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 chicken and rice casserole, 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!
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.
Chicken and Rice Casserole 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!
- 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
- ½ cup diced onions
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 cup mayonnaise or 1 cup greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425º F. Spray 9x13 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.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 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
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425º F. Spray 9x13 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.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally posted 2011.
I’ve never used uncooked raw rice in a casserole before because I thought it wouldn’t cook properly. I’ve always used Minute Rice. I am going to try the raw rice as you said to do. I’m nervous of course. I’ve made this casserole since the 1960’s but not just the way you do, which sounds and looks delicious. Thanks.
This was a great recipe. I did not try the homemade cream of chicken recipe due to time, and I used rotisserie chicken instead but it was great. I had a problem with salt because i used knorr chicken granules to make the broth. It came out too salty, but the liquid worked great for the canned soup… just add less salt next time. My son ate the whole thing almost by himself even though it was salty. Sometimes good recipes just need a little change and come out perfect the next time.
I agree the entire chicken soup addition was confusing. Also in the sauce recipe you say 1/4 cup of flour divided. But you never say what to divide. Also 4 tablespoons is a 1/4 cup so ????? I was feeling ill and wanted a quick casserole and didn’t have the time for a sloppily written recipe. In the oven now and just hope it’s not a total waste of time, ingredients and much needed couch time.
Iris, if you were that ill and cranky, maybe you should have gotten takeout or made a tried and true recipe, instead of being an utter b***h to the blogger who so generously shared her recipe with you. There are literally millions of recipes on the internet. You didn’t have to choose this one, you know.
Robyn, thanks for the recipe. I’ve got only about a cup of soup (canned…I know, I know! but I’ll be pinning your homemade version!) so I’ll have to tinker with the liquids amount anyway, but this kind of recipe (as opposed to the raw chicken breasts on top of rice kind) is just what I was looking for. It’ll make a good guideline. Best wishes.
Amen!
Wow – I read with no problem. It tells you what to do with the flour. Read ahead 🙂 that’s what you should always do before you begin any recipe
I see my comment was deleted just moments later. I guess this blogger only posts positive comments.
It says use cooked long grain rice, not uncooked.And Iris dear, you need not make any more comments. I can’t see where anything you said was nice or helpful. Try learning how to read a recipe.
This recipe has been changed. I make it often but always have to come back for recipe because mom brain here. Anyway, it used to have u cooked rice and chicken broth. Didn’t have mayo.
My mistake
Hi Iris,
I apologize that the recipe was confusing. I hope that it turned out well for you.
Thanks!
Robyn xo
I’m not sure if your liquids are incorrect, but I used the cream of chicken recipe (which produced 3 cups but I only used 2 because I was skeptical) and then did 2 cups of chicken stock. After 35 minutes, I took it out of the over and it’s like soup. Are you certain your amounts are correct?
Here’s my suggestion since I just wasted the last hour on a big soupy mess. Use TWO CUPS of chicken stock to make the 1 cup of dry rice ahead. Add the cooked rice to the dish along with 2 cups of cream of chicken soup (her recipe makes 3 cups and is delicious). Cook for 20 minutes at 350 to heat through.
Honestly this has to be a one star for me but it won’t let me change the number of stars…
I also found the soup and stock amounts are too much; I reduced both to two cups each. That cream of chicken recipe is a GAME CHANGER, though. I’ll never use Campbell’s again!
I stumbled upon this recipe while looking for a chicken breast pressure cooker recipe. I followed Robyn’s Pressure Cooker Chicken Recipe and cooked and shredded four chicken breasts, which I then used in making her Chicken and Rice Casserole. I did not have all ingredients on hand so I did have to make a few adjustments. Based on Lori’s review, I cooked brown rice in advance using two cups of Chicken Broth. (I did not have Chicken Stock). When mixing the ingredients together, I used my only can of Cream of Chicken Soup in place of Robyn’s homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe, one can Cream of Celery Soup, and one cup of Chicken Broth. I heated the casserole for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.. I also added a little shredded cheese to the top of the casserole during the last 10 minutes of heating. All in all, the casserole was good, but I am looking forward to improving my version by trying Robyn’s homemade Cream of Chicken Soup and Chicken Stock the next time I make the casserole.
This was very good! I didn’t have time to make the homemade chicken soup so I used 2 cans of Campbell’s cream of chicken soup. I also added a small can of mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken. I cooked it for 50 minutes and then 10 min with foil off. It would also be good with almonds and crumbled sausage in it.
Thanks Robyn for the quick chicken tip since I am new to using the pressure cooker, it worked great! I did salt and pepper the chicken even though it was frozen.
Thanks Monica! I’m happy you enjoyed it! xo
This was a soupy mess of uncooked rice after 35 minutes.
Hi Jeff – I’m sorry your rice didn’t cook. I am sure that was frustrating! I’ve not had that problem so I’m not sure what went wrong. Thanks!
Reminds me of a recipe Mama used to make. Can’t wait to try it. Using canned cream soups is a perfectly acceptable alternative to the homemade variety. Just adjust salt where it may be called for elsewhere in the recipe. Robyn, thanks so much for finding all these basic, wonderful recipes for us. I look forward everyday to seeing what is new. I am a fan of your sight.
my husband will not eat anything with mayo in it. could I use another can of chicken soup in place of the mayo? Thanks in advance
Hi Carolyn,
You could use greek yogurt or sour cream in place of the mayo if you wish. I’ve never added additional soup in place of the mayo, so I can’t say how that will turn out. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
Can’t tell there is mayo in it, but this recipe tastes wonderful! Only change I made was sautéing the diced onions and celery in 1 T of butter.
I had roasted a chicken the day before and we had eaten only half. I was trying to think of something to make when I read my e-mails and your recipe was there. I had most of the the ingrediants on hand, so I made this. It was delicious and very easy to make. I had no onions,but I did have a can of French’s Onions. I added these and it was a good addition. Thanks for the recipes, you have some very good ones.
I just cooked this tonight and thought it was great, so did my husband. But next time I’ll use less mayo, maybe 1/4 of a cup. My husband isn’t a mayo fan but I am, so I’ll compromise with him on the mayo. I did add an extra cup of cooked rice because we had so much cooked rice in the fridge and that worked out great for us. Thank YOU!
Hi Tracy,
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! Funny about the mayo compromise with you and your husband! 😉 Thanks so much for letting me know how much you liked it! xo
I notice the recipe has changed, but we really like the original which has chicken stock and no mayo in it. Do you by any chance still have that recipe that you could send to me? I’ve lost my hard copy…thanks!
I would like this recipe also.
Hi Tammy –
I’ve added the original recipe some have requested under “Notes” at the bottom of the recipe. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
Hi Holly –
I’ve added the original recipe and cooking instructions you are speaking of in the “Notes” section at the bottom of the recipe.
Thanks so much!!! xo