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Chicken and Rice Casserole makes a classic comforting dish. Made of chicken and rice cooked in a creamy, flavorful casserole, this is a family favorite!
Growing up, there were certain dishes that we could depend on having in the way of comfort food: chicken and dumplings when it was cold or rainy, chicken soup when we didn’t feel well, and chicken and rice casserole to carry to friends and neighbors when they needed a meal to celebrate the birth of a child or mourn the loss of a loved one and everything in between, it seems.
It is a comfort food classic in my family, and most likely in many others as well.
There are so many variations of this casserole dish, probably every family has their own version and then changes within the family as well. For my family, this flavorful version always hit the spot!
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
For my chicken and rice casserole, I like to use tender chicken that I’ve cooked low and slow either in the slow cooker or on the stove. You could easily use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or a roasted chicken that you’ve made yourself. Either would work just fine. I also use my homemade cream of chicken soup, but again, for convenience, you could certainly use canned soup, if you like.
Make-Ahead Instructions
This recipe makes a wonderful freezer or make-ahead meal.
You can simply combine everything, cover it tightly, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days in advance of baking or for longer in the freezer. I recommend allowing it to come to room temperature before baking or adjusting the length of baking time.
Here’s my Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family always does!
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
- 2 cups homemade cream of chicken soup (optional) or 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup and 1 can condensed cream of celery soup
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 cup mayonnaise or 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º F. Spray 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until casserole is lightly browned.
Notes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
½ medium onion, diced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 recipe homemade cream of chicken soup
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground white or black pepper Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425º F. Spray 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add onion, celery, and garlic and saute until onion is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to chicken, cream of chicken soup, chicken stock, rice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and over with foil.
Bake covered for 30-35 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until lightly browned.
Nutritional Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally posted 2011.
Hi, referencing your answer to the person who asked if you could sub brown rice for white, you said it would need to bake a lot longer; but since the recipe starts off with cooked rice, why would the casserole need to bake longer? Wondering what I am missing? Thanks!
Connie, the original recipe used uncooked rice which is also included in this recipe Notes. There should be no difference in the baking time if using cooked brown rice or cooked white rice. However, there would definitely be a time difference if using uncooked rice.
I am a novice cook. I am making the main recipe using cooked rice. Do I prepare the canned condensed soup with water before adding? Or do I just use the 10.5 oz condensed soup right out of the cans?
“2 cups homemade cream of chicken soup optional or 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup and 1 can condensed cream of celery soup”
Jay, you have the option of using my recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup or you can use one can of condensed cream of chicken soup AND one can of condensed cream of celery soup right out of the can. Hope you enjoy the casserole.
I want to make this ahead of time and freeze. Would I need to cook the rice in this instance? Would I pre cook before I freeze?
Tina, I would make mix this recipe according to the one using cooked rice and not the original recipe in the Notes section. You can simply combine everything, cover it tightly, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days in advance of baking or cover tightly in freezer-safe paper for longer storage in the freezer. I recommend allowing it to come to room temperature before baking or adjusting the length of baking time. Hope this helps.
Easy and good!
Thanks, Donna!
This recipe was just what I was looking for, to use leftover roasted chicken and leftover white rice. I made your homemade cream of chicken soup for the recipe and my husband and I loved it. Only thing I did was add some cheddar cheese, delicious. Thank you for a wonderful recipe, I look forward to seeing more of your recipes.
I made this recipe & found it delicious. I used the abbreviated/newer recipe, not the original one. I did find it confusing having the two recipes together. Perhaps you could add the original recipe ingredients & instructions as a link if anyone chooses to make that instead. This ‘new’ version is fairly simple & was easy to follow. I used cooked rice (brown) & followed the instructions provided for the rice. It was very delicious.
I’m glad you liked the chicken and rice casserole recipe, Janice. Many people still like the original recipe and wanted it available. Since the original recipe with ingredients and instructions are all written in the Notes section separate from the newer version, I wouldn’t think that should cause confusion.