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This Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is made with rice, chicken breasts, cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, water, and seasonings. You will love this easy and delicious comfort food meal.
Featured with this recipe
This Chicken and Rice Casserole has been in our family for years. Whenever I serve it to my family, I am reminded of my Grandma Edwards. She made this dish all the time. It was always a favorite of ours when we went to her home for dinner. Isn’t it interesting that food can take you back to a time and place? One bite of this casserole and I am a 7-year old girl sitting with my parents and siblings around my Grandma’s kitchen table eating delicious food, enjoying the conversation, and wondering what delightful dessert is awaiting us. I love food memories!
Not only does this chicken and rice casserole taste good, the aroma that fills the house while it is cooking will have everyone asking when dinner will be ready. This is definitely a dish I would label as comfort food. The rice mixture is warm and creamy, and the chicken always turns out perfectly moist, never dry.
How to Make Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Putting this chicken and rice casserole all together couldn’t be easier! Here’s how to layer all the ingredients before baking:
- Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
- Layer uncooked rice, 1 cup shredded cheese, salt, and pepper in pan.
- Place chicken breasts on top. Drop rounded teaspoons of cream of chicken soup over the chicken breasts and rice.
- Pour water on top and sprinkle with onion soup mix.
That’s it! The casserole is ready to put in the oven! Simply bake at 350-degrees F for 1 hour, uncovered.
Recipe Tips and Variations
Choose the right chicken: You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Cut them into serving-sized pieces for even cooking. Before removing the chicken from the oven, use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken breast to ensure the chicken reaches the USDA recommended safe internal temperature of 165 degrees (Fahrenheit).
Use the right rice: Long-grain white rice is a good choice for casseroles as it tends to absorb flavors well. You can also use Jasmine rice, basmati rice, or even wild rice. We have tried making this with brown rice and we can never get it to cook well enough without also drying out the chicken.
Add vegetables: Enhance the flavor and nutrition of your casserole by adding vegetables like carrots, peas, bell peppers, broccoli, or mushrooms.
Seasoning: Try using a mix of herbs and spices such as thyme, rosemary, garlic, onion powder, and paprika to season the dish. You can also add onion powder and garlic powder. Salt and pepper are essential for flavor.
Broth or stock: Instead of just water, use chicken broth or stock to cook the rice. This adds depth of flavor to the dish.
Try a different soup: You don’t necessarily need to stick to cream of chicken soup for the creamy sauce. Cream of mushroom soup, cheese soup, and cream of celery soup also taste great in this casserole.
Cream of chicken substitute: If you are not a fan of using “cream of” soups from a can, try our recipe for Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute. It is creamy and flavorful without the modified food starch and/or monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Save a little time: If you want to save a little time and also ensure you don’t get crunchy rice, boil the water/chicken broth or stock evenly over the casserole ingredients before baking. Cover with aluminum foil to trap in the heat and then bake– you can cut the time by 10-15 minutes by doing this trick.
Rest before serving: Allow the casserole to rest for a few minutes after removing it from the oven. This helps the flavors meld and makes it easier to serve.
Garnish: Garnish with fresh parsley or chopped green onion or chives to add a little color to the dish.
Shredding the Chicken Before Serving
If you have younger kids at home or just want to make this casserole easier to eat, try shredding the chicken before serving. Shredding the chicken after cooking makes the chicken have an even distribution throughout the dish. It also creates a tender texture and helps the chicken get more of the flavors from the creamy sauce. Shredded chicken blends seamlessly with the other ingredients, making it easier to serve and appealing to picky eaters, especially kids. Plus it helps you get all the flavors of the casserole in each bite!
5-Star Reviews
“I made this for a dinner party last night. It was DELICIOUS. I followed the recipe exactly but gave it 5-10 more minutes to bake. So very easy, I put it in the oven just before folks showed up and it was ready an hour later! YUM” – Nan
“I’ve been coming back to this recipe very often since I’ve found it! It’s delicious and really easy:)” – Lizzy P
“This was delicious and easy to make! I used chicken broth instead of water and added a little more cheese then recommended. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for the recipe!” – Erica
Frequently Asked Questions
As you can see from the number of comments below, this has been a very popular and loved recipe by our readers. To save you some time going through the comments, here are some quick answers to some of the commonly asked questions about our Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole.
Yes, cream of mushroom and cream of celery both taste great in this recipe.
Yes, chicken broth will add even more flavor. You can also use a combination of water and chicken broth.
