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.
Soooo good!! I’ve tried a few chicken and rice bake recipes from other sites and they used up too many dishes, took too long, ended up too mushy or just weren’t a hit with my family.
But I made this today and it was amazing!!! I added extra seasoning and salt and every bite was so flavorful. I followed everything in the recipe except I used less broth (4cups) because of the jasmine rice.
It’s so yummy, I can’t wait to eat my leftovers tomorrow!
OHGoodness! That really is the best chicken and rice ever. I used Jasmine rice so I only used the four cups of chicken broth like you suggested. The cooking time was exactly right and I did broil it for a few minutes at the end and then let it stand for a few minutes. It was so easy and so good. I loved the rice – it tasted like a risotto!
This look really good but I watched the video and it said to use 4 chicken thighs so that’s what I got out of the freezer, but when I went to make it, the instructions says to use 6 which is correct?
The video uses 6 chicken thighs.
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes. They are delicious.
This recipe is a winner! First time I don’t throw away leftovers. There were left overs but they liked it so much they wanted the left overs too. Delish!!
Making tomorrow for supper. One of my favourite meals
Love love love this delicious and easy recipe….thank you….
Wow!!! Words cannot express how good this is!… I will NEVER go back to cream of soups for chicken and rice casserole again!
EVERYTHING of yours I’ve tried has been the best. You two are my number one go-to’s for recipes.
I knew this would taste good but I wasn’t prepared for how good. The whole family liked it. Thank you.
Family loves it, thanks so much!!!
Thank you for an amazing, yummy, company worthy dish! I added mushrooms and used boneless chicken thighs with the skin still on! Turned our beautiful!