This is the creamiest healthy crockpot chicken and rice recipe. It’s so easy to make in the slow cooker with no canned soup required!
Remember those creamy chicken and rice casseroles your mom used to make as a kid? Well they probably had a can of soup in them and weren't the healthiest. Now, you can have your comfort and eat it too!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy dump dinner: Just dump everything in the pot, set it and forget it!
- Healthier: Using brown rice, veggies, chicken broth and cheese instead of canned soup makes this dish healthy.
- Great for meal prep: Make a big batch and store it in containers to enjoy throughout the week.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cooking spray – grease with butter or cooking oil instead.
- Yellow onion – shallots or red onion will also work.
- Chicken breasts – chicken thighs would also work.
- Brown rice – you can use white rice, but the texture will be mushier.
- Dried thyme – use fresh thyme or Italian seasoning instead.
- Garlic – the fresh stuff is best, but the jarred kind will work too.
- Dijon mustard – try leaving it out or using 2 tsp dry mustard instead.
- Chicken broth – cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup would also be good.
- Frozen vegetables – fresh veggies would also work.
- Cheddar cheese – swap out for another cheese like Monterey Jack.
- Parsley – cilantro or lemon zest would also be good garnishes.
How to make chicken and rice in the slow cooker
Step 1: Rinse the brown rice.
Rinse until the water runs clear.
Step 2: Add everything to the crockpot.
Add everything but the frozen veggies, cheese and parsley.
Step 3: Slow cook.
Give it a good stir then cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
Step 4: Add the cheese and veggies.
Stir in the cheese and microwaved veggies, then serve.
Tips & variations
Here are some ways to save time and change up this classic dish a little:
- Ingredient prep: Dice the chicken, mince the garlic and grate the cheese to save time.
- Different toppings: Try out different toppings and cheeses, or add some spices.
- More veggies: Bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, green beans, carrots and peas would all be good.
- Instant Pot method: Add everything but the cheese. Cook on high pressure for 5 mins, do a quick pressure release, then stir in the cheese.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen chicken?
You should never add frozen chicken to a crockpot for food safety reasons. Let any frozen meat thaw before adding it to the crockpot.
Would white rice work instead?
You can technically use white rice, but the texture will be a lot mushier. It all comes down to preference.
Can you use chicken thighs instead?
You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, just make sure you dice them up into pieces.
What to serve with crockpot chicken and rice
This creamy crockpot chicken and rice is an entire meal on its own, but if you're looking for side dish ideas, here are some options:
- Vegetables: Serve with a side of garlic parm asparagus, steamed broccoli or lemon herb green beans.
- Salad: Try it with brussels sprouts salad or arugula salad.
- Bread: You can't go wrong with some crusty bread, garlic bread or cornbread!
Storing and reheating
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge for 5 days.
Reheating: Sprinkle some water or broth over top, then microwave for 1-2 minutes or reheat in a pot on the stovetop.
Freezing: You can try to freeze the leftovers for up to one month, but the texture will be different.
Reheating from frozen: Reheat from frozen in the microwave for 6-7 minutes, stirring halfway through.
More slow cooker chicken recipes
Meal prep tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing individual portions of the leftovers.
- Here's the crock pot I use.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 lb chicken breasts diced
- 1 cup brown rice dry, not cooked, see notes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups frozen vegetables
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
- Parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse brown rice under running water in a mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
- Spray crockpot with cooking spray, then add all ingredients except for frozen veggies, cheese and parsley. Give it a stir, then cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- Within the last 5 minutes of cooking time, microwave frozen veggies until defrosted for about 2 minutes, then grate cheese and chop up parsley if using.
- Stir in veggies and cheese at the end of cook time, stirring well to combine. Serve garnished with parsley, and enjoy!