No. That is one of the great things about this recipe! The chicken cooks along with the rice.
Read Next: Spaghetti Casserole
What to Serve with this Casserole
I prefer to serve this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole with cooked vegetables on the side in the winter months, and in the summer months, I serve it with a large garden salad. Try some of these delicious recipes that go perfectly with this casserole:
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 2 cups uncooked rice not Minute Rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of chicken soup undiluted
- 3 cups water
- 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Layer rice, 1 cup shredded cheese, salt, and pepper in pan.Place chicken breasts on top. Daub rounded teaspoons of cream of chicken soup over the chicken breasts and rice.
- Pour water on top and sprinkle with onion soup mix.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven, and stir excess sauce into the rice. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese.
Notes
- If using brown rice, add 15 minutes to baking time.
- In a hurry? Boil the water before pouring over the top. Quickly cover with foil to trap in the heat and bake as directed. This can save you up to 15 minutes of cooking time.
- The USDA recommends keeping leftover cooked chicken for a maximum of four days.
- After cooking and consuming your tender chicken, take your leftovers from your baking dish or your casserole dish and place in an airtight container where it can remain safely for up to four days in the fridge. Enjoy!
Made a few of these chicken,rice and soup casserole recipes, but this is the best one! The only thing that I did different was bake it at 400°. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, its a keeper!
I wanted to make something for lunch from the stuff I already had in my pantry. This recipe popped up. Very easy to follow instructions, simple ingredients… all caught my eye.
I decided to half the recipe since it was for just me and my husband. I followed all the instructions completely. This would have been great if the chicken had been cooked. I used 3 chicken thighs and all three were still raw after an hour. I ended up taking the chicken out and cutting it up. I put it back in the casserole and cooked another 20 minutes. It tasted good but, it took too long.
I am sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Some recipes don’t work scaled down like that.
I really liked this meal. Chicken was a little bland by itself, but I used a can of low sodium chicken broth (2 cups) and a cup of water to make up the 3 cups total… which I think was a good idea. I also added a can of corn (drained) on top the chicken and used 1 1/3 small bag of the shredded chedder. Turned out soo delicious! Rice and chicken was all cooked through- I used chicken tenders since they’re easier to cut toddler size bites, and I broiled on high just until the top layer of cheese was melty.
Now I just need to learn how to make this as a Low FODMAP meal without losing the flavor and be suited for my IBS diet.
I made this exactly per the recipe (except using chicken broth instead of water). I thought it was tasty, but the rice was not close to being done. I let it go for another 1/2 hour and it was closer, but still had crunchy rice. I wonder if I had covered it and sealed in the moisture if that would have helped? Thoughts or suggestions?
What kind of rice did you use? Instead of covering the pan we would just add a little more chicken broth and give it a stir before cooking the extra time.
Can I make it ahead of time and put in the fridge so I can bake it when I get home.
You can, but I would wait to add the water until right before baking. If you let the chicken and rice soak in water all day it will affect the texture.
I have made similar versions of this and the ones that work are the ones that you cover with foil for an hour or hour + and then take out, sprinkle cheese and brown the top for another 10 or so minutes. I’m not sure how cooking this recipe would work without covering it with foil. I also usually take out and stir the rice a bit and cover with foil again near the end.
Not a fan it’s pretty bland so I wouldn’t make this one again
Is there an explanation of what the excess sause could be? Is it the soup?
Sometimes chicken can release a lot of water during the cooking process – it could be from that.
What would the time difference be if you used pre-cooked chicken? Thank you so excited to try this recipe I’ve been creaming it!!
Pre-cooked chicken would be tough because the rice still takes the full hour to cook so I would be worried that the chicken would become dry in that time.
I meant to add to my comment that I used good chicken broth instead of the water. YUM
Thank you for letting us know! I will try that next time I make it!
I made this for a dinner party last night. It was DELICIOUS. I followed the recipe exactly but gave it 5-10 more minutes to bake. So very easy, I put it in the oven just before folks showed up and it was ready an hour later! YUM
I did this but with 1 can of cream of chicken and 1 can cream of mushroom (just what I had in my pantry already) and it turned out delicious! Toddler approved too
I like this recipe but 350 for 1 hour doesn’t cook it all the way. After an hour I just had to bump it up to 400.
The rice is barely cooked, tons of liquid still left.
Maybe it should be 375 for an hour?
Everyone’s oven is a little different, but it sounds like 375 would work for you if you make this again.
