Cheesy Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Some nights I want dinner to require as little participation from me as possible, honey. This Cheesy Crockpot Chicken and Rice brings the chicken, rice, vegetables, and cheese together in one slow cooker, so you don’t have to figure out a main dish and two sides. After years of developing Crockpot recipes, I know the difference between an easy slow cooker meal and one that comes out bland, watery, or overcooked. This one is creamy, cheesy, well-seasoned, and built to make dinner easier.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 309kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain brown rice Rinse the rice before using. Ensure the water runs clear.
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 ¼ cup cream of chicken soup I use my homemade recipe. You can use a 10.5oz can if you wish.
- 1 ½ pounds skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables 24oz if buying packaged; You can use fresh if you wish.
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with cooking oil spray.
- Add the rice, chicken broth, cream of chicken, and chopped onions to the slow cooker.
- Top with the chicken breasts and sprinkle the spices and seasonings throughout.
- Cook on High for 2 - 3 hours (Low 4-6 hours) until the rice is soft and all liquid has been absorbed. See notes for additional tips.
- Open the pot and remove the chicken and shred or slice into cubes.
- Return the chicken to the pot along with the frozen vegetables and shredded cheese.
- Place the lid on the pot and slow cook on High for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are soft and the cheese has melted.
Video
Notes
- The cheese is optional (and delicious). Omit it if you wish.
- Be sure to season with salt. This dish is very bland without it. Rice and chicken breasts are pretty bland alone. They will require flavor.
- Chicken breasts are typically dry in comparison to chicken thighs. If you are looking for really juicy meat, use chicken thighs. (No adjustment to cook time).
- If using fresh vegetables, you will still add them at the end.
- This is not a set it and forget it recipe where you will let it cook all day and then transfer to Warm setting. The longer the rice sits on the Warm setting, the mushier the texture will become. Rice isn't something that can remain on heat for long without becoming mushy. For dinner, I like to make this dish in the early evening so that it’s ready by dinner time using the High setting.
- In general, you want to cook the rice and chicken until the liquid evaporates, but you should keep a close eye on the rice and monitor the texture. I’ve made this recipe with 2 different Crockpot models and both yielded slightly different results because it’s apparent one gets hotter than the other.
- The same will likely apply to you. After the dish has been cooking for 2 hours I check the texture of the rice. If the rice is soft and the liquid hasn’t fully evaporated, remove the lid from the pot and allow the dish to stand for 5 minutes. This will help evaporate the liquid.
- Most times when I check in at 2 hours there’s a small amount of liquid left and the rice still isn’t soft enough. I continue to cook it for an additional 30 minutes or until soft.
- One serving is ¼ pound of chicken and ½ cup of cooked rice.
- If you want to use the Instant Pot you can cook for 23 minutes on High Pressure with a cook release. Don't add the vegetables or cheese until the end.
- If you want to cook this on the stove, I would cook the chicken separately from the rice and combine them together once cooked.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 6g