Chicken Rice Casserole Recipe
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This chicken rice casserole is the weeknight dinner I turn to when I have cooked or leftover chicken, a pot of cooked rice, and a short time before everyone is hungry. It’s creamy, cozy, and baked in one dish until the edges are lightly browned.
Unlike dump-and-bake versions that start with raw rice and raw chicken, this recipe uses cooked shredded chicken and cooked rice, so you aren’t left guessing if the rice and chicken will be done at the same time. That makes it perfect for rotisserie chicken, Sunday leftovers, or a batch of shredded chicken you made earlier in the week.
Growing up, this was the casserole we carried to friends when they’d had a new baby or needed a little cheer. It is still a comfort food classic in my family. My family’s version is simple on purpose with no cheese unless you want it. Bakes in about 30 minutes.
If you still love the original 2010 version with uncooked rice, that recipe is in the notes below.
Looking for more cozy dinners? I think you’ll love my Chicken Noodle Soup, Pot Roast Recipe, and Easy Lasagna.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Rice Casserole
- Uses cooked chicken and rice: Leftover or rotisserie chicken and cooked rice all work.
- One dish with 10 minutes of prep: Simple ingredients. Stir, pour, bake.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly: Assemble up to 3 days ahead or freeze unbaked for 3 months.
- Customize: Add mushrooms, broccoli, cheese, or swap Greek yogurt for mayonnaise.
- Not too rich: No cheese topping unless you want it—many readers say that’s why they keep coming back.
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
You only need a handful of pantry staples. The full amounts are in the recipe card.
- chicken – 2 cups of shredded chicken , or use my Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken recipe or a rotisserie chicken in the grocery store.
- rice – 2 cups of cooked rice. You can use cooked white rice or brown rice.
- cream of chicken soup – 2 cups of homemade. You can use condensed cream of chicken or a combination of cream of chicken and cream of celery (do not add water).
- onion and celery – Optional if used, but adds a classic flavor.
- mayonnaise – you can also use Greek yogurt.
- seasoning – or use Stone House Seasoning.
How to Make Chicken Rice Casserole Recipe
This is a mix-and-bake casserole using chicken and rice that’s already been cooked.
The higher oven temperature is intentional: the rice is already cooked, so you only need to heat the casserole through and get a little color on top.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat the oven to 425º F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or lightly coat it with butter or olive oil. Set aside.
Combine chicken rice casserole ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.
Pour into baking dish. Spread the chicken rice casserole mixture into a prepared baking dish.
Bake. Bake for 30 minutes or until the easy chicken and rice casserole is heated throughout and lightly browned.
Serve. Serve this creamy chicken rice bake with a favorite side dish. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Cheesy Chicken Rice Casserole – Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the casserole mixture before baking.
- Mushroom Chicken Rice Casserole – Add 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms to the casserole mixture before baking.
- Original Chicken Rice Casserole – see the recipe notes for the original casserole recipe from 2010 using uncooked rice and sauteed celery and onion.
Storage Tips
- Make ahead: Assemble the casserole (do not bake). Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days. Let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats, then bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes if it is still cold in the center.
- Leftovers: Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat covered at 350°F, or microwave individual portions with a splash of broth so the rice doesn’t dry out. Heat to 165°F.
- Freeze (best unbaked): Assemble, wrap in plastic then foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed, adding up to 10 minutes.
Use the cooked-rice version for make-ahead and freezing. The original uncooked-rice version is better baked the same day.
Tips for the Best Chicken Rice Casserole
- Start with cooked rice for this main recipe. Uncooked rice belongs only in the original notes version, which has extra liquid and is covered to bake.
- Shred the chicken while it’s still warm so it mixes evenly.
- Don’t skip seasoning. Canned cream soups taste flat without salt, pepper, or Stone House Seasoning.
- If the top isn’t browning at 30 minutes, give it 3–5 more minutes. Every oven runs a little differently.
- For brown rice that’s already cooked, bake time is the same. Brown rice only needs longer to bake if you start with uncooked grains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It’s the easiest way to make this chicken and rice casserole. You’ll need about 2 cups shredded meat (a small rotisserie chicken is usually enough).
Yes – for the main recipe. For the 2010 original recipe in the notes, you’ll use uncooked rice per the instructions.
No. Use condensed soup straight from the can. Homemade cream of chicken soup is already the right consistency.
Not in the main recipe. Use cooked chicken here. If you want raw chicken and raw rice in one pan, use the original notes version and bake until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F.
Yes. Greek yogurt is a good swap.
The newer recipe is faster and uses leftovers. The 2010 original is the from-scratch baked-rice version readers still ask for, so both stay here—main recipe is on the recipe card, original in the notes.
More Favorite Comfort Recipes
Here’s my Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family always does!
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Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken breasts, (about 2 breasts) cooked and shredded
- 2 cups cooked white rice, or cooked brown rice
- 2 cups 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 onion, (optional)
- 1/2 cup diced celery, (optional)
- 1 cup mayonnaise , or Greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon 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
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 stalks of 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 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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!
My mistake
Hi Iris,
I apologize that the recipe was confusing. I hope that it turned out well for you.
Thanks!
Robyn xo
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.
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
Right! That’s what I did. Thanks to the author of the recipe, it smalls great cooking. I used rotisserie chicken for the old recipe, by the way, totally my choice and I think (hope)it will still turn out anyway.
I hope you enjoy it, Maria! Thanks!
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.