This baked chicken and rice casserole recipe is flavorful, filling, and delicious! Juicy chicken baked in a creamy and fluffy rice casserole makes for the perfect cozy and complete meal.
Chicken and Rice Bake
This baked chicken and rice casserole dish is the epitome of what pure comfort food is all about. It tastes delicious and will warm your belly and spirits right up!
We used chicken thighs in this recipe to get the most flavorful chicken possible. Combine that with white rice and a creamy chicken broth, and you’ve got yourself an easy, classic dinner that the whole family will love!
Why You’ll Love this Baked Chicken and Rice Recipe:
- Simple Recipe: This chicken and rice dinner uses basic ingredients you can find at home and will be ready to eat in just 5 easy steps!
- Great as Leftovers: Think this chicken rice casserole tastes good the first night? Try it the next day — it tastes even better!
- Customizable: This recipe is easy to customize to your liking. Whether it’s using a different can of soup or adding veggies, you can’t go wrong!
How to Make Baked Chicken and Rice
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle evenly with seasonings.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the casserole ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, then nestle the chicken into the rice.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Absolutely! You can use an equal amount of bone-in, skinless chicken breasts with no adjustments. For boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, bake the rice (without the chicken) for 30 minutes, then add the chicken and finish baking. Otherwise, the chicken will be overcooked.
I like to use long-grain white rice, as it won’t go mushy if slightly overdone. You can also use long-grain brown rice, if you prefer, but you may need to bake it for longer. I do not recommend using short-grain or minute rice.
Absolutely! Try cream of mushroom or cream of celery!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- We recommend using bone-in thighs as they will finish cooking at the same time that the rice does, allowing it to stay nice and juicy. Just be sure to remove the skin. Otherwise, your rice will be too greasy.
- Any regular white rice works fine for this recipe, although long grain will come out the fluffiest. Short and medium-grain rice will work just as well but come out much stickier.
Storage Instructions
Store baked chicken and rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, until warmed through. You may need to add additional broth to keep the rice from drying out.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze baked chicken and rice in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Substitutions
- You can use an equal amount of bone-in, skinless chicken breasts.
- You can also use boneless, skinless breasts or thighs, but you will need to bake the rice for 30 minutes before adding the chicken.
- Feel free to switch up the spices to suit your tastes.
- You can use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken, if you prefer.
- You can use vegetable broth or water in place of the chicken broth.
- You can use long-grain brown rice instead of white, but you will need to bake it for longer.
Serving Suggestions
Serve baked chicken and rice with a hearty salad or a side of roasted vegetables!
Tips for the Best Baked Chicken and Rice
- Be sure to remove the skin from the thighs to avoid greasy rice.
- Be sure to place the chicken pieces an even distance apart to ensure they cook evenly.
- The casserole will cook more quickly if you boil your chicken broth before adding it.
- For extra-crispy chicken, broil the casserole for a few minutes at the end of baking.
We love an easy oven-baked chicken recipe on a busy weeknight! It’s a great recipe that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy.
How did your baked chicken and rice turn out? Let us know in the comments below!
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Baked Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup 1 can
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup raw long-grain white rice
- Fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.1 teaspoon ground paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle evenly with seasonings.6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the soup, broth, and rice together.10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup, 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup raw long-grain white rice
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, then nestle the chicken into the rice.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked to 165°F.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes before fluffing the rice and serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired.Fresh parsley
Notes
- You can use an equal amount of bone-in, skinless chicken breasts.
- You can also use boneless, skinless breasts or thighs, but you will need to bake the rice for 30 minutes before adding the chicken.
- Feel free to switch up the spices to suit your tastes.
- You can use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken, if you prefer.
- You can use vegetable broth or water in place of the chicken broth.
- You can use long-grain brown rice instead of white, but you will need to bake it for longer.
- Be sure to remove the skin from the thighs to avoid greasy rice.
- Be sure to place the chicken pieces an even distance apart to ensure they cook evenly.
- The casserole will cook more quickly if you boil your chicken broth before adding it.
- For extra-crispy chicken, broil the casserole for a few minutes at the end of baking.
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