Do I cook the chicken breasts before putting them in the oven or not?
No, the chicken cooks with the casserole in the oven. Thanks for asking!
Can this be made in crock pot with shredded cooked chicken?
We haven’t tried that, but let us know how it turns out if you do!
I only have 1 can of the soup. Should I just use less rice and/or chicken? Also, I only have drumsticks available but planned on trying to use them in this recipe anyway.
We’ve only tested this recipe with the ingredients listed, so I can’t say how that will turn out.
I love this recipe, but the rice doesn’t always cook thoroughly. What can I do?
You can add a little extra water or chicken broth to the pan before baking.
I’ve been coming back to this recipe very often since I’ve found it! It’s delicious and really easy:)
I cooked it for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The mixture seemed to be set together great but the rice didn’t really ever cook too well. Is there a secret to mixing it in order for the rice to cook properly. My family said they liked the taste but they just couldn’t stand the crunchy rice. I agree but would like some tips on how to get it done without the rice turning out crunchy. I will be finishing the leftovers. Lol I’m not upset about that.
also, i always dice up my chicken into pieces so it’s easier to mix and serve
i had to come back later and comment because we make this one a week. it’s a staple in our menu rotation because EVERYBODY loves it, including a 2yo and 6yo. i did make some alterations: 3 cups of chicken bone broth instead of water; 2 cups of cheese (1 in casserole, 1 under and on top of topping keep reading); 2 10.5oz cans of Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup instead of cream of chicken (also used cream of broccoli once and that was good too, kids weren’t fans though lol); always rinse the rice before use; use salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder as seasoning; and i use a crunchy topping: 2 sleeves of ritz crackers + 1 stick of unsalted butter. i put the casserole in for 45 minutes. when the timer goes off i leave it in the oven while prepping the topping. crush the crackers in a gallon ziploc bag. cut the butter into pieces and melt in the microwave. pour melted butter over the crackers and mix them up. take casserole out and mix very well. half a cup of cheese on the casserole, spread the topping over the top evenly, then sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheese on the topping. put back in for 20 minutes. it’s perfect every time
That sounds incredible!!!
I doubled the recipe (using 2 casserole dishes) after an hour cooking it’s very watery. I double checked recipe and I followed it exactly. Any one else have this problem?
When you cook two pans in the oven instead of one, sometimes they don’t heat as well. That could be the issue. Try cooking them one at a time if you can!
I used cheddar soup mix in this, since that’s all I had on hand.. was perfect! My husband loved it!
I made this recipe last week and it was great. I want to make it again but with linguine noodles. Can I cook it the same way with pasta? Thanks!
We haven’t tried cooking it with pasta before, so I’m not sure whether or not it will work.
What do you mean “stir excess sauce into rice”? What “excess” sauce? How do you stir halved chicken breasts? Wouldn’t it be better to cut the chicken into bite sized chunks?
You could cut the chicken up into pieces if you’d like. As far as the excess sauce, it just the sauce that is on the top of the rice, you stir it into the rice.
Did anyone ever try to make this in the crockpot? How long and high or low?
My family loved this recipe! I added organic broccoli, used reduced sodium chicken broth instead of water, I also used 2 packets of onion soup mix.
That sounds amazing! I love how you made it your own. We will have to try it that way too.
Just made this casserole it was simple and easy to follow your directions I did add chicken broth instead of water and added a can of mushrooms to give it a little more texture and I used onion and mushroom Lipton soup mix. The family absolutely loves this and I will be making it again
This was delicious 😋 I used the vegetable Lipton soup package instead…it was absolutely wonderful!!!!
This turned out fantastic! Was cold here today so I thought I’d do this for husband even tho I’m not a casserole person.
I halved it, but it still needed the full hour for the rice. Brought it out at 45 min and added shaved parm. And didn’t have shredded cheddar so used slices of cheddar on bottom after rice. Used chic tenderloins and they were very tender. Definitely a keeper! The soup and onion soup mix make it when you want something easy.
I love this
If I were to cut this recipe in half, would the cooking time still be 1 hour? Thank you
The cooking time would still be close to an hour for the rice to fully cook. I would check it after 45-50 minutes and see if the rice is done.
Most likely close to the same time.
