. But again, use whichever you like best!

Chicken & Rice Casserole! An easy casserole recipe for creamy rice and fork-tender chicken that cooks in one dish. No need to precook the rice or brown the chicken first – just mix and bake!

I’m sitting here typing this up, about to start with the actual recipe, and I got to thinking about something. I see beautiful chicken and rice casserole recipes online all the time but when I click over to look at them, most of them are made with instant rice and I HATE INSTANT RICE so I suck my teeth and move on.

So, I started wondering why?

What’s wrong with me that I hate instant rice so much? So, I googled it and learned a little about what the difference is. It’s not that I’m a rice snob (well, I kinda am because my part of the South is BIG on rice and we pride ourselves on our rice-making ability), it’s because it’s a stripped-down, processed version of regular rice!

Chicken & Rice Casserole! An easy casserole recipe for creamy rice and fork-tender chicken that cooks in one dish. No need to precook the rice or brown the chicken first – just mix and bake!

Check out this article from The Watering Mouth that explains more about the process of how instant rice is produced. In summary, the writer, Cheri, says:

“This process removes virtually all nutrition that the rice could have contained along with most of the flavor and almost all of the texture. What you’re left with is a mushy, shell of a rice grain that has practically no redeeming qualities.”

Preach it, sister!!

PREACH IT!!

Chicken & Rice Casserole! An easy casserole recipe for creamy rice and fork-tender chicken that cooks in one dish. No need to precook the rice or brown the chicken first – just mix and bake!

If you love main dish casseroles made with rice, check out a few of these recipes too!

  • Sausage & Rice Casserole - a simple recipe perfect for supper, side dishes, potlucks and Thanksgiving (sometimes called Rice Dressing).
  • Pork Chop & Rice Casserole - An easy pork chop bake made with rice and French onion soup.
  • Jailhouse Rice - A delicious casserole recipe with rice, ground beef and sausage perfect for feeding a crowd.
  • Hamburger & Rice Casserole - Ground beef and rice baked together in a classic casserole recipe that's easy to make your own.

Recipe for Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken & Rice Casserole! An easy casserole recipe for creamy rice and fork-tender chicken that cooks in one dish. No need to precook the rice or brown the chicken first – just mix and bake!

Chicken & Rice Casserole

Chicken & Rice Casserole
Yield: 6 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 H & 25 MTotal time: 1 H & 35 M
An easy casserole recipe for creamy rice and fork-tender chicken that cooks in one dish. No need to precook the rice or brown the chicken first – just mix and bake!

Ingredients

  • 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 14.5-oz cans chicken broth
  • 2 10.5-oz cans cream of celery soup
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups uncooked white rice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Additional salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine chicken broth, cream of celery soup, butter and rice in a bowl then stir to combine.
  2. Combine salt, paprika, garlic and pepper then stir well. Add HALF of the seasoning combination to the rice mixture then stir well.
  3. Spray a 3-qt 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray (or rub with butter) then pour rice mixture into dish.
  4. Cut each chicken breast in half. Season the chicken with additional salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on top of rice mixture then sprinkle the remaining seasoning combination over the dish.
  5. Cover tightly with aluminum foil then bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove aluminum foil then continue baking for 10 additional minutes. Remove from oven then allow dish to rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • It is imperative that the dish be covered tightly with aluminum foil – consider covering with two layers.
  • If rice is not tender, return foil to dish then continue baking for 5-10 minutes (my rice was perfectly tender but all ovens do not cook the same).
  • You must use a 3-qt or larger baking dish for this recipe to prevent the dish from cooking over. Mine was pretty darn close to the brim while it was cooking.
  • Consider placing a cookie sheet under your dish to prevent any messes. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have sometimes, ya know?
  • Feel free to use cream of chicken or mushroom soup instead of cream of celery.
  • Cutting the chicken into two pieces is totally optional. Feel free to leave the chicken breasts whole.
  • This recipe could easily be cut in half. If using a 13x9 dish, reduce the cooking time to 1 hour with additional 5 minutes uncovered. If using something smaller, cook per the instructions above.
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87 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recipe! It looks like when you added the "if you half the recipe" part at the end that the size of the pan is the same as at the top of it for the full recipe. So, is half the recipe like an 8x8?

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    1. Hi Annette! When you half the recipe you could still cook it in a 13x9 pan (but it would be shallower so it would cook quicker - hence the adjusted cook times). If you want to use a smaller pan, I'd use an 2-qt dish! I hope you enjoy! And that that makes sense!

