Dinner doesn’t get easier or more delicious than this cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole, made in just one pan, with a few simple ingredients.
Here’s what a nerd I am when it comes to cooking: for my 14th birthday a friend gave me a cookbook, and it was one of my favorite gifts! It was a compilation of favorite recipes from close friends, and one of the recipes was this cheesy chicken and rice casserole.
What I love about Chicken and Rice Casserole:
- One pan: throw everything together in a casserole dish and bake. This makes for low prep and easy clean-up! I love recipes where the oven does all of the work. Check out my other one-pan recipes!
- Kid friendly: The end result is another kid-friendly recipe that’s delicious and flavorful. The perfect comfort food for a fast weeknight meal or Sunday dinner that requires hardly any prep.
- Adaptable: Like most casserole dishes, there are plenty of variations you can make to this recipe. See more ideas below in the post.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole:
1. Prep rice mixture: Add rice, cream of soups, milk, water and onion soup seasoning to a bowl and stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
2. Add chicken: nestle chicken breasts into the rice mixture.
3. Bake: Cover the dish with aluminum foil (the pan will be very full!) and bake for 1 hour 30 min to 2 hours , or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. (Mine usually bakes in 1.5 hours, but time may vary depending on oven, altitude and other variables).
4. Top with cheese and serve. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh roasted veggies or a green salad.
Recipe Variations:
Cheese: leave it out, or substitute Colby jack, mozzarella or Swiss.
Rice: Minute rice will not work with this recipe. Brown rice would require additional liquid (at least ½ cup) and longer cooking time, so if using brown rice, I suggest using chicken thighs, instead of breasts, so the chicken doesn’t overcook/dry out.
Herbs: if you’d like to add additional flavor, consider adding fresh thyme, parsley, freshly minced garlic or garnish with fresh basil.
Broccoli Chicken and Rice: add 2 cups chopped broccoli florets to the casserole before baking.
Veggies: Feel free to add chopped mushrooms, onions, green peppers, green beans, broccoli, etc.
Cream of soup: My homemade version is so easy and delicious but you can use any type of cream of soup for this recipes including chicken, mushroom, or celery.
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice: Reduce water to ½ cup and milk to 1 cup. Only use 1 can of cream of soup. Cook on high pressure/manual setting for 8-10 minutes (depending on thickness of the chicken breasts). Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes.
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: This is a great make-ahead recipe. Prepare the dish but do not bake. Cover it well and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before baking.
To freeze: Prepare the dish but do not bake. Cover it well with plastic wrap and tinfoil and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking, uncovered.
Consider trying these popular one-pan meals:
- One pan baked salmon and vegetables
- One pan creamy lemon chicken tortellini
- One pan chicken fajita pasta
- One pan skillet lasagna
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Recipe
![Chicken and rice casserole with melted cheese on top, in an oval serving dish.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Chicken-Rice-Casserole-1-500x500.jpg)
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup (or homemade)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups milk
- 1 batch homemade onion soup mix , or one envelope Lipton onion soup mix
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese , divided
- 3 thick boneless skinless chicken breasts , or thighs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13'' pan (or similar size casserole dish) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add rice, cream of soups, milk, water and onion soup seasoning to a bowl and stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Nestle chicken breasts into the rice mixture. Cover the dish with aluminum foil (the pan will be very full!) and bake for 1 hour 30 min to 2 hours , or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. (Mine usually bakes in 1.5 hours, but time may vary depending on oven, altitude and other variables).
- Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Serve with fresh steamed veggies or a green salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Create a FREE Account to save your favorite recipes and create meal plans
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe March 2017. Updated September 2020.
This post contains affiliate links.
I made this by directions and was delicious. Was wondering though, Can you make this with rotisserie chicken and adjust cook time? If so, to what temp and time?
My only question is what are the sizes of the soup cans? A lot of recipes will use the large family size cans but this doesn’t specify.
Each can should be 10.5 oz!
I just made this for my elderly parents. My dad is a picky “meat and potatoes” kinda man. He frequently complains about my sister and I trying “fancy” recipes. He had three big helpings of the rice. He rarely gives compliments so this was a VERY good sign he liked it. 😁I had to make a substitute though since I only had 1 can of cream of chicken and no mushroom. I used cream of cheddar and was praying it would taste ok. I’m super happy everybody loved it! It’s definitely getting added to my cookbook.
Recipe was straightforward, had quick prep, and tasted like the usual chicken and rice casserole. Will add mixed vegetables for a different flavor next time I make this.
Ha!!! I bake this about two times a month sometimes a week if I’m super busy. Turns out great Everytime. I don’t use lipton soup mix because I’m allergic to MSG. and yes it’s a thing I get super sick. Any ways I put two cans drained string beans. Save cheese till the end. And sometimes instead of water xhix broth I make myself with the left overs from boning my thighs cuz I don’t do white meat. Oerfecto. Thanks for the recipe starter… People this is amazing!!!!
Followed this recipe exactly, except seasoned the chicken a bit prior to putting in the pan, and used stock instead of water. Came out as it should. Anyone who is saying it came out disasterous did something wrong or didn’t follow directions. Cooked for 1.5 hours and then a couple mins on broil to melt the cheese.
So easy and good
Followed directions to the t and the rice was still crunchy after two hours, the texture watery, and flavor just…onion
Love this dish. I add broccoli and it reminds me of my mom’s recipe. My mom used cream of mushroom soup and I prefer to use a cream of chicken and cream of celery soup. I cook for the full 2 hours, in Colorado or the rice will be crispy, in a not appetizing way. I make this every other week and it reminds me of my childhood dinner.
This was okay. I followed the directions to the letter, I fought the urge to stir it halfway through. The rice was sticky but flavorful. I don’t think it’s supposed to be like rice you cook on the stove, I think it’s meant to be a “stick to your ribs” meal. My family likes it and that makes it a win in my book!
