Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

Slow cooker chicken and rice casserole

The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 45 mins
Total: 3 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Don't we all love a plate of simple chicken and rice for dinner? No fuss, no lengthy hands-on prep, no extravagant ingredients. Just some good old chicken, with a bowl of always reliable rice. Simple seasonings and a couple of cans of soup are all that you need to put this meal together. This easy dinner takes a few minutes to prep and a few hours to cook without the need for watching the pot. The slow cooker does all the hard work. Serve with a green salad or some glazed carrots, and you'll have a wholesome and filling dinner on the table that everyone will love.

Slow cooker meals are great for busy families, and they solve the never-ending question of "what's for dinner?" A few ingredients in the cooker, and that's it. Pick a grain, a protein, seasonings, and some alliums, and add or subtract ingredients to suit your families taste. Instead of chicken, you could use turkey breasts and add a few extra ingredients if you have them. The beauty of this dish is that you can customize it to your preferences and needs, and to what you have in the pantry and fridge.

Prep in the morning and come back for a nutritious lunch. Leftovers are delicious, and the portions can also be frozen individually for last-minute lunches. Before you start, get your hands on a bag of parboiled rice (converted), the recommended type for this dish as it holds its shape better and doesn't become mushy when exposed to long cooking times.

Ingredients

  • 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

  • 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

  • 1 cup parboiled rice, uncooked

  • 4 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless chicken breasts

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 4 celery ribs, diced or thinly sliced

  • 2 to 4 green onions, chopped

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Spray the slow cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, use a plastic liner.

    Prep the crock pot
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  3. Combine the 2 cans of soup and the converted rice in the slow cooker.

    Combine soup and rice
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  4. Place the chicken on top of the mixture and then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

    Add and season chicken
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  5. Top with the diced celery and chopped green onions.

    Add diced celery and chopped green onions
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  6. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high or about 5 to 6 hours on low, or until the chicken is done and the rice is tender. Check for doneness after 2 1/2 hours if on high, or at 5 hours if on low. The chicken needs to be at least 165 F inside at the thickest part of the breast, without any pink, and the rice needs to be soft but still carry some firmness.

    Cook dish
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  7. Serve and enjoy.

    Slow cooker chicken and rice casserole

    The Spruce

For Larger Families

This recipe serves four generous portions of chicken with rice. As meat loses close to 25 percent of its weight when cooked, a 5- to 6-ounce portion of raw chicken, as in our recipe, becomes the standard 3.75- to 4-ounce serving. If you need to feed more people, or there are big appetites at your table, make six servings by:

  • Increasing the chicken to 6 small chicken breasts, or cutlets of 5 to 6 ounces in weight each.
  • Adding 1 more can of chicken soup.
  • Using 1 1/2 cups of rice.
  • Seasoning accordingly, and using celery and green onions in the desired quantities.

Additional Vegetables

The casserole, as is, is simply wonderful, but if you're a veggie fan, there are many things you can add to improve the nutritional value:

  • Add 8 ounces of sautéed mushrooms in olive oil once the casserole is done. Season the mushrooms with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Use steamed broccoli or cauliflower florets to top the casserole. Add them to the slow cooker 30 minutes before the cooking time is over, and sprinkle with a generous handful of your favorite shredded cheese.
  • Toss in some frozen peas and carrots at the very end of cooking time; they will thaw and warm up quickly. If added earlier, they will become mushy.
  • Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of minced onion over the chicken breasts instead of using scallions. Red onions are great too.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
429 Calories
15g Fat
27g Carbs
44g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 429
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 114mg 38%
Sodium 1302mg 57%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 5mg 27%
Calcium 170mg 13%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 677mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)