Stop everything you’re doing and make this Crockpot Chicken and Rice for dinner! It couldn’t be more delicious or easy to make. Flavor-packed brown rice and tender cooked chicken breasts are topped with cheese and slow-cooked to perfection.
What’s in this Chicken and Rice Crockpot Recipe?
Veggies, rice, diced chicken, and cheddar cheese come together to create a one-pot dinner you’re going to love making. Let the Crockpot do all the work, and enjoy this easy, comforting dinner after a long day!
- Brown Rice: Long-grain rice cooks to perfection in the crockpot.
- Onion, Carrot, + Garlic: Create a rich base of flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Keeps the chicken moist and flavorful.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Makes this dish ultra-creamy.
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best cut into bite-sized pieces. You could also use thighs.
- Frozen Peas: Add a touch of sweetness.
- Cheddar Cheese: Melts down to create an ooey, gooey, cheesy casserole.
Pro Tip: Cook this recipe on high for 3-4 hours for the best rice texture. Cooking this recipe on lower heat for longer leads to mushy rice.
Variations on Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
You can easily change up the flavor of this casserole by swapping out the chicken breasts for turkey or even steak. Try making this with long-grain white rice and cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup for a different flavor. You can also swap out the cheddar cheese for your favorite, like Colby, Swiss, or Parmesan.
Yes, but it’ll need to be thawed prior to cooking it.
No, there is no need to pre-cook the chicken for this recipe. Add the diced, raw chicken in step 1 and let the Crockpot do the rest!
For best results, use long grain brown rice. Do not substitute any other type of rice as the liquid ratio and cooking times will no longer be accurate.
I don’t recommend it. For non-mushy chicken and rice, cook this recipe on high.
You definitely can! While I prefer cheddar cheese, you can pick your favorite shredded cheese to toss into the Crockpot. Pepper jack, monterrey, or Mexican blend would all be tasty.
An average sized (between 5 to 6 quartz) Crockpot is perfect.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover crockpot chicken and rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers as cream-based recipes become grainy when thawed.
Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through. You may wish to add a splash of water or chicken broth to help the rice steam.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is a meal all on its own, but you could serve it with sautéed vegetables or mushrooms. A healthy harvest salad or Caesar salad would make a great first course.
Crockpot Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long grain brown rice
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup (1 can)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- Fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker insert with nonstick spray. Add the rice, onion, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, broth, cream of chicken soup, and diced chicken. Stir until well combined.1 ½ cups long grain brown rice, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 3 cups chicken broth, 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup, 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Cover and cook on high for 3 ½ to 4 hours until both the chicken is cooked through and the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
- Add the frozen peas and half of the shredded cheese. Stir until well mixed.1 cup frozen peas, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Top with the remaining cheese, cover, and cook on high until the cheese is melted, about 10 more minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.Fresh parsley
Notes
- Use a low sodium chicken broth to keep this recipe less salty.
- Freshly shredded cheddar cheese will yield better texture and flavor than pre-shredded cheese.
- Use fresh, not pre-minced garlic. Also, feel free to add more for a more dominant garlicky taste.
- Don’t forget to add the peas when there’s just 10 minutes left! If you add them too early, they’ll over cook to mush.
Alicia says
Mine ended up like soup. What did I do wrong? I doubled the ingredients because I had double the chicken.
Becky Hardin says
I would just use enough broth to cover the chicken next time, not fully double it!
Karen kabuf says
Darn! Just saw this suggestion after I put all the ingredients in the crock pot. Mine looks like it’s going to be soupy too.
AJ says
Why does this recipe have such a high rating? This is not chicken and rice, it’s chicken and cheese mush. I think maybe this needs to have the rice made separate and mixed in toward the end like many pasta slow cooker recipes. This is edible, but nothing like what the description indicates.
Becky Hardin says
Hi AJ, I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out as expected for you! Different slow cookers have different high and low temperatures, so you may want to add your rice a bit further along in the cooking process.