Hi, Lauren. I am JD. I tried this meal last night. I made a mistake in that I had boiled-in-the-bag rice and cooked it. I think you meant for the rice to be raw. So, it turned out as a thick soupy casserole. It was still good, but my Mom was not sold on it. Part of the reason I think was the soupiness, she is not a fan of soups, and the Lipton Onion Soup mix, she is not a fan of onions either. But, Dad liked it, but wished it hadn’t been so soupy. He also said to keep the recipe and we would try it with the raw rice and see how it goes then. For me I think it might have needed some additional seasoning or other ingredients to make it pop. However, I am not sure what those would be yet. Just to let you know, I am learning how to cook, so recipes are almost always a necessity. I like your website from the little I have looked around so far. Good Fortune and Blessed Be.
Hi JD! Thanks for sharing your experience with the Chicken and Rice Casserole. Using raw rice is definitely the way to go for the right texture. I’m glad your dad enjoyed it, and I hope it turns out better next time. For more flavor, you could try adding garlic powder, paprika, or a bit of thyme. Cooking is a learning process, and it’s great that you’re giving it a go. Best of luck, and happy cooking!
Do you rinse the rice first?
Yes, I recommend rinsing the rice first. It helps remove excess starch and ensures the rice cooks up nicely in the casserole!
Instapot recipe burnt and didnt cook
I froze this and will be baking tonight. It has been in the fridge since yesterday. The instructions for frozen say to bake uncovered (as opposed to covered for fresh). Is that right? Bake uncovered?
If baking from frozen, I cover it.
Very good and easy to make loved it
The liquid either needs to be decreased at least by half or increase the rice! It has a good flavor but I did add additional seasoning but it was like eating soup!
Did you by chance use a different type of rice than long grain white rice? Jasmine or medium grain rice for example would use less liquid. Otherwise, the ratio of 2:1 water and rice should work!
I had the same experience! I used long grain white rice. Followed the directions directly. I will add more next time.
I had this problem as well, way too watery (and I even used 1/4 cup less water than suggested).
Thank you for posting this recipe! It gave me really helpful specifics for a “no-measure” meal from my childhood. This came out amazingly for me in the oven and I will be making this again and again! A few changes I made: I cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces, almond milk instead of regular, a 22oz can of cream of mushroom soup, 1.5 cups broccoli, and for seasonings I just used at least a teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, and black pepper. I made it the night before and refrigerated overnight, then baked for dinner the next day. Baking at 350 for 1.5 hours covered with foil was perfect. Then added the cheese and baked uncovered 15 more min, and let sit for 15 min before serving. delish!
I thought that a recipe on “tastesbetterfromscratch” would not have can of soup as an ingredient. It’s hard to find casserole recipes that don’t use cans of soup!
We completely understand your concern about using canned soup, and that’s why we’ve included a homemade version that aligns with our belief that homemade truly tastes better! You can find the homemade version by clicking on the “HOMEMADE” link in the ingredient list. We hope you give it a try and enjoy the difference in taste!
This recipe is waaaay too salty. Leave out the onion soup mix and replace the soup with a low sodium version.
This is a terrible recipie, devoid of any spices. Not to mention, no matter if you 2X or 3X it tells you to use the same sized pan.
Can I chop the chicken rather than putting whole breasts on top?
Yes! That should work great.
Most definitely does not work in the Instant Pot. Dumped it in a casserole l, added more liquid and put it in the oven. Hopefully it can be saved!
I wish I would have read this before I put it in my Instant Pot. I got the ‘food burning’ error message within minutes.
Hi, would this work with a higher temp to speed it up?
Instant pot definitely burns, even on low. Please acknowledge the comments and update the recipe.
Confirmed did not work in the Instant Pot, wish I had scrolled haha!
Loved this. Making it a second time.
I took it southwestern a tad cause I love that heat twist. Added chiles, jalepenos, Ro-tel tomatoes, and subbed jack cheese. Very good
This is my go to recipe as it is so easy and always perfect. I added a little curry to the most recent bake and it was delicious as well. Admittedly, I use more cheese than in the recipe, but our family loves their cheese 🙂
My family and I all did not care for this recipe. Way too much onion soup mix for the recipe, over powered the whole dish! If onions are your thing, this will be for you!! I even tried to add more cheese to calm down the onion soup mix flavoring, but it did not help!! Only 1 star rating as the chicken was great & juicy!
Tasty recipe! We have made it twice now and even used the recipe for the homemade cream soup (really appreciate this!). The only thing I disagree with is the amount of servings (8). As someone who values getting a lot of good protein in my diet this should only be serving 3 people, one chicken breast per person. We definitely enjoy it though and will continue to use it in the future. Thank you!
It was delicious. We loved it. I would suggest stirring it half way through cooking. It took 1 hour and 30 minutes the rice was completely done.
90 minutes in the over turned this into a pan full of mush. It was awful.
Dont instant pot! I did twice and it was burnt and uncooked at the same time.(first time the chicken was raw)
I found this recipe after a long search for a recipe that my God Mother, “Grammer” had in the late 1960’s. It was called “Methodist Chicken” form her church cookbook. So glad I found your recipe!
Grammer used whole bone in chicken pieces in hers, the skin would be so crunchy and tasty. I alternate between breasts or whole skin on parts. For those complaining that it didn’t turn out, you really need to make sure the foil on your dish is tightly sealed. This will stem the rice beautifully. Thank you so much for ending my search for my Grammer’s recipe!
My only complaint is that it was a complete mess in the oven so I ended up just cutting up the chicken and throwing it all in a pot, turned out pretty yummy
I did not like the way this turned out. Way too salty and I added no salt.
I tried the Instapot version and it did not turn out well. The mixture burned so I don’t recommend using that method.
Trying the oven version tonight and expect it will be great!
The texture was not good, and the chicken was so tough I couldn’t even cut it with a knife. Waste of $ and ingredients. Chicken isn’t cheap and everything went in the trash after waiting an hour and a half.
In generally always read comments on recipes prior to making, but this time I didn’t and it was so disappointing. The instant pot directions do not work as others have pointed out. Burn before the it even came to pressure. The only thing I can think of is the weight of the chicken pushed the rice down, I’ve never had issues with rice in the instant pot before. It’s currently in the oven. We’ll see how it turns out.