This is in the oven right now and it smells amazing! I used frozen diced chicken breasts (that I mostly thawed), and I only had one can of cream of mushroom and a can french onion, so we’re going to use those. I mixed it all together in the pan (not on purpose initially, then I had to even it out) and we’ll see how it goes, but I’m very optimistic. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Right, so I have to be honest here and state that this is not the sort of meal I’d normally be making for myself since I don’t do rice so much nowadays. However, as I needed a special diet in preparation for a procedure I found this one via Google. Made using cream of mushroom soup, its actually pretty good. Now I’m wondering if there’s a way to adjust it to use vegetable rice
easy and delicious meal that everyone loves
Made this, and absolutely love love love it, made again tonight, I like to use a mixture of brown and white rices, parboiling the brown for about ten minutes before assembling the rest of the casserole 🤤
I just made a comment while this was in the oven, and when it was done after cooking another thirty minutes it was just about perfect….just a very few somewhat crunchy grains of rice. We all thought it was quite good, and I was pleased that the chicken wasn’t dried out….it was moist and husband said it was just how he liked it. I’ll make it again, and I’ll bake it for one and a half hours and either add a little more water in the beginning, or add a small amount halfway through cooking like I did tonight. A great recipe…glad I tried it!!
This was delicious and easy to make! I used chicken broth instead of water and added a little more cheese then recommended. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for the recipe!
How many lbs. of chicken breasts would you use? The chicken breasts I buy are huge, often weighing 12 oz. or more, and six of them would be a LOT of chicken.
I’m not sure exactly how many pounds we use, but maybe try three of your chicken breasts cut in half?
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breast?
Yes!
If I added 2 more cups of rice how much longer should I leave in oven
I’m not sure since I haven’t tried it that way before. Make sure you add extra liquid as well!
I want to cook this today but don’t have any Lipton onion soup mix! Do you have suggestions for a substitute? Or can I just leave it out?
The onion soup mix flavors a lot of the dish so I would substitute some spices like onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and celery seed if you have it!
I know this comment was made a long time ago, but dried minced onion and beef Bullion cubes with a touch of paprika is a great substitute for the onion soup.
Heather, it may have been from a long time ago, but I am just now seeing it and scanning comments for a soup substitute. Thank you!!! Your answer was in great timing for me. Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, Holiday Season!
Hello, you can also use ranch seasoning or even Italian seasoning. I didn’t have have the onion seasoning on hand, and used hidden valley ranch for the seasoning.
I use Italian seasoning instead of soup mix!
Thanks for the recipe! My kids loved. I did not have any cream of chicken or mushroom soup, so I substituted sour cream and added a bit more chicken stock. Also used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. Also added ranch mix. Very easy and made enough to fill up my teenage boys! Thanks again!
David
My family of 5 has been tired of my cooking during this quarantine. I wanted to make a casserole and my family loved this! I’m thrilled when they eat something and all agree it’s a make again dish. I think next time I’ll add broccoli florets to it. (I love casseroles with a green vegetable so I don’t have to make another pot dirty) Thanks for the recipe!
This has become a staple in our home. I’ve made a few small tweaks and the family loves it! After the layer of rice, cheese and salt and pepper, I go ahead and slowly pour 1 cup of the water mostly around the edges (seems to help keep the rice more moist at the end) and sprinkle about 1/3 of the onion soup mix. After adding the chicken breasts, I add a bit more salt and pepper to the top of them. I also mix in different cheeses with the cheddar depending on what I have on hand. Part of my regular rotation now. I usually make 2 pans so there are leftovers. 😀 Thank you!!
Going to try it this afternoon for dinner. Sounds easy and it is delicious. My grandmother used to make it.
This recipe was just ok in my opinion. Not bad, but my family isn’t begging for me to make it again. It makes A LOT of rice. Definitely stir it up good bc the rice under the chicken ends up without any sauce. Wish the cook time wasn’t so long too. I’m sure you could do some shortcuts to speed things up. All in all tastes ok.
I’ve always mixed my rice and soups together then the chicken and seasonings and cover with foil (much like the No Peek Chicken), and the rice is fluffy and the chicken moist. I then add the toppings and broil for 1-2 minutes.
I am cooking several casserole types of main dishes for my daughter in law and son in law. They have two small boys (the oldest is about to be 4) and my beautiful grand babies can eat like men! Crazy. I am very excited to make your grandmother’s recipe! I will have to modify one thing but when I get cream of chicken soup, I’m going to make it for me and my partner. The kids need a little help and this sounds like the perfect recipe. I am going to make a couple of portions so when they get home from work, all either of them has to do is pull one of the portioned meals out of the freezer, heat it and eat it!!
