4-Ingredient Chicken And Rice Casserole

Every busy mom needs easy dinner ideas that she can whip up in a flash. This easy 4-ingredient chicken and rice casserole dinner gives you and your family exactly what you need for those busy weeknights.

A Delicious One Dish Dinner

Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken And Rice Casserole Dinner on a plate with peas and a piece of bread.

Creamy chicken rice casserole is so delicious and has those satisfying and comforting flavors that make everyone go in for second helpings.

This is a great recipe to stash in your recipes for when you’re looking for easy chicken casserole recipes with few ingredients. There are only four ingredients to make this chicken recipe, and you probably have them all in your kitchen right now.

If you weren’t sure what you’d make for dinner tonight, now you know!

Baked chicken and rice on a brown plate with peas and a slice of toast.

A Crowd-Pleasing Dinner the Whole Family Will Love

The next time you don’t know what to make for dinner, and you don’t want to run out to the grocery store because you’re worn out, make this easy chicken and rice casserole.

I promise it can be made so fast you’ll have your shoes kicked off and you’ll be in your favorite recliner in just a few minutes. (You can watch your favorite show while you wait for it to cook).

The tender chicken in a creamy sauce with rice is the ultimate one-dish meal. 

The best part is that it takes only a few minutes of prep time too.

You get the best chicken dish that everyone thinks you spent tons of time fussing over in the kitchen.

I love easy recipes like this because they prove you really don’t have to spend a fortune or a ton of time cooking to create a meal everyone loves.

Ever since I first made this chicken rice casserole, my family has requested it regularly.

When I’ve got a crowd to feed, this is one of the best chicken dishes out there. It’s so delicious and simple. Everyone loves it, and I just know you will too.

Baked chicken and rice on a brown plate with peas and a slice of toast.

Ingredients For 4-Ingredient Chicken

How To Make The 4-Ingredient Chicken

The recipe, made with simple ingredients, only takes about 10 minutes to prep, if that. You put it all in the casserole dish and bake it up. That’s all there is to it.

  1. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Add the rice, garlic and herb seasoning, and water to the casserole dish and mix.
  3. Next, add the soup and mix.
  4. Place the chicken over the rice and spoon some of the mixture over the chicken.
  5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Step-By-Step Instructions

A large casserole dish with rice and seasoning in the bottom.

Start by greasing the pan and adding the rice and seasoning.

For this recipe, I used a box of Near East Rice Pilaf Mix with Garlic and Herb. It has a lot of great flavors.

Rice and water in a casserole dish.

Next, add the water to the dish and mix it around to get the rice wet.

Cream of chicken soup in a casserole dish with rice.

Add the condensed cream of chicken soup to the dish and mix the ingredients together.

You can try some variations, such as using cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, or any cream soups you may have in your pantry.

These four main ingredients add a lot of flavors, though feel free to add cheddar cheese for a cheesier spin which will surely have picky eaters going for more.

Four raw chicken breasts in a casserole dish on top of soup and rice.

Add the chicken breasts to the dish and spoon a little bit of the liquid over the chicken.

You can swap the chicken breasts for chicken thighs, though if you use bone-in, you’ll need to cook a little longer.

You can also add broccoli florets if you want to add some more veggies or keep them on the side with some green beans.

Casserole dish covered with aluminum foil.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Baked chicken and rice in a casserole dish.

Once the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees it is finished.

Baked chicken and rice on a brown plate with peas and a slice of toast.

If you have any leftovers, this chicken and rice casserole makes for a delicious lunch too. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Variations To The Chicken and Rice Dish

If you want to switch things up now and again, here are a few variations you can try:

  • Add some vegetables to the chicken dish: Try adding some chopped broccoli, baby carrots, butter beans, green beans, or English peas to the rice mixture before baking for a pop of color and added nutrition.
  • Swap the flavor of condensed soup: Try using cream of mushroom, cheese, or cream of celery soup instead.
  • Add some spiciness to the dish: If you like a little heat, try adding some diced jalapeños or red pepper flakes to the rice mixture before baking.
  • Add a package of dry onion soup mix to the rice if you are using white rice.
Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken And Rice Casserole Dinner on a plate with peas and a piece of bread.

Tips for Making The Perfect Chicken And Rice Dinner

Here are a few tips to help you make the perfect 4-ingredient chicken and rice dish:

  • Use fresh, high-quality chicken breasts for the best flavor and texture. (I buy mine on sale at Fresh Market each week).
  • Be sure to stir the rice mixture well and incorporate with the water before adding the soup and chicken.
  • Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil to prevent the rice from drying out while cooking.
  • Let the dish cool for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.

Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken And Rice Casserole Dinner

You don’t have to spend a lot of time whipping up the ultimate comfort food.

This old-fashioned recipe is such a simple and rewarding dish.

Scroll down for the recipe card and get the full details to make the chicken and rice casserole for your dinner tonight!

Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken And Rice Casserole Dinner on a plate with peas and a piece of bread.

Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken And Rice Casserole Dinner

4.49 from 31 votes
Julie Pollitt
This Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken and Rice Casserole Classic Dinner is a lifesaver for busy nights. With just four simple ingredients, it's a delicious and hassle-free meal that the whole family will love.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Chicken
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 338 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6.3- ounce box Rice Pilaf with garlic and herb seasoning
  • 1 1/3 cups of water
  • 10.5 ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 4 chicken breasts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish with some non-stick cooking spray.
  • Add the rice and seasoning to the casserole dish and mix together.
  • Next, pour the water in with the rice and stir it around to make sure it all gets wet.
  • Add the soup and mix.
  • Next, place the chicken in the casserole dish and spoon a little of the liquid over the chicken breasts.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and the chicken is tender.

Video

Notes

I used Near East Rice Pilaf Mix with Garlic and Herb for this recipe.
To check the temperature of the chicken, place the thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken. I use a digital thermometer to check the temperature.
If you have any leftover chicken, place in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 338kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 40gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 866mgSugar: 1g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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4.49 from 31 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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8 Comments

  1. Oh this looks very comforting! What a delicious meal for the family..will definitely need to make! So easy!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Thanks, Tammy! We love comforting meals here.

  2. Thank you so much you have left a wonderful looking dish easy n hearty for anyone ❣️💯😇

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Thank you! Love to hear that!

  3. Can you used already cooked chicken.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Jo Ann, I haven’t done that, but I am sure that you can. I would cook it long enough to cook the rice-probably about 30 minutes.

  4. Due to family likes and dislikes, part of the family likes dark meat, so would I need to change up the baking time if I do add chicken thighs with the chicken breast? Looking forward to making this dish.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Linda,

      Can you split the dish in half? Thighs are going to take a little longer to cook. I would hate for your chicken breasts to dry out while cooking longer. I would think about using two smaller baking dishes and having one with thighs and one with breasts. I would say you need to cook the thighs about 15 minutes longer. Be sure to check the temperature of the thighs. I would cook them to 170 degrees. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.