The taste was great, but the rice wouldn’t cook. I used white long grain rice and even cooked it longer and it never cooked. The flavor of the sauce and chicken was great though.
Ok, I made this recipe last night after reading all the reviews. I followed it exactly, used one cream of chicken and one cream of mushroom,reduced sodium soup. Stirred it at 45 minutes and cooked for 50 minutes more. I had one really large breast to I cut it into 6 large chunks. Turned off oven and put the remaining cheese on top and let it sit in the oven for about 10 minutes. It was delicious. The rice was cooked perfectly, the chicken moist and tender. I don’t understand the complaints, people must not read the recipe correctly, or try to change things. Will definitely make again.
This recipe was so good and it was so easy to make I added frenchy’s crispy fried onions to it also and it was so good!!!
disappointing… the taste is good, although it’s entirely too salty and i didn’t even add salt anywhere. don’t bother trying in an instant pot. i checked out the comments ahead of time and used 1 cup broth + 1 cup milk and two cans of cream of chicken soup. burn. i scraped off the bottom of the pot and got the burnt bits off and added another cup of water. burn. it ended up in the oven. i’ve never had a problem with rice in the IP before.
It’s actually not bad. I ended up turning it into a soup. My family loves it! Thank you!
This recipe is a disaster waiting to happen! I cooked my rice in the rice cooker now I’m putting a bunch of liquid into it whaaattt????
Don’t cook the rice before
You don’t cook the rice before hand. You add the rice with all the other ingredients, uncooked.
I ran into the same problem as others with the instapot option. burned rice on the bottom. I thought adding more liquid would help. It did not. We had to finish it off in the oven. We also added cottage cheese and a few more spices. My husband and I talked about it and we agree with one of the other posts that putting the chicken in first may fix the problem. we will probably not try this one again though. love the easy idea but it ended up being more work with multiple dishes to clean.
I tried this in the instant pot with the recommended changes….it wouldn’t finish the cycle because the rice mixture kept sticking to the bottom and registering as “burn”. I finished it in the over….overall, this recipe is absolutely delicious as is. I might try it in the instant pot again but I’d put the chicken on the bottom and put the rice mixture on top to see if it works better. The only reason I opted for the instant pot was for the shorter cooking time.
I should have read the comments first, but glad to see it was not just me who got a “burn” message on my IP. I have been cooking your recipes for my family five nights a week for five weeks straight—it is our first fail! That said, love your site and thank you for making my life easier with your meal plans and delicious recipes.
Followed the recipe exactly (except 1/2 the amt of cheese) and it was the perfect fall comfort meal! Def stir halfway through and let sit for 15 minutes to allow rice to soak up extra juices. We cooked for 90 minutes and it was perfectly done. This was sooo easy and will definitely be a go-to dinner on nights where I don’t want to spend all night cooking.
The results of this recipe are great but DO NOT FOLLOW THE INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS! I tried the IP and only managed to burn the rice on the bottom after getting “burn” alerts. It may need more liquid, I don’t know. But, as written, the IP recipe note directions will NOT work. It’s still a great recipe. I added chopped green beans, asparagus, peppers- pretty much anything and it only got better. This has been added to my cookbook.
I diced in some sweet peppers and portobello mushrooms. I also used some rice pilaf and added some Cajun seasoning. Oh and I cubed my chicken. It came out really well. Thank you for sharing!
I cut the recipe in half as well as diced the chicken and added 1/8 cup of sour cream for some shizam. The rice came out pretty mushy, but honestly, if you’re not caring about texture, the casserole was really tasty!
I sprinkler 1/2- 1 cup of a mixture of cheese (med cheddar, Colby jack) on top of chicken/rice mixture in dish then, I crush two rolls of Ritz crackers, melt 4 tbs of butter and place both into a ziplock. Mix together then place on top of cheese. 5-minutes prior to being done, I remove the aluminum foil to allow the crackers/butter mixer to brown.
Did not like this recipe at all. After an hour the rice was still hard and soupy. Gave it another 30 minutes and it was still runny. Rice turned out like mushy slop and the chicken had no flavor.
I haven’t made this dish in years. Was a long day and this is what I had in the cupboards and freezer. Minus the onion lipton soup mix, so I added a half a pack of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix and a half a stick of butter. My son never would touch this when he was younger but ate 2 servings tonight.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit and SO easy! My husband loved it so much, he suggested that I make it once a week!
Not sure why people are having problems with this. I’ve been making this recipe for about 30 years now after finding it in a church cookbook. Always comes out perfect every time.
Hey Lauren, love this recipe in the oven! Didn’t have time so tried it in the instapot and can’t even successfully make it. Keep getting add water message… looks like others have had the same problem. Maybe should remove the IP option so people don’t fail before reading the comments! I’m so sad because I love this recipe and just wasted an entire meal 😞 have to get take out instead.
Jessica, I use the instapot to cook skinless, boneless chicken thighs with 1 cup of water and remove after 8-10 mins. I then add the following to the stock in instapot chopped carrots, onions, celery and 2 cups of rice and cook 6 mins. While it is cooking heat oven to 350 degrees, then I chop the thighs and place in large bowl. I then chop broccoli and mushrooms and mix everything together in large bowl including rice, onions, celery. I add one can of cream of chicken and one can of cream of mushroom to the mixture. Mix and place in glass dish. Sprinkler 1/2- 1 cup of a mixture of cheese (med cheddar, Colby jack) on top of chicken/rice mixture in dish then, I crush two rolls of Ritz crackers, melt 4 tbs of butter and place both into a Ziplock. Mix together then place on top of cheese. 5-minutes prior to being done, I remove the aluminum foil to allow the crackers/butter mixer to brown.
YES, PLEASE REMOVE THE INSTANT POT OPTION!
