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Home » Quick & Easy Dinners » Chicken and Rice Casserole

May 8, 2017 By Sara 239 Comments

Chicken and Rice Casserole

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This classic chicken and rice casserole recipe is a one pan meal that’s full of tender chicken and creamy rice, all baked together to golden brown perfection. A classic dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Casseroles always hit the spot, my family enjoys chicken enchilada casserole, beef noodle casserole and this creamy chicken and rice dish.

Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe | Chicken and Rice Bake | Cream of Mushroom Chicken Casserole | Chicken Casserole Recipe #chicken #casserole #rice #dinner #onepot #dinneratthezoo

Chicken and rice casserole with baked chicken pieces and creamy rice in a serving with with a serving spoon.

This chicken and rice casserole is actually a family recipe that comes from my mother-in-law. It was my husband’s favorite dish growing up, and his mom always made it for company. It’s pretty old school with the canned soups, but sometimes you just need a little classic comfort food, and this casserole definitely fits the bill. How can you go wrong with tender chicken and ultra creamy rice?

Chicken and rice casserole in a white baking dish, topped with chopped parsley.

How do you make chicken and rice casserole?

The other thing I love about this dish is that it can be made in one pan. The rice and soup mixture gets stirred together in the pan, then the chicken goes on top and gets drizzled with butter and seasonings. You may be wondering why this dish includes butter since it also has creamy soup. The butter helps the chicken brown during the last part of the baking process, and it adds such great flavor to the rice! I season my chicken with salt, pepper and a little smoked paprika. If you have a favorite seasoning blend that would also be great on the chicken.

A spoon serving up a portion of chicken and rice casserole.

This chicken and rice casserole works best with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. If you use something like boneless skinless chicken breasts, they’ll dry out during the long bake time. I prefer to use dark meat chicken, like chicken thighs, drumsticks or legs. Here I’ve used a combination of thighs and drumsticks so that there’s something for everyone!

Chicken and rice casserole variations

You can add other flavors into this dish to make it your own, I often add other ingredients that I have on hand to spice things up a bit.

  • Vegetables: Add 1 cup of vegetables such as sliced mushrooms, carrots or broccoli to the dish before it goes into the oven.
  • Cheese: Sprinkle 3/4 cup of shredded cheese over the top during the last 10 minutes of the baking time.

My husband is thrilled that our kids love this casserole as much as he does. Add a green veggie on the side and you’ve got an easy dinner for those times when nothing will do except comfort food!

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More great chicken recipes

  • Garlic & Herb Roasted Chicken
  • Cajun Chicken Pasta
  • Bacon Wrapped Chicken
  • Honey Mustard Chicken
  • Chicken Santa Fe

Chicken and rice casserole video


This classic chicken and rice casserole recipe is a one pan meal that's full of tender chicken and creamy rice, all baked together to golden brown perfection!
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4.88 from 39 votes

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This classic chicken and rice casserole recipe is a one pan meal that's full of tender chicken and creamy rice, all baked together to golden brown perfection!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken and rice, chicken and rice casserole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 665kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken pieces such as legs, thighs or drumsticks
  • 2 cups white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can cream of celery soup
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika regular or smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray.
  • Add the rice, water, and 3 cans of soup to the pan. Stir to combine.
  • Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture. Drizzle the butter over the chicken and rice.
  • Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Uncover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and chicken is browned. If you like extra crispy chicken skin, broil the casserole for 3-5 minutes after it's done baking.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 665kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 1145mg | Potassium: 478mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 695IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2.6mg

Filed Under: One Pot Meals, Quick & Easy Dinners Tagged With: Casserole, Chicken, ricec

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Comments

  1. Teresa says

    July 23, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! So easy, served with steamed brocolli. Easy and a keeper!

    Reply
  2. Abbe says

    June 6, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    I only have two cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup, how do I adjust for missing the third can of soup

    Reply
    • Sara says

      June 6, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      You’d want to use 10 ounces of some type of liquid such as chicken broth.

      Reply
  3. Terri says

    June 4, 2020 at 11:39 am

    If I double the recipe, do I have to adjust the cooking time?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      June 4, 2020 at 12:59 pm

      It should be the same if you’re splitting it between two pans! If you’re trying to put it all into one large deep pan you’d need to increase the cooking time.

      Reply
  4. Terri says

    May 31, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    Would it be OK to put this casserole together the night before, stick it in the fridge overnight, and bake it the next day? If so, would that affect the cooking time, and/or would I need to add extra liquid given that the rice would absorb some of the liquid overnight?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      June 1, 2020 at 4:02 pm

      I think it would be fine, you would want to add another 1/2 cup of water.

      Reply
  5. Brittany says

    May 19, 2020 at 10:44 am

    Can you use brown rice instead of white rice?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      May 19, 2020 at 12:53 pm

      Yes but thee brown rice will take longer to cook!

      Reply
  6. Tami says

    May 17, 2020 at 4:02 am

    Can I add frozen veggies and cook them the full time with the rice and chicken?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      May 17, 2020 at 3:32 pm

      You can but they’ll likely be quite soft from the extended baking time!