Video
Comments & Reviews
Patty H says
Made this for first time following the recipe precisely. At two hours on high, it was almost done. Turned it to low and an hour later, the whole thing was mush, and the sides were starting to brown/burn. I told my adult kids, “I don’t think it’s supposed to look like that.” I added the sour cream and cheese which made the mush creamier as you would expect. I think next time I make this, I’ll add the rice halfway thru and not at the beginning, and add more broth if needed. Hopefully that’ll help not overcook the rice. I used regular basmati rice. It was still good and edible with flavor, but appearance wise, looked like slop. Wish I read the comments beforehand as I could have possibly avoided this, but glad that I wasn’t the only one it happened too.
Jenna says
Rice was not cooked. Now have to boil it after the fact and my veggies will me mush when it’s done. If I can’t fix it will be a waste of ingredients which I can barely afford.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m very sorry to hear it wasn’t cooked through. It’s strange because this recipe gets so many comments where people say the rice is overcooked and mush, but then I get the odd comment that it does not cook. The two results following the same recipe contradict each other and you wouldn’t think it’s possible. Would you mind sharing what type of rice you used? I’ve made this many times without issue, and I’d like to try to understand why it’s such an issue for some people.
Jennifer says
Rice ended up being mushy and the whole thing had an oatmeal-like texture. I used Jasmine rice. If I make i again, I’ll use 3/4 cup instead of a full cup and see what happens. I added frozen broccoli and jalapeños. It tasted good, made more than 4 servings so I have meals for later this week.
Taylor Stinson says
Sorry to hear that Jennifer. I think we may re-test this recipe again with different kinds of rice to ensure perfection. The rice is supposed to be on the softer side but not like oatmeal.
Erica says
I used basmati and the rice definitely turned the mush but the flavor was good after doubling the called for spices and adding garlic and onion powder.
Alessandra Bowser says
I tried this receipt out for the first time and it had good flavor, the only thing was that the rice was mush by the time it was finished cooking.
Risa says
Please correct the recipe time to 3 hours on high. I didn’t realize so I was really worried at 2 hours why it wasn’t cooking. my rice wasn’t absorbing anything but I think it will be okay after all.
Tiffany Anderson says
This was a major fail. I’m an experienced cook and didn’t make any substitutions for this recipe. after cooking for the recommended time on high, the rice was still very undercooked. I turned it down to low and let it go a little longer, but by the time the rice was cooked, it was just mush and the edges were burned. I’ve tried other recipes from this creator, and they all turned out great. This one was just disappointing.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you. I recently retested this recipe and it turned out perfectly for me, the only thing I can think is that everyone’s rice varies and the amount of liquid that gets soaked up will be different based on that. I’m really not sure what is off here, but I do recommend that the cook time not be adjusted or it can burn. I’m wondering if we have different definitions of what it means for the rice to be done or not. The cheese and sour cream may have helped with that. Unfortunately there are some varying factors here that could have led to this not working out.
Debra says
Can fresh broccoli be substituted for the frozen veggies in this recipe?
Taylor Stinson says
The only way I would recommend this is by not cooking it in the slow cooker and instead steaming it to stir in after the rice is done cooking, otherwise the broccoli will get overcooked.
Debra says
Thank you for the quick reply Taylor! I might go ahead try frozen broccoli as you suggest in the recipe to make it an easy true one pot dish.
E says
Making this today… have a question. I see different info about time in the article. The article says high 4 hours, low 8 hours. The recipe instructions say high 3 hours. low 6 hours. What do you suggest is best?
Taylor Stinson says
Sorry for the discrepancy – the recipe card is always correct, it looks like the blog post needs updating. It is on high 3 hours and low 6 hours.
Patty says
I’m making this tonight and am wondering how you prep the chicken?
How do you dice raw chicken?
Taylor Stinson says
You cut the chicken breasts up into small 1-inch pieces with a knife
Shannon says
I am in the process of making this tonight and my rice doesn’t seem to be cooking though I followed the directions. Have I done something wrong? I doubled the recipe and am at the 3 1/2 hour mark.
Taylor Stinson says
I have not tried doubling this recipe so unsure if your crockpot can contain everything. Wondering if you used a different type of rice?
Luke says
I am also having this issue… doubled it for meal prep and it’s almost like the rice hasn’t absorbed anything. I used basmati rice just like the recipe said.