Y’all forget the onion soup package or use the wrong rice? Because this is soooo good! Not fancy, not gourmet and clearly not trying to be so IDK why there are so many food snobs in the comments. A package of onion soup and two cans of Campbell’s cream soup plus (be honest) at least 2 cups of cheese AND added salt in the recipe but some of y’all say it STILL needs more salt? Wow. That’s some tolerance right there. I usually add more salt…I’m known to cook hella salty food…but this recipe didn’t need it. In fact if you’re sensitive or have a healthy diet, sodium-wise, I’d recommend you back off on adding salt plus I would choose low sodium soup. Just my two cents. Thank you for an easy recipe. My family loved it.
I made this about two weeks ago. I have some very picky grand children and we had nothing left. Cooking today for the second time upon request. Very easy and very good. We are trying it with pepper Jack cheese today.
We enjoyed this dish! It’s just my husband and I and we had three meals out of this. Tasted better the second day even.
It was good. I used extra long grain organic white rice. 1.5 hours was perfect. I left the cheese off until the end I grated cheddar cheese and added around two tablespoons of Kerrygold butter while it was resting. Gave it a good stir and served it 10 minutes later. Very good. Kid approved.
Prepared, served and enjoyed comments from 4 guests!
Where did you find recipe? Would you share it? What other meal surprise’s do you possess and could provide us? etc.
Complements bordered towards embarrassing, yet, I demanded a round of applause and bowed in Thanks!
Your site was forwarded to all mobile devices and email addresses as they scurry about looking for leftovers for home? (They disappeared!!) 😉 😔
I will post comments from your other meals as I am sure I will be continuously be at this site.
Thank you from the heart and pleased stomach.
Until…..gordon
wow ..used brown basmati a nd added a little extra water’… have baked 1 and a half hours and it is still really soupy…what do you think.. used 2 percent milk
Let it sit 15 minutes. The rice will absorb the liquid. (It’s what we did anyway)
This is the first recipe of my very first meal plan I just started and it is not disappointing. Im so glad I found these meal plans!
My mom used to make this with instant rice, you just cut the baking time in half. Love this recipe, it tastes just like hers did.
Tried it in the IP with the IP modifications given in the notes. Burn. I’d stick with the oven on this one.
I have 5 chicken legs that were given to me by the food bank. Do you think I could use them in this recipe? Should I adjust liquid or cooking time?
I added 2 c. rice with 2 c. chicken stock and 1 c milk. Used 1 can cream mushroom,1 can cream or celery and 1 can cream chicken. Also cut the chicken up into chunks. Added chopped onion, 1 bag frozen mushrooms and 1 bag of frozen spinach. Cooked on 350 for 1 1/2 hours. It was just a little runny on the corners (probably the water from the frozen veg) but we loved it! We will be having plenty of leftovers tonight and are looking forward to it! This recipe is saved on my laptop as I will be making it again. Very pleased!
I doubled the recipe and the chicken was not even close to being done after 2 hours. Looks like to much liquid in the beginning but the rice needs it. It’s pretty bland so I wish I had added some other spices.
I tried this recipe but the rice didn’t cook all the way me leave In the oven 1:30 mins and the rice isn’t cooked thru a lil disappointed this rice is still super hard I followed the exact recipe im very pist off the directions and the rice is still hard
That is the same thing that happened to me. The rice is just completely hard and I made three of these casseroles, so it was a real disappointment for everyone.
I’ve made this recipe a number of times and each time it turns out! Planning to add broccoli next time. Your homemade cream of soup recipe is also very good! I rarely buy store bought. I usually use jasmine or basmati rice and both work well. I bought myself dried onion to also make your homemade dried onion soup! Thank you for your recipes!
I just made this for dinner tonight. Tge only change I made is seasoning my chicken and broccoli was added. This dish is delicious!!!! It was not dry at all. It was creamy a full of flavor.
I rarely give bad reviews but this was a horrible recipe. Extremely bland and awful texture. I was embarrassed to service this for dinner
This dish had a good flavor but I had to add some chicken broth because it was very dry. I’m glad I saw the comment about stirring the dish halfway through because it was very clumpy. I added braised chicken after the rice was done and cooked it until the cheese melted.
Not enough liquid? Came out thick, clumpy. Too salty!
Really didn’t enjoy this mostly salty and tasted just like an oxo cube. Chicken came out super dry even though it was emerged in the sauce. Maybe just my taste but a very old fashioned dinner in my opinion. Made the cream of chicken soup from scratch and the onion mix from scratch also.
Made this for the first time, it turned out great. I had to tweak it a bit and make my own onion soup mix from scratch and also I used brown rice instead of the white rice which called for a 1/2 cup more of water. I also stirred half way through the cooking time to make sure rice cooked nicely, increase your cooking time about 35 minutes as well if using brown rice or dish seems a bit watery otherwise. served with biscuits and green beans was delish
I don’t know what all these terrible comments are about! I LOVED this! I cooked this exactly as it was written, except used 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 can of chicken. Greased the casserole dish with butter. Added a little extra garlic. Some thyme and sprinkled green onions on the top for garnish. It was fantastic.
Your comments do not seem to be consistent with your star rating. Any reason for that?
I don’t know what all the negative reviews were about. The only part of the recipe I altered was I cut my chicken breast more into tenders. No the chicken wasn’t seasoned, and I was too exhausted to care. But the rice was cooked perfectly, and my chicken breast was juicy. I also nestled it down into the rice/liquid. I cooked it for 1.5 hours. I 100% would make this again. It was an absolute life saver to not have to stand at the stove after working out in the heat all day. My family ate it, we had enough for 2 people to have leftovers today, and outside of that it was all gone.
Very delicious! Chicken was moist and flavorful. I made 1/2 recipe as it was just 2 of us eating. I used 3 smaller pieces of chicken, still cooked it for an hour and a half. We love cheese, but were running low, so I skipped the cheese and topped it with french fried onions in the last 5-10 minutes instead. Will definitely be making this one again.
Super yummy thanks so much for this easy meal that my kids actually like! 😂 I added green beans and broccoli for some veg and a little bit of nacho cheese seasoning to the soup mix to give it a bit of a kick. It was delicious!!