      Reply
  7. Mom in Texas says

    May 13, 2020 at 2:46 pm

    5 stars
    This is a spectacular recipe that I followed to a T! My family LOVED it. It made enough for dinner, lunch, and dinner for one again! Ha! We have a family of four and they just loved loved love it.
    Tonight, wish me well.
    I’ve tried artichokes, spinach, cheese, onion, the soups – subbed on cream of for a cream of poblano – oh mercy, hope it works!
    Will let you know.
    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  8. Vern mcdonough says

    May 12, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    how do I make a smaller amount?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      May 13, 2020 at 7:49 pm

      You can change the number of servings on the recipe and the ingredient amounts will automatically adjust!

      Reply
  9. Terri says

    April 25, 2020 at 10:00 am

    Any one tr this with cauliflower rice?

    Reply
  10. Wendy says

    April 22, 2020 at 8:37 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and so, so easy! Perfect for beginner cooks. Fantastic weeknight meal when you don’t have a lot of time. I used boneless chicken breast and it was great. Next time Ill add veggies. Thank you!

    Reply
  11. Barb says

    April 22, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    Can I add frozen broccoli to this dish? If so, would I stir it in during the last 20-30 minutes when I remove foil?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 22, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      Yes that works!

      Reply
  12. lisa wiedecke says

    April 22, 2020 at 5:48 am

    Can I just use one can of cream of mushroom? My husband doesn’t like too creamy in his dishes. And I anticipate leftovers.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 22, 2020 at 10:48 am

      One can of soup instead of three?

      Reply
      • lisa wiedecke says

        April 22, 2020 at 12:17 pm

        Yes it doesn’t have to be the mushroom one. But it’s the only one I have in the house. I just didn’t want to use three.

        Reply
        • lisa wiedecke says

          April 22, 2020 at 1:57 pm

          I just made this dish with one can of soup-the cream of mushroom. (Only one I had in the house). I used a third of the rice and water measurements. It came out good and just enough rice to go with four pieces of chicken, It’s a good amount for only two people. I browned the chicken first with S&P then only had to cook it for an hour. Next time I will try with the cream of chicken. This recipe is a keeper!

          Reply
  13. Andrew says

    April 21, 2020 at 12:54 am

    With being in quarantine we are limited to what we have on hand. I assume I could substitute any can of soup for equal parts chicken broth (have tons of cans). Won’t be as creamy, but I’m sure it will be just as tasty. I know my family, will probably need to double this recipe.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 21, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      The cans of soup are condensed, so they are not equivalent to a can of chicken broth. I would use 3 cups of chicken broth for a similar approximation to the soups, but that’s an estimate on my part as I haven’t tried it this way.

      Reply
  14. Brittany Dantzler says

    April 17, 2020 at 11:08 am

    We don’t have to cook the chicken before placing them on top of the rice? I want to make this tonight for a quick and easy dinner.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 17, 2020 at 8:39 pm

      The chicken cooks along with the rice.

      Reply
  15. Heather says

    April 7, 2020 at 4:02 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I am making again tonight because my husband and son requested it again. Followed your recipe exactly. Thanks for a yummy, comforting dish!

    Reply
  16. Charlene says

    April 5, 2020 at 1:41 pm

    Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breast instead?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 5, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      You can but you’ll want to reduce the cook time so that the chicken doesn’t dry out.

      Reply
      • Angie says

        April 17, 2020 at 3:26 pm

        I’m trying to cut back some of the sodium for this recipe, can I use one can of cream of celery only? What else could I use instead of all the soup? One can and sour cream?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          April 17, 2020 at 8:38 pm

          They make low sodium versions of all the soups!

          Reply
  17. virginia says

    April 4, 2020 at 6:16 am

    how much water do I add for orzo instead of rice?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 4, 2020 at 4:57 pm

      The liquid would be the same!

      Reply
  18. Julie says

    March 29, 2020 at 2:26 pm

    What kind of rice does this use? I only have original rice at the moment, not quick cook. Slim selection at the store!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      March 29, 2020 at 2:59 pm

      It does not use quick cook rice, any regular white rice is fine!

      Reply
      • Linda K Smith says

        April 3, 2020 at 11:57 am

        Only found instant rice (items r limited in area) and boneless, skinless breast, but following ur recipe, minus the paprika, thought of using lemon pepper and cumin instead however, was just curious if I might need to add or eliminate anything else, if u should have any suggestions on the bake time or with the amount of liquid needed to be added or deleted using this method? Any suggestions from anyone that may have done the same would be greatly appreciated and thanks!

        Reply
        • Sara says

          April 3, 2020 at 9:57 pm

          I haven’t tried it with these substitutions, but you’ll definitely want to cook it for less time, probably 30-45 minutes total.

          Reply
      • Kathryn says

        April 5, 2020 at 11:28 am

        Does it call for cooked or uncooked rice?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          April 5, 2020 at 2:35 pm

          Uncooked rice!

          Reply
  19. Joe says

    March 29, 2020 at 1:08 pm

    Hi,
    I need to drastically reduce the salt content. I am going to make my own cream of celery soup which includes chicken broth and I use potatoes for creaminess instead of flour and cream. I think a can is 10 ounces so I just need to replace 30 ounces of liquid?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      March 29, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      Yes that should be correct!

      Reply
  20. EJ says

    March 18, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made this three times and there’s never any leftover.

    Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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