Chicken Rice Casserole is a family favorite meal. Made of chicken and rice and cooked in a tender, comforting casserole. A favorite one dish dinner recipe!
Looking for more cozy dinner ideas? I think you’ll love my Chicken Noodle Soup, Pot Roast Recipe, and Easy Lasagna.
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.
There are so many variations of this casserole dish, probably every family has their version, and then changes within the family as well. For my family, this flavorful version always hit the spot!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Cozy, comforting meal. This is a wonderful one dish recipe when you need a cozy, comforting dinner idea.
- Easy recipe. It uses simple ingredients that are easily combined and baked in a baking dish for a one dish meal.
- Versatile. You can easily substitute or omit ingredients you don’t care for and include those that you do! I provide plenty of options!
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
How to Make Chicken Rice Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
You will need a few simple ingredients to make this chicken rice casserole. I’ve included substitutions and variations as well.
- chicken – you will need 2 cups of shredded chicken for this recipe. I like to use the shredded chicken recipe I’ve shared previously. You can also use my Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken recipe or pick up a rotisserie chicken in the grocery store.
- rice – you’ll need 2 cups of cooked rice. You can use cooked white rice or brown rice.
- cream of chicken soup – you will need 2 cups of cream of chicken soup. You can also use canned soup if you prefer. You can use all cream of chicken or a combination of cream of chicken and cream of celery.
- onion – (optional) if used, you’ll use 1/2 cup diced onion.
- celery – (optional) if used, you’ll use 1/2 cup diced celery.
- mayonnaise – you can also use Greek yogurt.
- seasoning – you’ll need 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. If you enjoy the added flavor of garlic, you can substitute the salt and pepper called for in the recipe with 1 teaspoon of Stone House Seasoning.
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 casserole is heated throughout and lightly browned.
Serve. Serve and 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 using uncooked rice and sauteed celery and onion.
Storage Tips
To make ahead. Prepare the chicken rice casserole without baking. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To serve, allow the casserole to sit out on the counter as the oven preheats. Adjust the baking time to make sure that the casserole has heated throughout.
To store leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze. Prepare the chicken rice casserole without baking. Cover tightly with plastic wrap followed by foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then follow the baking instructions in the recipe. The baking time may need to be extended by up to 10 minutes to heat the casserole throughout.
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
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
Robyn, I would like to have your recipe for homemade cream of chicken soup. I want to make this casserole & I think the homemade soup sounds better than the can cream of chicken. Hope you can help me with this. Love your recipes. Thanks for all the great tips.????
Hi Linda. Here’s the link to my homemade cream of chicken soup recipe – https://addapinch.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup-recipe/
I could taste the mayo ,,, not liking that , next time I’ll add some milk and omit the mayo ,, also added mixed veggies . Makes a lot
I’ve got this in the oven and it smells wonderful! I used the old recipe and added Ortega chilies, then topped with shredded cheddar cheese. I know, I know…I changed it up. But, to me, recipes are like roadmaps. Sometimes I turn onto a secondary road . Looking forward to the great taste! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Love this Donna! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!
Thank you so much for this! I am having to eat a rather bland diet because of medications I am on and wanted something a little different than my go to chicken and rice dish. I used two store bought cans of cream of chicken and the 3 cups of chicken broth and had no problem at all with it being too soupy. Should make for great leftovers too!
I sprinkled cheese on top at the end and it was delicious! Thanks for a great make ahead option!
I’m so glad you loved it! I love the addition of the cheese! xo
I tried the original recipe using the homemade cream of chicken soup. The problem is the instruction “1 homemade recipe cream of chicken soup” implied to me to use all 4 cups of the soup. I should have know better as 1 cup of long grain rice (I used basmati) and 7-cups of liquid is going to be very liquidy.
The answer is to use only half of the cream of chicken soup recipe which will result in a much firmer casserole.
As for the taste, it was still delicious.I substituted 2 cups of boneless, skinless chicken thighs as I think dark meat has more flavor.
I made this casserole today for my family and for the family of a dear friend battling cancer. It was a HIT! I subbed gluten-free Cream of Chicken and Mushroom, as well as added some butter drizzled over the top. SO DELICIOUS! I have printed this recipe for my collection and will make it again. Thanks!
Hi Mary Beth,
This is a very comforting dish to make for someone who is not feeling well. I hope your friend is much better and cancer-free soon! I’m glad you and your friend’s family enjoyed this dish.
Thank you so much!
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
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 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.