What would you recommend for the reheat, microwave or oven? If oven, should they add a little chicken broth or cream of soup to ensure it doesn’t dry out??
I will return after I have made it and rate it. I LOVE people who share family recipes! Thank you so much!!
One year for Thanksgiving, I located recipes people made between the dates of 1850-1899 for everything I made using. Very very difficult and a little stressful based on the fact that instead of a true measurement, their measuring system was a little different than modern techniques. The also used what was available to them, be it cost prohibitive items like refined sugar and white flour. They used molasses or brown sugar instead of the high priced refined sugar. They would use Rye flour, “Indian (corn) meal” with only a small amount of wheat flour for white flour or wheat flour. The fact that mildew rust on wheat flour caused most 19 Century Americans to all but abandon the wheat flour crop.
I am SOOO SORRY!! I have not idea how this became a history lecture of 19th Century recipes! Thank you again!!!
Penny
I LOVE hearing the history of anything to do with food. This is such a wonderful comment! We love getting personal stories and history stories like this, so thank you. That is so neat that you pulled off a Thanksgiving dinner from the 1800s! That is impressive!
To answer your question– you can totally microwave or use the oven to re-heat. I would do as you suggested and add a little chicken broth so the rice doesn’t dry out too much.
If you like family recipes you are totally in the right place 😀 I hope you have been able to browse around to find even more of our family’s favorites! We have over 1,000 of them on here with more being added each week. We hope you will keep coming back for more!
I made this tonight, as I didn’t have the energy to cook from scratch. Easy to put together and similar to a recipe that I used to use.
I used 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, didn’t add any extra salt, and I used jasmine rice (what I had on hand). I used 4 medium chicken breasts; 2 cut in to bite size and mixed into the casserole, and cut the other two in half and laid the pieces on top, and then added a bit of cheese all over.
I baked it at 375 degrees instead, for about an hour. When done, removed the big chicken pieces and gave it a stir to mix in the last bit of liquid. Turned out great.:)
Oh, I forgot to add that I mixed the soup, water, and dry mix together first before pouring over rice and cheese in the dish, and gave it a quick stir to ensure no dry spots of rice.
I am making this for Bunco tomorrow and the first recipe I found added French onions on top so that’s what I’m doing
The only things I did different was substitute salt for a pinch of kosher salt. I used one can of cream of chicken soup and a can of chicken and mushroom soup. And, while it cooked for the first hour, I would every so often stir the rice and liquids, and turned over the chicken so that everything would cook evenly. After an hour, everything was pretty much cooked through, but went ahead and stirred in the 1/2 cup water and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Came out great! Not too salty and rice fully cooked (Uncle Ben’s white rice). Next time I will probably add veggies! Great recipe!
Thanks so much for the nice comment! So glad you liked it!
Has anyone tried this in the crockpot? Wondering if that’s a possibility….
I made this after reading most of the comments.
I used a rotisserie chicken which I chopped up.
I rinsed my two cups of rice three times.
I used 2 cups water as the recipe says. I used cream of chicken and cream of celery soups (plus the rest of the ingredients as listed). I mixed all of it together in a bowl and poured it in the 9×13 pan. (I poured half, added grated cheese, and poured the rest.)
After an hour I stirred it and added more water (1/2 cup) as it was seeming to be dry. In about 20 minutes I checked it again , stirred, and added about another 1/2 cup water . And another 1/2 cup in about 20 more minutes.
I added a lot of cheese on top and cooked it about 20 more.
It was simply delicious!
It filled the pan all the way to the top (though didn’t boil over). So even a small serving is very filling. I feel like I could feed an entire football team! But I also read in the comments that it freezes well.
Will definitely be making this again and for sure when I need to feed a large group. It would provide a very inexpensive meal for a large group.
My husband loved it too!
Absolutely recommend!
Great idea using a rotisserie chicken. YUM!!!! Thanks for your comment!
I liked your idea of just mixing it all in a bowl and pouring it into the pan. I have it in the oven baking right now. Can’t wait for it to be done. Thank you for your comments.
I used minute rice and it turned out just fine for those who don’t have regular rice. The dish was really good.
Thank you! I was wondering as I only have minute rice!!
I am making this tonight. My plan is to mix everything together then place the chicken on top. Adding some veg as well.
I used taco seasoning instead of the onion soup mix (none on hand), pepper jack cheese, and added corn. Love it!
I’m definitely excited to try it again truly following the original recipe.
Great recipe, thank you for sharing it.
