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.
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.
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!
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.
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through.
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.
Absolutely deliciously.
Rachel, you are the best cook ever and the sweetest, too.
Delicious! Next time I will make 1/2 recipe as it makes lots of rice. I am also going to add mushrooms.
I’ve made this twice now, the first time I followed the recipe exactly but it was way too liquidy for my taste. The 2nd time I made it with 4 cups of broth, 1 cup of heavy cream, and 2½ cups of rice and the texture was exactly what I had hoped for. I also only use half of an onion cause it was a little overwhelming, and only 4 tbsp of butter because I noticed a lot of pooled butter on the bottom after I had portioned it all out the first time. I’m actually making it for the third time right now, I love how fast and easy it comes together and it reheats great. Great recipe, will definitely be making it again.
So yummy! I only cook from scratch and this recipe fit the bill. The rice was so creamy and delicious!
WAY WAY too much liquid!! I should have read the comments before making. Decrease by at least 1 cup liquid. Had to bake an extra hour and get rid of at least a cup of liquid at the 1 hour mark.
This recipe was delicious and very easy to make.
I made this for a dinner party. The flavor was just fine, but there was about 1-1/2 c too much liquid. When I put the chicken into the baking dish, it was almost completely covered. At 45 min into the baking time, it was still soup. I removed 1.5 c of liquid and finished. It was fine then, but disconcerting. Also, I don’t think it needs cream at all. Next time, I’ll just use 4.5 c of chicken broth.
I made this chicken and rice bake. It was amazing. I added a small bag of frozen broccoli (thawed) and 3/4 cup of fresh mushrooms. So good some much flavor.
But next time I will half the recipe. It makes a lot of rice for two people. Tomorrow will be salmon and rice. Love this recipe.
Chicken was good but very bland, sticky rice. Cut broth back by a cup added green pepper and mushrooms for added taste, did nothing 😞
It was super easy and absolutely delicious but… my only complaint is that the rice got very crunchy on the bottom of the pan so next time I’ll mix it a little half way through baking