Wonderful recipe as is or use it as a base for any modifications you might try! No complaints other than I wish I found this sooner 🙂
I made a new recipe my kids actually ate!!
Love the recipe! I used chicken legs that I parboiled until half done then transferred to my baking pan. I used the white cheese in the can. The one I usually use for my nachos. It gave it a little more spice and the rice came out so creamy. I baked until golden brown. Now it’s another family favorite. This is best casserole I’ve made so far. Thank you.
Maggie H.
Recipe says 3 chicken breasts but feeds 8? Picture and video show 1 breast on the plate so feeds 3 only? Or do you cube the chicken into pieces before serving?
We usually cut the chicken into pieces! Enjoy!
This was horrible! Way too much liquid, and the rice was crunchy after baking for an hour and a half. Will never make this slop again!
lol maybe you’re the one who made the mistake instead of the content creator…I made this recipe today and my only modification was using leftover chicken from yesterday that I added in half way through and I used bone broth in place of the cup of water….it came out perfect. Sorry you’re having a bad day, maybe consider being a little more graceful
My husband said: “You have to make this again!” I followed the recipe, but cut it in half as there are only 2 of us. It was delicious. If you’re looking for a recipe where every grain of rice is featured, forget it. If you’re looking for a family casserole, this is it!
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
Very tasty and I was looking for a recipe to use 2 chicken thighs and a small head of broccoli. Easily had the other ingredients. Thank you.
Thank you for this very delicious recipe. Served it for my family this weekend since my son couldn’t make Thanksgiving or Christmas this year as he is a physician in busy ER, and it was a hit. I just added some paprika and it was very tasty.
very good made it tonight added broccoli and mushrooms it’s a keeper
This is my 2nd recipe to try. I looked at a lot of the comments and was worried. NOT TO FEAR… This recipe was great. This was so easy. I added onions, a lot of broccoli (my favorite vegetable) extra cheese.
For 2 people there is enough leftovers to have lunches and dinner tomorrow.
Really like the recipes and meal plans. Thank you so much.
Gary
Wife hates casseroles, I don’t, so decided to try this recipe. Other than cubing the chicken, followed it to a tee ( with a little extra cheese at the end). So good. No need for added spices – borderline salty with the soup. Excellent. Thanks.
I had some leftover rice, and leftover cubed chicken I did not want to go to waste. I added my already cooked garlic rice, cubed cooked chicken, and just altered this recipe to not include water. Popped it in the oven at 350 covered for about 30 minutes (really just to warm up the leftovers) and it’s great! Serving with mixed steamed veggies!
I decided to tweak the recipe a bit after reading the instructions and comments. I cubed 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then very lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set that aside. After pouring the rice mixture in the pan, I just spread the cubed chicken on top and pressed down lightly until it was fully covered. Added a bit of shredded parmesan on top of the cheddar cheese, and baked for 90 minutes covered, then an additional 10 uncovered. I turned the oven off, and let it sit in the oven for another 15 until the cheese got just a little brown and crispy. Came out delicious! No bland chicken here, but I think I will try it again without the extra seasoning and let the sauce do it’s thing. There was sadly no room for veggies in the dish because of the extra chicken breast but I did cook broccoli on the side, and it was yummy mixed in a bowl. I don’t make many casseroles, but this was so easy and delicious!
I made this recipe as written, omitting the chicken and adding broccoli and mushrooms. I baked it for 1 hour and the result was delicious. I served it with a tossed salad and crab cakes. Dinner was a hit!
The recipe when prepared in the instant pot was a utter fail. I followed the instant pot directions in this recipe but my instant pot kept flashing the “burn notice”. Once it finally completed after 4 attempts, the food was extremely salty. Dinner was a disaster that night.
I agree. Same thing happened here, finally added another 1/2 cups of water so I wouldn’t keep getting the “burned food” warning after restarting the cooking cycle 3 times.
I also got the burn notice. Ruined the food, ended up putting in the oven and by the time we ate it was insanely late.
I made this tonight for supper and it is delicious. Comfort food for us. I made the homemade onion soup mix unfortunately I did have a oxo cube so i added 2 teaspoons of better than bouillon in with wet ingredients and gave it a whisk. Simply delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
This is prison food. You don’t even season the chicken breast. I added fresh mushrooms and french fried onions and it still tasted like cardboard.
hahah I don’t even know how to respond to this. Did you forget to add all of the seasonings from the onion soup mix? That should add tons of flavor.
Bees do not have time to explain to flies why honey is better than poop <3 your recipe was fantastic! It came out great and I only slightly modified the recipe because I had leftover chicken to use up, and I used bone broth instead of water. I also made my own “soup mix” because I forgot to buy that HA!
Can you make this in the crock pot? And if so, what settings and how long would you cook it for?
Ok so I’ve made this twice now. First time I agree with other comments the chicken was rather bland, so the second time I made it I marinated the chicken in the fridge overnight in olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, paprika, lawrys seasoning salt and lawrys garlic salt plus. SO MUCH BETTER! As for the the rest of the directions and ingredients everything worked for me both times. I didn’t have 2 cans on cream of mushroom soup on hand so I used 1 can of cream of mushroom and 1 can of cream of cheddar… turned out AMAZING. 5 star recipe. Also I noticed some people saying that their rice was crunchy and I used jasmine rice both times and had no issues. When you pull it out of the oven it will look “soupy” just give everything a stir.
I made this recipe today and it came out perfect. I followed it to the T except for adding broccoli and some pepper mix and garlic on the uncooked chicken. I cooked half in a square pan and half in a casserole dish. Chicken was super tender.
Stephanie, was your square pan metal? I’m wanting to make this in a metal pan but not sure how it will affect the rice – was it dried out at all? thanks
It was delicious I did it all from scratch. Only thing I cut my chicken breast in pieces. The amount of time to bake is a lot my chicken came out dry because of it. Other than that delicious. My husband and 1 year old loved it.
