Crockpot Chicken and Rice is so easy to make in your slow cooker – no soup can is required! Just add frozen veggies, sour cream and cheese.

How to make easy crockpot chicken and rice

Because this recipe is made in the crock pot, you just dump in all your ingredients then press start!

Spray the pot with cooking spray
Add all the ingredients, except for sour cream, cheese and parsley.
Cook on high for four hours or low for eight.
Stir in sour cream and cheese just before serving.
Enjoy!

Can you put raw chicken in rice cooker with rice?

Yes you can! As long as there is liquid, the rice and chicken will cook either on high or on low for the time designated in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Raw chicken is totally safe to cook in the slow cooker. Just make sure it's not frozen raw chicken as it takes too long for the chicken to reach a safe temperature and increases the risk of harmful bacteria in the food.

It is safe to put frozen chicken breast in an Instant Pot. The chicken heats and cooks so quickly, it does not have time for bacteria to develop. Check out my instructions for making this recipe in the Instant Pot!

Making this recipe in the Instant Pot

You can easily make this recipe in the Instant Pot! Here are the step-by-step instructions:

Add 1-2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot, then add all ingredients except for sour cream, cheese and parsley in the order in which they are listed below (onions and frozen veggies first, followed by chicken, rice and broth).
Make sure to push the rice down underneath the liquid as much as possible.
Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release of the pressure.
Stir in sour cream and cheese, then garnish with parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Ingredients and substitutions

There are several ingredients you can swap to make this recipe different each time you make it.

Cooking spray – feel free to use butter or a neutral oil to grease your crockpot instead
yellow onion – shallots or red onion will also work
frozen vegetables – choose different blends of frozen vegetables, or use fresh vegetables
long grain white rice – use Basmati or Jasmine rice instead. If you want to use brown rice, you may need to add another cup of broth. I haven't tested this recipe using brown rice, so you may need to test this yourself.
dried thyme – you can leave this out, or use fresh thyme or Italian seasoning instead
garlic – the fresh stuff is best, but the jarred kind will work. 1 tsp garlic powder will also work in a pinch.
Dijon mustard – there isn't a great sub for this. You can try leaving it out or using 2 tsp dry mustard.
chicken breasts – chicken thighs can be used instead, and may give you more flavour!
chicken broth – add cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup to the rice instead of or in addition to the broth
sour cream – Greek yogurt will work here but the flavour won't be as good in my opinion
cheddar cheese – any type of cheese will work here, but I find cheddar gives the most kick
parsley – try some fresh herbs/seasonings at the end such as parsley, cilantro or lemon zest

Adding more vegetables

An easy way to change up this crock pot chicken and rice recipe so you can use it in your regular rotation is to choose different veggies. Try some of these ideas:

Choose a different frozen veggie blend – stir fry blends are great for this!
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Green beans
Jalapenos
Carrots
Peas

Storing and reheating

You can keep this chicken and rice in the refrigerator for five days. It makes great leftovers for lunches. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, sprinkling some water overtop before reheating to help your rice avoid drying out.

Freezing crock pot chicken and rice

You can freeze this whole meal together. It will keep for about a month. Combined with the other ingredients, the rice will lose some of its texture but it's a good option to reduce food waste and save any leftovers that you can't eat after five days. Freeze in individual portions in glass bowls with lids, then sprinkle some water overtop before reheating in the microwave for 6-7 minutes, stirring halfway through the cook time.

Another way to turn this into a freezer meal is to cook the chicken and vegetables and freeze them separately from the rice. Rice freezes well independently and reheats to the right consistency.

You could also make a fresh pot of rice in your Instant Pot the day you want to make this meal and combine it all just before eating.

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Meal prep tools for this recipe

Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing individual portions of the leftovers
Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months
Here's the Crock pot I use
Here's the Instant Pot I use

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How to make easy crockpot chicken and rice