I used to make a chicken and rice casserole but had not made it in along time. Did this one last night for 2 with leftovers tonight–1/2 recipe using a package of Earthly Grains long grain and wild rice (equals 1 cup of rice), 1/2 cup of cheese, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1/2 pkg onion soup mix and about 1 cup of water and 2 lg chicken breasts. It was very tasty. Husband approved.
I tried this tonight. Its really good!!! The I next time I make it, I think I will mix the soup with the rice, pepper (I would omit the salt if you use the Lipton Soup Mix) together I think you will get better rice consistency. I added some diced onion and celery to the top layer of the rice when I made it tonight. This recipe is wonderful. I also covered it with foil for about an hour of the cooking. I still got some pockets of hard rice under the chicken. Next time I think I might cut up the chicken and try it that way. I will definitely make this again. Great winter comfort food!
All I have to say is I was so excited to try this recipe I placed it in the oven as directed by following all instructions including the uncooked rice……however it is four hours later and my rice is still uncooked!!!! Do not use this recipe! & or try cooking rice prior!!!!
I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you. I will revisit this recipe and see if we need to make some changes. I appreciate you letting us know. Thank you!
Echo, I think if you mix the rice with the soup and whatever liquid you use it will cook more evenly. I had a few spots in the pan that the rice did not fully cook. I used chicken stock when I made mine and the taste is wonderful! I love this and will make it over and over and find new things to add!
Thank you, Toni! I have this on the menu for this week. I will try it this way and adjust the recipe. I appreciate you sharing this!
Just made this tonight and while it smells delicious and tastes great our rice is still only half cooked. I added water to the bottom before putting in the chicken and then added more water on top and it still was not cooked! I took it out and mixed it all together and added 2 more cups of water. Cooked it another 15 minutes and still partially hard rice. Juse added another cup of water and cooking another 15mins. That is a grand total of 6 cups of water so far for 2 cups of rice. If it isn’t done this time I’m giving up and making frozen dinners!
Oh no! I hope it turned out! I’m not sure why you would need that much water. Are you using brown or white rice?
Hi this delicious iam going to make this I have never seen Lipton onion soup mix before what could I use in place of the onion mix could i use French onion mix instead.
Yes, you could use a French Onion dry mix. You could also use a combination of dried onion and onion powder. You will want to use 1/4 cup, which is the amount in one packet of Lipton soup mix. Thank you for asking!
can you use already cooked rice???
We haven’t tried it with cooked rice but I don’t see why not– you may just want to reduce the liquid if you try it. The rice will already be soft and won’t need the extra moisture
Do you think I could use frozen chicken?
You probably could– you will just want to cook it longer– the problem with that is that your rice may get a little dry. Ideally you will want to thaw the chicken first and then cook it.
My Husband made this and he followed the recipe exactly. Next time I would have mixed the onion soup mix and chicken soup right into the rice as the onion soup was very salty on top and did not dissolve and the rice was white. I am an experienced cook so he did not think to do this. No need to add xtra salt, peas or corn would b good for colour.
I made this for supper tonight and it was very good! I used long grain rice and I had trouble with getting the rice done. I had to add more water and put it back in the oven for 15-20 minutes longer, quite a few times. But it finally did get done, my husband and son really liked it so I’ll be making it again but probably will make the rice separately.
My mom used to make a recipe like this and she added half orange juice and half water. It was so good. I’m going to try this on Sunday for a potluck at church. I’ll let you know how it comes out. Thanks for the recipe as I had lost my mom’s.
Can this be cooked in the crock pot??? How long would it take???
We haven’t made it in the crock pot before but I am sure it could be done! If you try it out, let us know!
Followed the recipe to the tee… It is in the oven now! I can’t wait to try it!!!
I really want to make this for dinner tonight! Would this work in the crockpot? Have you tried that cooking method??
OH my! My boyfriend wanted chicken and rice of some sort so I started my google journey, trying to find the casserole that would best suite his taste (like a child). I made this recipe subbing 3 c of water with 2c of chicken stock and 1c of water.
I cut the chicken breasts in half and then half again to get tenderloin size pieces.
When I checked the casserole at 53 mins (I was impatient…) I added 1 more cup of water evenly distributed around the casserole and I added an additional cup and a half of cheese… I threw it back in the oven for 37 more mins… and sweet baby jesus…
This casserole fed 6 adults (I served with salad and a veggie tray). I could have had more it was so tasty and worked out so well. Everyone was raving! Thanks for such an easy recipe. I bet people will be asking for me to make more of it!!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing your success and your substitutions!