Unfortunately I didn’t read the comments till after putting it in the oven. Cooked it an hour and a half. Took it out and it was soupy on the top. So I poured out the soupy stuff and started stirring the rice up. Then I added a little bit of the soupy stuff back into the rice and stirred it some more till it was a good consistency. Eating it was alright. Chicken was quite chewy and it was definitely a little bland so we just smothered it in salt and pepper. Honestly food is food. It really isn’t that bad as long as you do what you can to make it better. My husband is going back for seconds so don’t lose hope!
Really confused at the comments and wondering what everyone else did incorrectly. I used 2 cans of cream of mushroom and added fresh thyme. I used chicken tenders rather than breasts. Probably could have just cooked it an hour rather than 90 minutes. Everything cooked well and the flavor was good. Thanks!
What is wrong with you? ‘cooking from Scratch’ means using ingredients, not cans of EFFING soup.
If you take a look at the actual post and read you’ll note the link for Lauren’s homemade cream of anything soup which is what we recommend using.
🙂 There’s nothing wrong with me. Did you miss my links to the homemade version of those? (There’s a link in the post, and in the recipe ingredients–for people who like to make it all from scratch).
That’s telling him! lol! Believe me Mike, use the recipe using the canned soup. It’s alot easier and very tasty!
EW. What a nasty EFFING attitude. If you don’t like the recipe, then LEAVE. Byeeee 👋
I love using onion soup in recipes like this but my grandchildren hate onions especially if they see them. Will the onions disappear when cooking?
The onion isn’t going to be strong but you can also smash up the packet before you add it to crush up the onion pieces!
Wow . I made this and it was delicious . No need to get ugly .
Wtf is wrong with YOU?? Jesus you must be one miserable sob to comment on a friggin recipe like that lol
Filling, but not very appetizing in the way it looks or in texture. It could just be our oven (no convection), but the rice was burnt towards the edges and goopy in the middle. As it cooled it seemed to congeal. However, the chicken was nice and moist, not dry as usually happens when I make it haha. It was also too salty for us, which may be due to the cans of creamed soup as well as the onion soup mix. I might try this again in the future (using real onion or onion powder), and add some veggies.
This recipe is a disaster! I have a big soupy mess on my hands. 3c of liquid and two cans of condensed soup seemed like a lot of liquid, but I went ahead and followed the recipe, and it was a failure.
Maybe you used minute rice instead of regular?
Added more/other seasonings (garlic, onion powder, thyme), I used chicken broth instead of water as well as added broccoli and the rice was delicious. The chicken on the other hand was extremely bland. Tasted like plain chicken with cheese and a faint taste of seasoning… my oldest loves bland food but the rest of us were pretty unimpressed. I will likely make this again with just rice as a side but will do the chicken separately as it was just so plain and not good.
Did you use the onion soup mix seasoning? That’s what adds the most flavor.
The Instant Pot version of this recipe did NOT work. Kept getting burn notice so I kept adding a bit more liquid. I don’t think you actually tried this, apparently you just made it up off the top of your head. With food prices where they are right now, I seriously don’t appreciate having to throw this out. Not happy with this recipe or you at this point.
I really wish I would have read the reviews. I also did the Instapot version and my chicken is NOT cooked AT ALL!!!!
I was wondering if you could cut up the chicken instead of leaving it whole. It would be easier to serve kids that don’t eat a whole breast. Would that make it tough and dry or would you have to adjust the time or temp?
I cooked it as directed and then when done just shredded up the chicken and stirred it together. It was very tasty 😋
Delicious! Whole family loves this recipe!!
Great base recipe but I question why some of the great suggestions after the recipe weren’t simply added to the recipe itself!
Without extra seasoning at the very least the recipe as listed is bland. I threw in a good pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little thyme. Then when I pulled it out the oven I added some extra thyme, salt, and pepper. Takes this recipe from a 2 to a 5 star!
Enjoy chicken rice casserole. Always a good meal.
I just made this tonight I tweaked it a little bit but it turned out great I will make it again!!! Negative reviewers need to learn to cook JMO 😎
If you are worried about cooking time, use thighs🤷♂️. They are more tender, more flavorful and you can cook them longer than breasts.
Pre cook the rice most of the way! Shortens the time by a lot. Also slice breast in half lengthwise. Cooks quicker and chicken absorbs more of the flavors.
I used Campbell’s cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup pkua liptons. Wasn’t very good. I think I will try a more natural recipe using chicken brother ND my own souces and not soup mixes
Sorry you didn’t love the casserole- I suggest you use the recipe for homemade “cream of anything” soup that is linked in the recipe. You can find it here: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/condensed-cream-anything-soup/
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but it seems like a long time to bake boneless chicken breasts that are usually cooked in a half hour or so. Doesn’t the long baking time dry out the chicken? Would bone in breasts or thighs work better?
Agreed I followed the recipe using chicken breasts it cooked too long and got dry. One hour should be enough time not 90.minutes.
I made this last night and was really worried about all the negative comments regarding cooking times, etc. But it came out perfect and delicious. I used 1 and a half cups of rice, 2 cups milk and 1 cup water as in the recipe, and I also added about a cup of sour cream because I like the creaminess of it. I cut up I used raw chicken breasts cut into cubes and pressed down into the rice mixture. I covered it with foil and cooked it at 350 for 1 hour and 40 minutes, then let sit about 10 minutes. I probably could have taken it out after 1.5 hours but I was so worried about it being soupy. The casserole was tasty and the chicken moist and perfectly cooked. I’ll be using this again!
Followed the recipe , baked for 1 1/2 hours and the rice was over cooked. It was wet looking before the 20 minute cool off which then thickened.
If I could give 0 stars I would. I was so excited and so disappointed. Cook time was way off. Finally when finished it lacked taste and I could fill potholes in road with it. Threw it out
I made this recipe and it was delicious. I went right by the recipe and used one can of cream of chicken, one can of cream of mushroom and the onion soup mix, added some fresh veggies I needed to use about an hour into the cooking (just mixed them in around the chicken breasts). It was perfect, not runny or dry (it was perfectly moist) and the rice fully cooked. My family loved it. Super simple to make. Will put this on the recipe list for something to fix that is simple and tasty.
