The Best Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole is made completely from scratch in this easy one pan recipe that’s sure to please the whole family!
Chicken and Rice Casserole is a classic family favorite here in the United States. It is total comfort food. In this recipe we’ve stuck with a completely “from scratch” concept. In addition, this recipe is made in just ONE pan.
A lot of times nowadays, chicken and rice casserole comes from a box or is made from a bunch of canned ingredients. Not here! We are bringing you completely from scratch deliciousness for your family to enjoy. You still get to dump everything in a pan, but this time it’s all whole, real ingredients. There is ABSOLUTELY NO cream of chicken in this dish.
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Rice Options:
We recommend using only regular white rice in this recipe. Instant rice is not a good option and will overcook in this casserole. Brown rice requires a much longer cooking time than white rice and is also not recommended for this recipe.
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Is Best Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole really made in only one pan?
This recipe is made directly in a 9×13 baking dish. There’s no need to dirty any bowls or pots or pans. Simply stir everything together directly in the 9×13 pan, add in your chicken, season, and bake. It’s that simple!
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Chicken Options?
Chicken thighs are used in this recipe because they will stay moist during the long baking process. If you prefer, chicken breasts can be used instead, but you’ll want to check the chicken and rice to see if both are done after baking for 1 hour. The additional 30 minutes of cooking may be unnecessary for chicken breasts. Use thick chicken breasts for best results.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious chicken thigh recipes:
- Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Easy Garlic Lime Skillet Chicken
- Mom’s Chicken Cacciatore
- Mexican-Spiced Chicken Thighs
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
I made this tonight and I would modify it next time by sautéing the onions first, using only half an onion vs whole (it was VERY onion-y). I would also cut the rice down by 1/3 and add in quartered baby Bella mushrooms and some large chunks of broccoli. Also if only using 4 chicken thighs your rice to chicken ratio will be large and you’ll end up with lots of leftover rice…it def needs 6 pcs of chicken if made again sans veggies.
Rachel – you are a lifesaver!!! I hate de-boning – removing the skin. This recipe is PERFECTION!! So easy so tasty ?. Btw, I love all of your FB videos – you’re my fave cook to watch!!
This is a great recipe! I’m making it for the third time tonight. It’s one of those recipes that is really hard to mess up…so it’s perfect for me ?. I’m only one person , so I cut the recipe in half and it came out perfect with the same cooking time as the original, whole recipe. The first time I made it I used two chicken thighs and found the rice to chicken ratio to be too high. Now when I cut the recipe in half I use 3 chicken thighs and find that leaves me with the right… Read more »
What kind of rice long grain
Hi Patricia!
What kind of rice did you use?
Thank you
I used Jasmine rice, but you could use any white rice. I’ll be using brown rice next time to see how it turns out.
Hi. I used sodium reduced broth, unsalted butter, and reduced the tsp. Of salt to 1/2 and added a bit more pepper. It turned out really well with a lot of flavor
Very good and easy! I threw in some frozen peas and only used 4 cups of broth. It turned out great.
My kids prefer chicken legs, would they work in this recipe? Thank you! ?
I used two thighs and two legs. They all turned out perfectly!
Delicious. I used Uncle Ben’s rice, half & half (didn’t have heavy cream) and 4 cups of chicken broth (32 oz container) 6 thighs. Followed rest of recipe and it turned out fantastic! Definitely making again! Thank you.
This turned out really really good despite several errors on my part (I forgot to cover it for the first 30 min so I covered it the last hour). My husband who HATES baked chicken even liked it and said we should have it again. I was worried with the large amount of liquid but that all worked out fine too. Thanks!
You’re suppose to cover for an hour and then the last 30 minutes you uncover and finish cooking making sure the chicken and the rice are fully cooked 👍🏻
This is super easy to make and good for picky eaters. I really like the flavor. Thank you!
We loved this at work, i made as a chicken dish for the daycare kids. Instead of chicken thighs i used chopped chicken on the top. The staff loved it too and asked for the recipe. This is going into our work place reciep index and will become a regular item on our menu!
Thank you for that wonderful recipe.
Made it. Delicious. Lots of rice !!
This is one of my go to meals now, as it is so easy to make and tastes wonderful!
I am on a low sodium diet. Can I use unsealed butter and low sodium broth and 1/2 tsp of salt , will it come out ok. Family can always add their salt. Awaiting your reply. Thank you
Yes, that should be fine.
Can i use jasmine rice?
Thank you
I hate to say this but I was quite disappointed and I followed the recipe. The rice was mushy and the filling started to dribble out when I added the chicken. I used 4 thighs and 3 legs. The overall taste was bland. I even added a little thyme over the rice. It smelled too oniony also. I would reduce the broth and add maybe Lipton Onion Soup instead of the onions. I used plenty of salt and pepper and we still needed more at the table. Sorry but I might stick to the 2 cans of cream of chicken… Read more »
This was absolutely delicious and the prep was so quick and easy! I added diced carrots and celery along with the onion to make it a complete Neal with extra vegetables in it. I would definitely make this again!