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  2. Oh, my gosh! I totally could have written the same blog you did about this! I didn't think that anyone could love their rice more than me!! Lol!! I also have a 12 year old "baby" and like yours, he'll always be my baby! And he loves rice dishes as much as yours does!! I got such a kick out of your blog today! I also HATE instant rice with a passion! We're a rice family....not potatoes....rice. Jasmine. The huge bags from Costco kind! We go through a few of those a year because it's everyone's favorite side dish here. and I also prepare lots of rice based main dishes. I needed some dinner inspiration for tonight, and took a look at your post! Thank you! Now I know what I'm making for dinner! I've done 2 other versions of this dish, as well, One has some Ranch seasoning (from the packet) sprinkled in for seasoning....the other uses a package of Lipton's Onion Soup mix. Tonight, I'll make yours! Thanks for all of the great recipes you share! :-)

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    1. Thank you!! It sounds like we were separated at birth!! LOL! I like the idea of using ranch seasoning - I think I'll try that!!

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  3. This looks so good! May I ask what type of rice did you use?

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    1. Thank you!! I always use long-grain or extra long-grain rice (such as Mahatma's).

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  4. Just a question. What's your favorite way to cook plain rice? Do you use a rice cooker or just a pan with lid? Chicken broth or just water and butter?
    Maybe you have posted this before, so bear with me.
    Thanks for your reply.

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    1. I cook it in a pan on the stove. I use a liquid measure for the water and a dry measure for the rice then cook at a 2:1 ratio. I salt the water then bring to a boil (with a lid) then add the rice, reduce heat to low then stir with a fork until simmering. Cover then cook for 20 minutes, only stirring once or twice the first 10 minutes. I think leaving it alone and keeping it covered as much as possible is key!

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    2. Thank you!

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    3. I've cooked any type of rice in chicken broth and to me it gives it a better flavor if I'm serving with with chicken. My husband loves it this way.

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    4. Try adding a cup of Mexican salsa to your water when cooking a side dish for a Spanish
      rice treat.

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  5. Learned this recipe from an ex wife. We call it no peak chicken and rice. Most excellent dish.

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  6. I made this for dinner yesterday and it was delicious. I made as written but added Parmesan cheese on top at the last few minutes. I think when I make it again I will do the same but cook my rice on stove and add the last 30 minutes. I had some rice that was still hard and some very soft. The flavors were great and the chicken very moist.

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    1. I use parboiled rice and that takes care of hard and soft rice. I have been making this recipe for around 15 years and this seems to work well.

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  7. Just got this out of the oven and of course had to have a taste. So glad I tried this. So, so good. I think I'll put this on top of some biscuits and just sit back and enjoy...… I'll be coming back to this site again!

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  8. This is one of my go to recipes except I use skin on chicken pieces usually chicken thighs so I don't need any added butter. The rice is flavored from the chicken and it's so good.

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    1. I was looking for a comment like this! I will make this tonight!

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  9. We love this recipe and had plenty for lunch the next day.

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  10. I have to say that chicken rice casserole is one of the dishes that I can make it delicious without any effort! Happy eating~ :)
    - Natalie

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  11. I made using boneless thighs and tasted great!

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  12. I did halve the recipe and it was wonderful! Great flavor!

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  13. Made this tonight, was a huge hit! Thank you!

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  14. Instant rice I also pass on a dish that uses instant rice.Which is sad because some look so good until I get to the rice. LOL Putting this dish in my dinner rotation.

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  15. Hi, can I make this dish a head of time and store it in the fridge until I'm ready to cook it?

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    1. I've never tried it so I can't say for sure but I think it would work just fine! Maybe cook it 5 minutes longer since it will be starting from a very cold temperature.

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  16. Like to add frozen broccoli and cauliflower.
    That would work?

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  17. I love the way you write.

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  18. I tried this recipe, followed to a T on the measurements, but mine is soupy on top... any suggestions?

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    1. If you leave it to rest, the rice should absorb any excess liquid.

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  19. its really looking soft and delicious chicken with rice.can i ask what kind of rice you used?thanks for recipe i must try it.

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  20. Could chicken tenderloins be used instead of the whole breasts? And if yes, would the time be the same?

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  21. Can you use brown rice instead and I have a family of 7 so can I double it and what time would need to be adjusted?