Could I use chicken thighs or any other part of the chicken for this dish?
would love to make this tonight but do not have cream of anything soup. The weather is horrible don’t feel like making the trek to the store. Any suggestion?
Yes, here is a great homemade “cream of” recipe from our friend Mel, click here:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/homemade-condensed-cream-of-chicken-soup-and-how-to-sub-in-recipes/
I made this tonight. Very good! Fed 3 adults and 2 children and had tons left over. I used 6 half breasts. 15 min before it was ready it still looked watery, but I let it go and added an extra 10 min and it was brown on top by then. Loved it. I will also leave out some salt next time because it has lots. Oh I had chopped spinach ready to go into it too and totally forgot. I think that would be a great healthy addition. We served brocolli with it instead.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing! This recipe reminds me of my Grandma, she made a similar dish when we would go to visit.
can you use minute rice? Will it still work?
We haven’t tried this with minute rice so I am not sure how it would turn out. If you try it, let us know!
I only have Beefy Onion Soup a Mix. Do you think that would be ok to use?
Yes, that will work great
Could I use cooked chicken?
Yes, you actually cook the chicken first anyway, that would just save you a step.
Hi Echo:
Do you think it would work with cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup? We are out of cream of chicken and its a trek to the grocery store. If you don’t recommend the substitution I’ll make it another time. Thanks
Yes! Either one of those “cream of” soups would work just fine. I use cream of chicken soup because my kids are picky about the mushrooms and celery. If that’s what you have on hand, save the trip to the store! Thanks for asking!
Am I reason this correctly that you assemble everything uncooked? Want to make this but also want to make sure I avoid food poisoning! 🙂
Yes, when you layer the ingredients, the rice and chicken are uncooked. The dish cooks for 1 1/2 hours, so the chicken is thoroughly cooked when you remove it from the oven. Thank you for asking!
I used half chicken breasts tonight and all ingredients in this recipe are completely cooked. There is not the slightest bit of pink in the chicken. When you cook at that temp for that long everything is completely safe. Baking in an oven actually cooks the chicken more evenly than pan frying. That is how everyone used to do chicken unless they were deep frying it. 🙂
Thank you for your comment! I agree with you. I’ve never had a problem with the chicken cooking thoroughly.
All I have is minute rice. There must be some way to substitute. Any ideas?
I have not tried this recipe with minute rice. I think it would work if you reduced the water in the recipe to 1 1/2 – 2 cups instead of 3. Keep an eye on the casserole as it cooks and add more water if necessary. Good luck!
If I planned on freezing it, what temp and how long would I put it in to reheat?
Usually when I freeze casseroles I like to thaw them before cooking in the oven (it will cook more evenly). Once thawed it takes about 40 minutes, covered — but check it at 30. Hope this helps!
I made this last night for my boyfriend and I and we both loved it. We both agreed that the only thing we would change about it that shredded chicken would be better rather than the whole chicken breasts. Wonderful dish!
So glad you liked it!
Any idea the nutrition facts for the recipe? Just curious because im doing weight watchers. Thanks!
I don’t know the nutrition facts on this, you might want to try plugging the recipe into livestrong.com or a site like that. It will tell you and it is pretty accurate!
Does it matter if you use SHARP cheddar cheese?
You can definitely use sharp… or not… any cheese will work 🙂
Why do people comment when they haven’t even tried the recipe??? I do not find “reviews” helpful when they aren’t reviews! We all know when a recipe looks good. Do I find other people’s opinions of a recipe before they’ve even tried it helpful? Not at all!
I totally agree!
Would there be any way you could use hash browns
Instead of rice? Not a rice lover? Thanks for advice.
I don’t see why not? That actually sounds really good!
Would you recommend adding broccoli to it?
Yes, its great with broccoli!
My mom used to make this when we were growing up, only she tightly covered the casserole with foil before baking. Also, the addition of salt is unnecessary since the onion soup mix is already salty.
Just wondering if you don’t use Minute Rice what rice would you suggest?
Just the regular long-grain white rice…
What if all I have is minute rice ?
It will work with minute rice, you will just want to stir it in after the chicken has already been cooking for about 30 minutes. Thanks for asking!
Did anyone try using milk instead of water?
