Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
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.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours and 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Preparation Level: Beginner +
Important Info About the Recipe
- The recipe is quick to make, which means less time in the kitchen for you.
- It is so easy and versatile.
- Chicken is budget-friendly and can be used to create a lot of variety. On occasion, you can add pork instead of chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 stick butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-1/2 cups instant rice
- 1-2 cups water for rice at the end of the recipe
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card. ⬇️
Step-By-Step Instructions
Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray. Start by adding the chicken breasts, seasonings, salt and pepper, and butter.
Next, add the mushroom soup to the Crock Pot.
Add the chicken broth or water to the slow cooker. Place the lid on top and cook on low heat for 7 hours.
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. Make sure the rice is covered with liquid. Replace the lid and cook for about one more hour or until the rice is tender.
Once the rice cooks, stir everything. Finally, add the shredded cheddar cheese to the chicken and cooked rice. 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.
Tips
- 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, add a little more water. The rice will soak up the liquid as it cooks.
- We head over to Fresh Market on Tuesdays, which are sale days for ground chuck and chicken breasts. 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 cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
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.
Storage Instructions
Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To prevent the chicken from drying out, add a tablespoon of water to the chicken and rice recipe in the microwave when reheating.
Variations and Substitutions
- 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, cream of cheese, or cream of celery instead.
- 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.
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
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 stick butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-1/2 cups instant rice
- 1-2 cups water for rice at the end of the recipe
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook for a total of 6 hours on medium or 8 hours on low.
- Add the chicken, three cups of water (or chicken broth), a can of cream of mushroom soup, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and butter to the Crock Pot.
- Stir and cover with the lid.
- Cook for 5 hours on medium or 7 hours on low.
- After cooking, shred the chicken and add the rice.
- Add 1-2 cups of water over the rice, if needed. (Just make sure water covers the rice).
- Cook for one more hour (check in 1/2 hour to see if the rice is finished cooking).
- Add more water, if needed, to cook the rice more.
- Stir everything.
- When rice is finished cooking, add the cheese, mix well, and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Desserts to Go Along with Your Chicken Recipe