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  22. Do you cut the breasts lengthwise so they're not as thick? Or just in half to make smaller pieces?

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  23. I followed the recipe to a t, and u fortunately it turned out like soup, and the rice was completely uncooked (used a good quality long grain rice). So crazy, I cooked it another half an hour and added a cup of cooked instant rice to soak up all the soup. Flavor was wonderful though and I will definitely make it again. But I wonder what happened? I live in Houston, Texas and currently it's 100° days and incredibly high humidity. I've had my baking recipes and fudge fail due to the humidity, but never a casserole. Who knows, I failed this time, lol

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    1. I’m actually at this same spot right. Ow. Has been covered, and cooking, for over an hour and a half, and still have hard rice and liquid on top.

      What could I have done wrong?

      The flavor is fantastic though (tried a little spoonful just to check the rice)!

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  24. Made this for dinner tonight and it turned out perfect. I live in a small town with only one grocery store. I used generic long grain rice, soup and broth...still delicious. I did double the foil. Rice was perfectly cooked. = ) Thank you!!

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  25. Can frozen peas and carrots be added? If so when would I add them?

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  26. Made this with my own flair, added sauteed mushrooms, onion and celery along with a handful of dried cranberries, yummmmm

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  27. I love it when I first saw the picture, so beautiful and it looks so delicious

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  28. I know the things you create will always be delicious, but chicken and rice? I was desperate for an easy dish and thought, why not. Wow!! This is amazing! Thank you for adding a delicious recipe to my meal plan.

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  29. If I use a heavy glass casserole dish with a heavy glass lid, should I still need the foil? Since I’m making this tonight, and likely won’t get an answer in time, I’ll do both, though it’s Probably kind of like wearing a belt AND suspenders! I’ll update.

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    1. I would use both to trap the steam. Hope you enjoyed it :o)

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  30. Has anyone used wild rice?

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  31. Does this freeze well? What about substituting brown rice, how long would that extend the cook time?

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  32. Very healthy recipe for me and my family! Thanks for sharing

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  33. Made this tonight and it came out so good! Had to cook it about 15 minutes longer covered for the rice to be done. I used 1 can of cream of celery and 1 can of cream of mushroom. Will be making this again, and again!

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  34. Look yummy! One of my favorite Chicken, nice to see your recipe, easy to follow, will cook this for family this weekend. Thanks you!

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  35. Made this tonite in a Camp Dutch Oven (the kind with legs) over coals with coals on top. Delish! The rice was so creamy and well flavored! Halved the recipe and used 5 boneless skinless thighs. A keeper, for sure! Thank you!

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  36. Mandy, this recipe is now our official Chicken/Rice recipe! A huge hit at the dinner table tonight. Even my finicky 8 year old granddaughter loved it so much that
    she had a 2nd helping! Thank you for this fabulous dinner recipe!

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  37. Due to people hoarding in my town, I was forced to use cream of asparagus soup, cream of cauliflower soup, broth from bouillon cubes, and I used grillmates Montreal chicken seasoning. It turned out really good!

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  38. Best dish ever!!!!! The store didn't have cream of celery so I used cream of chicken with herbs. Not a big fan of chicken breasts so I used boneless chicken thighs. I also sprinkled some cheese on it at the very end. It was super good and will be making this again....and the porkchops 😁

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    1. I bet that will be delish! Great idea!

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  39. Looks great! The recipe is quite simple and easy to prepare, added to the menu for this weekend. Hope to enjoy the best Chicken & Rice Caserole with my family. Thanks and have a nice day!

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  40. This was the only chicken rice recipe I could find that started out with regular rice. Thank you! Also not a fan of instant.

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  41. I so can not stand instant rice...This is in my oven as I am typing this...hoping it turns out well for Sunday lunch...I didn't have 2 c of rice..(time to grocery shop) but I had 1 1/2 cups...so I cut my liquid down some hoping that helps...I added onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and Cajun seasoning, also use I can cream of celery and one cream of chicken..I have a deep dish baker with a lid that I am using. We shall see how it turns out, if it does well I am throwing in some carrots, onion and celery next time...

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  42. Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.

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  43. Thanks Mandy Rivers, You have inspired me to eat, great recipe.

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  44. My Mom had this recipe but it was called Forgotten Chicken.

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  45. My son and I love this as a side dish if we don't have chicken or with other main courses. Sometimes it's our main course without the chicken. Great flavor!