This looks delicious! Do have any advice on how I could go about adding zucchini and squash to this recipe? Or would you advise against it all together? I’m just trying to save time and not have to prepare veggies separately and any recipe I can find where zucchini and squash are included doesn’t look anywhere near as good as this does 🙂
I would just chop them up and add them in before you cook it, they will cook in the casserole. That actually sounds really yummy!
I’m sick. When I feel like this I want salt, a lot of salt. Taking advantage of a casserole for dinner is a perfect answer for the exhaustion from a cold. There isn’t an easier recipe for Chicken and Rice anywhere! It turned out perfect! There is quite a bit of left overs, because it is just two ofus eating. Recommend stirring before serving.
Made this tonight. Everyone enjoyed it! Thanks! I think next time I’ll mix the rice, seasonings, and soup together first though, there were too many patches of dry rice and then others of straight cream of chicken. Thanks for the easy and delicious dinner!!
I am preparing to cook this this evening. I know the hubby will love it! Thanks fo sharing it
Any chance anyone has tried freezing this? We love this recipe and I make it every other week or so. I wanted to make up a few dishes to throw in the freezer before baby arrives, but wasn’t sure.
Yes, I have frozen it! It worked out great.
I noticed you did not mention to cover with foil while baking. I was just curious why you did not cover with foil?
You read correctly, this recipe does not require covering with foil.
I substituted organic brown Texmati rice, cream of mushroom soup and chicken broth for the water. I did add 1/2 cup broth after an hour in order to finish the rice and then cooked it for another 15 minutes. Delicious!
I tried this tonight, and it turned out wonderful! I did substitute a can of Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese soup for one of the Cream of Chicken, and didn’t add any of the cheese. Also added a can of Rotel!
Do you think it would tastes as good made with a ranch packet instead of the onion packet???
It is not going to taste the same, but give it a try and let us know how it turns out!
I was going to ask the same thing. I have an onion allergy, and sub ranch for onion soup mix when I can. I’ll try it and let you know. 🙂
This was really good.I made it easier and used a rotisserie chicken.Cooked the rice separate then added all the other ingredients ,including shredded chicken, in a casserole and baked with a panko bread topping.I did only use a little of the package of onion soup as the chicken already had seasonings.My family loved it.It’s also a winner at potlucks.
How much of the water did you use?
Does this rice cook all the way? I have a chicken/rice recipe that someone gave me that I tried a couple of times and my rice was never cooked all the way through. I would just like to know before I cook it.
It should cook all the way through. I have never made it and had the rice NOT cooked through. If you are worried about it, add more liquid and cooking time.
I mixed my liquids poured over rice and then laid chicken on top – make sure pan or casserole dish is large enough – need room for liquid and rice to cook
I just cooked this and it looked so good . I must say to make sure that you first put some liquid on the bottom of your dish because my rice did not cook at all
I’m just learning how to cook and I made this for my family tonight! My two kids under five LOVED it. I think I might skip the salt next time – the onion soup mix and crm of ckn seemed to have plenty of sodium…I don’t think the recipe would miss it! Thanks for the post!
Just wanted you to know I found this recipe on Pinterest, had the chicken thawed out so made it last night for dinner. My entire family loved it, even my son who hates rice, he had 2 servings! This is a new family favorite, fast, easy and loved by all. Thanks so much for sharing it!
i love your recipes but, i would love to know how many people it would feed. with a big family i usually need to know if i have to double or triple recipes
It makes 4-6 pretty good sized servings. It would be one full chicken breast half for each person.
Could I add chicken broth to it for moisture?
Yes, that would be the perfect thing to add if you want more moisture. Thanks for asking!
Have you ever added veggies to this? Broccoli, green beans or frozen peas?
We haven’t done that before but I don’t see why not if you think it is something you and your family would enjoy! If you try it, come back and let us know how it turns out 🙂
I make this for my family alot. I have a fanly of 7 and sometimes 9. I just cut the chicken breasts in half so you use 4 chicken breasts for 8 people and i use 2 cups of rice. It is usually PLENTY. Use a nice big pan for this dinner. ♡
Making this tonight! Thank you for posting. Looks good! I love your website!
I just put the chicken and rice in the oven. It seems like there is a lot of water in this recipe,, eg, 3 cups. Does it evaporate?
The rice actually absorbs the water. It makes the rice nice and fluffy. Be sure not to drain any of the water out or it will for sure get too dry. Hope this helps!
Can this be made in a instapot?
I’ve never used an instant pot for this recipe, but I’m sure you could! Let me know how it goes if you try it!