I made this recipe and followed the recipe exactly but it came out really dry. I used long grain baskets rice but there just wasn’t enough liquid. It tasted good, so next time I will just add more milk or mushrooms soup.
I’m eating this casserole as I type this review. Delicious!! I added chopped broccoli but otherwise followed as written! Will definitely save the recipe, and make again!
Based on other reviews I increased oven temp to 370 degrees and at 50 minutes the rice wasn’t quite done. Another 10 minutes did the trick. Taste is Fantastic!
Absolutely delicious! I doubled the recipe and made 2 casseroles so we had it again 2 nights later. Since I doubled it and needed 4 cans of soup I used 2 cream of chicken, one cream of mushroom and one cheddar cheese! Very tasty!
This was one of the best dishes I have ever made. I used one can of cream of chicken and one can of cream of celery. I also added some garlic. The key for me was letting the chicken marinade overnight before cooking.
I tried to make this in the Instant Pot and it burned. I got a burn warning before it came to pressure and I had to toss it out. I was so disappointed because this recipe looked so good! I’ll probably try it again following the standard recipe, but I’ll have to wait for a weekend because I don’t usually have a ton of time on weeknights after work.
This recipe is delicious. Cheese is a really nice plus that I had not thought of before. Will definitely make this recipe again.
I was so excited to make this simple recipe, just as you probably are. Let me save you the same heartbreak. DONT!! Nothing about this recipe is right. It’s too runny! I repeat, TOO RUNNY!!! The rice was crunchy during the first go with the timer. Don’t be like me and not READ THE COMMENTS! Out of everything I have cooked for my boyfriend, he asked me never to make this again stating “I’ll finish this bowl but I don’t want to have this again…it’ll make a turd I guess”.
So there’s my rating, hope it helps someone who ACTUALLY READ THE COMMENTS!!!
Fixed this tonight and we loved it. I did add some onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños and it turned out wonderfully.
This was a wonderful recipe for a Chicken and Rice casserole. No, it was a fantastic recipe!
It hit a very specific comfort food button for me! I had a rotisserie chicken, so I just shredded it and put a layer on top instead of the raw chicken breasts and sprinkled an extra layer of cheese. I also mixed in a bag of frozen veggies cooked the casserole as directed. The chicken wasn’t dry and it was perfect for a broke 25 year old. I have leftovers in my freezer for future last minute dinners.
Did u add veggies frozen? I was going to throw in 10 oz bag of mixed vegetables?
I would let the veggies thaw before adding them.
Cooked for 1hr 50mins at 350 and the rice was nowhere near done. Put it in at 370 for another half an hour and the rice is still not done. Never making this again.
2 stars because it was edible but everyone thought the recipe as it was written was very bland.
This recipe was incredible! It was so easy to make with minimal dishes and the flavor was PERFECT. I’ve already sent the recipe to multiple people! We served it with a frozen veggie. We will absolutely be making this over and over. Thank you so much!
Did you find it runny like all other comments? Wondering I’d I need to tweek before so I don’t waste food or time.
May I just just say delicious! My husband is isn’t picky so he loves all the food I cook, but this he absolutely loved! Cooked it based on instructions. It’s was so delicious. Great recipe 😋thankyou!
This was very easy to make and very tasty. I used one can of cream of mushroom soup and one can of cream of chicken soup. Thanks for the recipe! I will be making this again.
The chicken and rice recipe was delicious. I used Jasmine rice. I added Rosemary, garlic, and dried onions, along with the salt and pepper. I also added some broccoli florets (frozen, & thawed in microwave) I baked 1 1/4 hrs at 350. The rice was fluffy, and the flavor was incredible!
Cooked for 1hr 45 minutes chicken was good but rice did not cook completely. Casserole was tasty but crunchy. Put it back in the oven fo another 45 minutes to see if rice cooks all the way. Next time may preboil broth to add in during prep stage.
I loved the flavor of this recipe. The chicken and broccoli cooked perfectly. However, the rice was hard. Does that mean it was undercooked or overcooked? The chicken was perfect so I don’t know if I would overlook the chicken if I cooked it longer. I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hr 40 min.
Perfect recipe. I used long grain white rice and put broccoli in. Delicious.
I really just think it could have used less liquid to begin with. Maybe 1/2 cup water and 1 cup milk vs 1 cup water & 2 cups milk. I followed the recipe exactly & had to cook it a lot longer than mentioned. Turned up the heat a bit at the end too. I live in western America, I don’t know if that makes a difference from where the original recipe comes from. But, yeah. Smells good, but taking FOREVER to cook.
I made this tonight and it was delicious for the most part. I followed the directions exactly, adding in broccoli florets with the rice mixture. Letting it rest definitely prevents it from being soupy as others claimed. Chicken breasts were much too dry, however. I’m going to chop up the remaining breasts and stir it into the rice mixture for tomorrow’s leftovers. Overall, best cheesy broccoli rice! Hands down!
Tried to make this in the instapot and it kept burning so I added back in thr extra water and milk and popped it in the oven, left out the extra “cream of” chicken soup, cooked for 1.5hrs, and it was delicious. I made no other changes. This will be on my regular rotation! Yum! Thank you!
When should you add the chicken if it is pre-cooked?
Made this tonight, used gluten free cream of chicken soup, and added broccoli, it was delish! My picky husband had 3 servings and loved it. Thank you!
I normally love your recipes, and they usually work great! However, this one DOES NOT work in the instant pot. It keeps burning. Then it never cooks because it keeps saying it’s burning. So, stick with the oven because the instant pot method DOES NOT WORK.
I had the same experience. I had to add back in the extra liquid and put it in the oven. Instapot was a no go.
Love this easy recipe! The rice mix was delicious snd chicken breasts were very tender.
What type of rice did you use ?
Added extra spices and garlic. I used one can of cream of chicken and one cream of mushroom. It took 1.5 hours and I definitely had to crank the temperature to 450 at the end, but it turned out amazing! Will make again!