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  46. Has anyone tried cauliflower rice?

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  47. Has anyone tried cauliflower rice?

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    1. I bet that would be good!

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  48. This sounds great, I'm using boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts, would this work in the slow cooker do you think?

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  49. I am looking for casseroles for our church freezer. Can this be cooked then frozen for a short time?

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  50. Made this for our Small Group and they loved it! I had triple the recipe and I only had a couple packets of condensed chicken broth and needed more. I used chicken bouillon dissolved in water which worked well. Also, do yourself a favor and add Herbs de Provence to the seasoning list, if you can find it. I found this herb blend a few years ago and it is wonderful added to many chicken dishes. I'm not sure how much I added as I am not really a measuring kind of cook, but probably at least a tablespoon would work. I'm making it again tomorrow!

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  51. Could you make this in a slow cooker? If so any suggestions of how I could. This is a family favourite and would live to do it when we go camping

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  52. Sounds absolutely yummy :) Going to pin this recipe. Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe

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  53. Hi. I want too try this recipe but I have to use brown rice for dietary reasons, what changes would you make if you had to substitute for brown rice in place of white rice?

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  54. I plan to make this as the recipe says. I hate when people make changes to my recipes before they try it as is. I always make recipes as they're written the first time. Then if we like it I may try making it my own. I love reading all the co.ments to see what ideas other have. So interesting. Many ask about brown rice. I may try that sometime because it's healthier. I think what I would do is boil the brown rice until it's half done, then drain and then follow recipe as is. I thi k I would maybe like it with 1/4 to 1/2 wild rice but I would boil the wild rice first as I suggested for the brown rice. Just some ideas I thought of. I love your recipes. When you have a good basic recipe the possibilities are endless. Happy cooking, Ginger

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  55. Oh my goodness,, I love this version!! Although I didn't have any cream of celery soup, so I used a can of cream of chicken & a can of cream of mushroom soups. Incredible!! Thanks so much, my family was super happy with this meal!!

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  56. Carolyn Scott7/14/22, 6:01 PM

    I have made this before and use a pkg. of dry onion soup mix sprinkled on top instead of the spices listed in this recipe. We really like it.

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  57. Hey Mandy, I read your note at the end here about what you know/ don't know & respect that, so I'm hoping that maybe some of your fans (or you😁) can help me out.

    I can't cook to save my life, but I still try. My question is, can I use chicken tenders instead? I'm thinking yes, but it'll probably change cook time, which is...?
    Also, I only have instant bagged rice (after reading this blog, I WILL get the real rice from now on! ☺️), so does anyone know or have suggestions to make the instant rice work? Thanks so much yall! 🥰

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  58. How would it be to eliminate the butter for folks who have cholesterol/heart condition?

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  59. Mine didn’t thicken still soupy after all that time. I don’t get it.

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  60. We loved this recipe!!! I ask everyone would they would eat it again, they said yes. For the person who said a little soupy after I got my chicken out it stirred the rice and it was fine. Don’t let that scare being soupy

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  61. Very good, I could have cut it in half for just me. For my taste I might cut the salt in half next time. Also I cooked it for 1. 5 hrs with heavy aluminum foil and then cut the broiler on for a few minutes. So good!

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  62. Has anyone tried this with adding small raw shrimp by any chance?

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  63. I only had bone-in, skin on chicken thighs so I browned them first in a cast iron skillet. Came out tasty!

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  64. Made this last night. Followed the recipe exactly the way you have it here. It was so good!!! My college son…home for the summer took left overs with him to work today…texted and told me it was amazing warmed up. Thanks for the great recipe. Will definitely be making it again next week ☺️

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  65. I made this today for a friend who is sick. I had a similar recipe to this years ago, but it didn’t have the broth in it, and had more butter. My casserole was swimming in broth when I removed the 2 layers of foil! I immediately dipped out about 5-6 ladles of broth, and put it back in the oven uncovered to try to cook it and dry it out a little. Judging from this, I don’t think I will make this again…. Just trying to salvage it enough for my friend’s dinner tonight!

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  66. Oh be still my heart, oh so dreamy and creamy and tender chicken. Pinned it
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  67. Could you prep this the night before and then throw it in the oven the next day?

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    Replies
    1. Perhaps, but I don't know if the rice will get mushy. You'd have to cook it longer since it will be cold so I don't know that it would save time. Let us know how it goes if you try it!

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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy