Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe (+Video)

Crock Pot chicken and rice recipe are one of the easiest meals to make. It’s filling, will feed the entire family, and tastes great.

We all love comfort food, and this slow cooker meal, with simple ingredients, hits the spot. Plus, it’s super easy to make.

A Family Favorite

Chicken and rice is a family favorite around here and we cook it at least once a week.

The recipe is so easy and versatile. Plus, it can cook while you’re working or out running errands.

You can even throw frozen chicken in the Crock Pot and it will be cooked by the time you get home in the evening.

It’s such an easy chicken and rice recipe to make.

Why We Love the Chicken and Rice Crock Pot Recipe

I love easy meals, and this is one of those super easy slow cooker chicken recipes. I can’t stress enough just how simple it is to make this meal for your family. 

And the nice thing about this recipe is that you can switch it out with pork to make it a little different.

For some variety, give this slow cooker chicken and Spanish rice a try.

We sometimes go non-stop around here, and it’s nice to come home after driving all over creation to a meal that is pretty much done.

I tend to cook a lot of chicken meals, and my husband gets kind of tired of the same old recipes, so I try to mix it up a little bit, all while making my life easier. 

This doesn’t start out looking super appetizing, but most Crock Pot meals don’t. You just have to trust going in that when it’s done, it’s delicious.

Ingredients You Will Need to Make the Best Chicken and Rice Recipe

• Skinless chicken breasts
• Rice (white, brown, or Spanish)
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• Garlic and onion powder
• Butter
• Water

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Tools You Need For The Recipe

The great thing about this chicken recipe is that you don’t need many kitchen items. And you will keep the kitchen cool because you won’t have to turn on the oven.

• Crock Pot
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Spoon to mix the ingredients
• Forks to shred the chicken

All you need to do is throw in the chicken breasts, water, butter, cream of mushroom soup, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Stir it up and put the lid on, and you’re done! All you gotta do is wait for it to cook.

The hardest part is waiting those 6-8 hours until it’s done, especially when the scent starts filling the house. 

How To Make Crock Pot Chicken and Rice 

1. Add the water, chicken, butter, soup, seasonings, salt, and pepper to the Crock Pot.
2. Cover and cook on low for seven hours (eight hours if the chicken is frozen).
3. After the cooking time, shred the chicken and then add the rice.
4. Pour one to two cups of water over the rice to make sure it is covered.
5. Cook for half an hour to one hour or until the rice is done.
6. Add the shredded cheese, stir, and serve.

The easy chicken and rice recipe will feed six people and fill them up.

If you’d like to add more chicken, you can do that. I would add a little more rice at the end, as well. 

Step-By-Step Instructions for the Chicken and Rice Recipe

Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray.

Add the water, chicken breasts, butter, cream of mushroom soup, seasonings, salt, and pepper to the Crock Pot.

OPTIONAL: You can use chicken broth in the recipe instead of water to add a little more flavor.

If you are not a big fan of cream of mushroom soup, you can use a can of cream of chicken soup or cream of celery instead.

Set your Crock Pot for five hours on medium or seven hours on low.

For best results, cook for a longer amount of time.

I am of the belief that if you set it for longer, it’s going to be a little more tender, whether it’s beef or chicken.

Once everything cooks, shred the chicken inside of the Crock Pot.

I usually use two forks to shred, and that does the trick. Give everything a good stir again.

Next, add the rice to the shredded chicken. I put in two cups of rice.

If you’ve added more than two chicken breasts, you need to add more rice. But this amount feeds me, my husband, and my two teenage boys.

I bought my rice at Aldi’s Grocery Store. It helps make dinner budget-friendly.

They have regular-sized bags of rice, but they also sell these ginormous bags of rice that could literally feed the entire neighborhood.

Once you add the dry rice, if the amount of liquid seems low, pour some water over it (try to cover all of the rice with water if you can), close the lid, and check back in about 1/2 hour to see how it’s doing.

If it’s still a little crunchy, just add more water.

The rice will soak up all of the liquid as it cooks.

OPTIONAL: I’ve added Spanish rice to this chicken and rice Crock Pot recipe to give it a different flavor.

However, if you decide to add the Spanish rice, I would leave out the garlic and onion seasonings.

UPDATE: Several people have had issues with the rice not cooking or taking a very long time to cook. There can be several reasons.

1. The slow cooker brand. My old slow cooker would get super hot no matter if I had it on low or high. It just ran hot. I bought a Hamilton Beach and it cooks on low or high, and I haven’t had any issues with it. (Plus, it is lightweight and cleans up easily).
2. If you have a large slow cooker, put the rice in after the chicken cooks for five hours on low or after three hours on high.
3. Once you add the rice and water, let it cook for three more hours on low or two more hours on high. (If you don’t have much liquid in the slow cooker when you add the rice, it won’t ever cook. Make sure you have liquid. If you don’t, add some water or more chicken broth).
4. Don’t leave the lid off of the slow cooker for long. It takes a while to heat back up once you take off the lid and put it back on. (Kind of like leaving the oven door open too long).

Once the rice cooks, give everything a good stir.

Mmm…it looks so delicious! Don’t you wish your fork would fit through the screen?

Finally, add the shredded cheddar cheese to the chicken and cooked rice.

I didn’t have a ton left, so I added what I had. The more the cheese, the merrier.

I could sit and eat a block of cheese. I love the stuff, and you can never put enough on for me.

Stir everything again. Since it’s hot, the cheese will melt pretty fast. After you stir everything together a few times, it is dinner time.

See how easy that was? The recipe is perfect for those cold weather days.

I love meals that are this easy and will feed lots of people and make their tummies super happy!

This is an easy meal, but because of the time it takes for the slow cooker to cook it, it’s not a quick one.

And, if you can get your chicken at a discount, this meal is under $10, and I like that a lot.

We head over to Fresh Market on Tuesdays, which are sale days for ground chuck and chicken. And they have some great sales.

Can You Put Raw Chicken In A Crockpot?

• Yes, I do it all the time. The chicken just needs to get to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Are You Supposed To Lock The Crock Pot While Cooking?

• Not necessarily. I don’t have a lock on mine and have never needed to lock it. If you have a lock, you can lock it if you are carrying it to another location. However, always use caution.

Can You Put Frozen Chicken In A Crock Pot?

• Yes, but you will need a longer cooking time than the suggested time, and make sure the internal temperature is above 165 degrees before eating. I put frozen chicken in my Crock Pot often.
• I usually cook it about 30 to 60 minutes longer if frozen.

Can You Put Raw Chicken in a Slow Cooker?

Yes, I put raw chicken in the crockpot all the time. Because it’s slow-cooked for seven to eight hours on low, it will cook all the way through and be very tender.

How Do You Store The Slow Cooker Chicken?

• If you have any leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• To warm up the chicken and rice recipe in the microwave, add a tablespoon of water to keep the chicken from drying out.

Variations and Substitutions for the Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

Slow cooker chicken and rice is a very versatile recipe, allowing for various substitutions and additions based on what you like and dietary restrictions. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Swap the long-grain white rice for brown rice or quinoa and make it a healthier recipe.
• Add some diced bell peppers, diced carrots, English peas, or green beans to the slow cooker for added texture and nutrition.
• Try a Mediterranean twist by replacing the dried thyme and oregano with dried basil, rosemary, and a splash of lemon juice.

Can I Add Vegetables To The Recipe?

Yes, you can add vegetables to the recipe. Crock Pot chicken and rice and broccoli or mixed vegetables is a great choice. You can add the vegetables when you add the rice to the cooker.

You can also add a salad on the side to make it an even more healthy dish.

Can I Make This A Crock Pot Chicken And Rice Burrito Bowl?

You definitely can! Just add your favorite ingredients to make it a burrito bowl after the chicken and rice are done cooking.

More Family-Friendly Meals

• Slow cooker lasagna
• 5-Ingredient ground beef casserole (one of my most popular posts)
• Crock Pot Italian Chicken

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

Print out the Crock Pot Chicken and Rice recipe card below, grab those ingredients, and start cooking! I love slow cooker recipes and I think the whole family will love this, especially on those busy weeknights.

Then, share your comments below and share a picture of your meal on Pinterest. If you made any changes or added something different, be sure to share with us so we can try it, too.

Desserts to Go Along with Your Chicken Recipe

Chocolate Poke Cake

Homemade Banana Pudding