Not a fan. Used boneless skinless chicken thighs and cream of mushroom soup. Followed the recipe exactly plus added a bit of broccoli (which was the best part). Found it to be mushy and lacking in flavour. Would not make again
Super yummy! Great recipe. By far the best chicken & rice casserole I’ve made.
So good, extremely easy (kinda like a dump recipe).
Highly suggested especially for ease, flavor, large family meal or leftovers.
This was better the day after. So like a great make ahead meal. I used leftover rotisserie. Just threw it in. So this is like a to taste thing.
Do not cover the casserole! Let it bake for 90 minutes, then add the rest of the cheese (I added cheddar and parm) and crank the oven to 450 degrees! Bake for 30 more minutes (I had 6 large breasts cut in half). The top is browned beautifully and it’s delightful!
I have tried many variations but this is by far the best!!!
Great recipe and perfect amounts of ingredients so didn’t need to fiddle with anything. I did add fresh mushrooms, which boosted the mushroom flavor and added smoked paprika. Gave it more depth of flavor. The chicken was very moist and fall off the bone. Thanks for a great go to!
I used my leftover broth from homemade chicken noodle soup instead of milk and water, plus I added 1/4 cayanne pepper, 1 red bell pepper and 5 chopped bella mushrooms to your recipe. soooo yummy! I like your recipe
Can I use leftover rotisserie chicken? If so, should I adjust anything?
Don’t add the cooked rotisserie chicken until the end when you serve it, (when the rice has baked).
Delicious…. reading the reviews i upped the rice to 2 cupsand only put in one cup of milk. I had to up the temp in the last 30 minutes to 375. total cook time 2 hours. The rice mixture was very moist but not soupy… letting it sit after cooking is crucial. everyone loved it… will make this again
I got a soup as well! I did not read reviews… sadly. I had 2 extra cans of cream of mushroom. I added those. I also used brown rice. Had too cook for at least 2 hours and 45 minutes. 1 ended up with a partially edial casserole. Tasted cheap to me, not mentioning the crispy bits of rice… still.
Loved this! Added 2 cups of chopped broccoli prior to placing the chicken and cheese on top and then placed in the fridge for about 14 hours before baking. Baked at 350 for an hour and forty five mins. Turned out perfect and not soupy as mentioned in some other comments. Perhaps the time in the fridge helped with this? Will definitely make again and test out other veggies next time – thanks for the tasty recipe.
This has become one of our favorite dinners! I have added different veggies each time I make it. I’ve had no issues with it being soupy at all. I used a deep casserole dish and it did take a bit longer for the rice to cook, but otherwise, its wonderful.
Yummy!!!! I followed the directions exactly as written and it came out perfect! Not sure why it came out soupy for some (maybe varying oven temps?). Thank you for sharing!
I tried the instant pot version. Got my first burn notice, so I took out chicken, stirred up rice, added a little more liquid (I actually used chicken broth instead of water) and started over. Another burn notice. At this point, rice is 3/4 cooked, but not quite there. I’m just gonna try finishing in stove, but rice is very thick, not soupy like others have had, that’s for sure.
I also had soupy casserole after 1 1/2 hours… I turned up oven as others said to 400, 20-40 minutes more still soup!!?? Less water next time?? I don’t want chicken to be tough so pulling it out hoping it will thicken?
Should have looked at the reviews before i started. Likewise mine turned out way too soupy. I thought 3 cups liquid (plus condensed soups x 2) to 1 1/2 cups rice was an imbalance. I even added spinach and mushrooms but the liquid was too much to absorb. My solution was to make another pot of plain rice to serve it over.
Love this recipe. I also had to turn the oven up, or we would still be waiting for it to be done!!!
Whole Family loved it, super simple
Used boneless skinless Chicken thighs as recommended
I am currently cooking this casserole and I took it out of the oven @350 after a hour and a half and it is soupy. I’ve turned the oven up to 400 for another 30 min. I hope it turns out, cause I have a very hungry family.
This was amazing! My family loved it (and I loved that it was a one-pan meal)! Thanks for another winner.
Is it just me or does that seems like a lot of liquid?
Just pulled mine out of the oven and it came out perfect! Sampled a spoonful and OMG it’s so good especially the crispy burnt parts of the rice yummmmmm. Can’t wait for it cool down a little so me and my son can eat! Thank you for the recipe seriously the easiest dish ever
Ours came out soupy what did I do wrong?
Hi Dylan,
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well for you. I wish I could help figure out what went wrong- I would need a few more details. I wonder what type of rice you used, if you used the correct amount of liquid, and if you baked it long enough?
Can I assemble this meal and put it in the freezer then cook at a later date?
Hi Shelby, I haven’t tested it to say for sure, but I think it would work. Let me know if you try it 🙂
I’m using same amount of chicken, but it’s diced. Do you think I should still cook it for the same amount of time as I would using whole chicken breasts?
Hi Patty, if you diced the chicken than it will not need as much time, however, you want to make sure the rice is fully cooked.
Can minute rice be used?
Hi Shelley, it is likely that your dish will be mushy if you use minute rice!
Hello, what spice combo would you recommend if we don’t use the Lipton soup mix? My hubbie is on a low sodium diet. Thank you!
Hi Danielle–this looks like a good recipe you could try as a substitute: http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/copycat-liptons-onion-soup-mix-24952
Can you use brown rice instead of white?
Hi Marilyn, I haven’t tested this with brown rice yet, but it could work–my only worry is that the chicken would get overcooked because brown rice takes longer to cook. This could be solved by using chicken thighs instead of breasts. Then add 1/2 cup more liquid and bake it for about 30 minutes longer. That should work… I’d love to hear if you try it!
Oh man, last night we made something similar but with broccoli in it and it was so good. BUT, we didn’t use onion soup mix or cheddar cheese, we were totally missing out! Thanks for the great tips! Definitely will follow this one the next time we make it.
❤️
Thanks Benny! I love the idea of adding broccoli, too!
If you don’t have Cream of Chicken Soup, could we still use Condensed Soup?
You could use a different flavor of condensed soup, or click the ingredient link for my homemade recipe 🙂