This easy chicken and rice bake, made from ingredients you likely have in your pantry, is a simple oven-baked casserole dish that is super filling and the ultimate comfort food.
Dishes like these do not need to be complicated to be delicious, and the combination of the creamy soups, fresh-baked chicken, and cooked rice make this a traditional and classic dinner that everyone will love.
Why you will love Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Best Family-Friendly Dinner: Chicken and Rice Bake is one of the most requested family-friendly meals in our home. Although this casserole dish is a bit old-fashioned, it brings the flavor and is a perfect main dish to nearly all the side dish recipes here.
One Dish Meal: A yummy one-pan dish, you cannot go wrong pleasing the whole crowd, all the kids, and at any potluck party you may have with chicken and rice bake! This dish is also perfect for leftover or make-ahead rice and has relatively simple prep.
Some of the best recipes come in a creamy casserole dish. I know because I cook them quite a bit in our house. A few very well-loved dishes here that you should also test out are this holiday-friendly corn casserole recipe, the most ultimate loaded cauliflower side. You cannot go wrong with tomato-bursting TikTok baked feta pasta for dinner.
Tested and True: Judging by all the fantastic feedback that I have gotten on Pinterest, this recipe is a keeper!
Dump-and-Bake Chicken and Rice Bake
This chicken and rice bake right in the oven is one I ate a ton of growing up. My mom cooked mostly right out of the pantry, and things were simple – but filling. While devoid of any mixed vegetables or frozen vegetables, this baked dish is full of old-fashioned yet straightforward and filling flavors.
I wanted to share this easy recipe if you are looking for a straight-up dish with ingredients you probably already have that kids will enjoy. Plus, anytime you combine chicken and rice, it’s super filling, satisfying, and has maximum flavor.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ cubes (uncooked)
- cream of mushroom soup
- cream of chicken soup
- cream of celery soup
- Seasonings: salt, garlic powder, black pepper
- white rice
- chicken broth
- butter
What is the best rice to use?
Long grain rice is one of the best and most common rice, but I also love using Jasmine rice as it’s my personal favorite.
How to make Comfort Chicken and Rice Casserole
RECIPE PREP
Make sure to cook the rice first – you need 2 cups. Rice can be made a day ahead if you want, and this recipe is perfect for leftover rice dishes.
- Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Add uncooked cut up chicken, condensed cream soups, spices, COOKED rice and chicken broth in a mixing bowl and combine the chicken mixture well.
- Pour chicken bake mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Dot with pats of butter all over on top of casserole.
- Bake chicken and rice casserole for 60 minutes or until bubbly around the edges, heated, and cooked through.
Now I know the final image doesn’t” look” appetizing- after all, chicken, rice, and soup are kinda brown – but it TASTES terrific.
Creamy Soups for Chicken Casseroles
When looking for recipes based on cans you already have in your pantry, not everyone keeps cream of celery stocked up. You can easily alter your cream of celery for a varying creamy sauce flavor.
Condensed soups make recipes so easy! There are choices for soup, and because of the vast selections (Campbells has a ton), you can get low sodium, nutritional friendly, and full-fat item soups to fit your needs. There are other routes like making your stock and paste but WHY.
The following condensed creamy soups can give chicken and rice bake and the rice mixture tons of mouthwatering flavors and tons of variety in what works for your family’s dinner needs and menu changes.
- Cream of Asparagus
- Cream of Broccoli
- Cream of Roasted Mushroom Garlic
- Cream of Potato
- Cream of Bacon
Variations & Tips
- Although unnecessary, chicken and rice can have extra cheese added near the end with a 2-3 minute broil (watch it, broiling moves quickly!) for a layer of browned cheese on top.
- Always cut the chicken into even pieces to make sure they cook at the same rate and evenly. If some pieces are too large and some too small, you will have undercooked and overcooked chicken.
- I highly suggest using only white rice for this dish versus minute rice, wild rice, or brown rice.
- In the last 5 minutes, add some cheddar cheese on the top and broil till melty and golden brown. Cheese tends to be the perfect comfort food, so that any other cheese flavors would do fine as well. It’s also delicious to make some cheese sauce and drizzle on top.
- For additional flavor, other ingredients that go well with this recipe are bits of yellow onion (or onion powder), Italian Seasoning, or whole cloves of garlic.
Chicken and rice is a dump casserole, but please note that we COOK THE RICE first in this dish.
This makes sure the rice is complete while the chicken is done baking. While there are other recipes with uncooked rice, I am particular about tender, soft, and not over-baked chicken.
Before getting started on the recipe, throw the rice in a rice cooker, so it’s ready for you when you assemble and begin cooking dinner.
What side dish to serve with a Casserole Dish.
Serve this recipe alongside something colorful like cucumber salad, marinated tomato salad, or even a strawberry spinach salad – which will lighten up the plate and complement this savory and heavy meal with a light side dish.
- Saute Sugar Snap Peas Recipe
- Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
- Cheesy Asparagus Recipe
- Creamed Peas Recipe
- Homemade Creamed Corn Recipe
- Southern Style Green Beans Recipe
- Parmesan Roasted Carrots Recipe
Related Casserole Recipes
- Another recipe if you love chicken and rice casseroles are this Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole recipe too!
- Mushroom casserole with white button mushrooms, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and panko bread topping is like a Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer but in an UNSTUFFED Casserole!
- Cowboy Breakfast Casserole with bacon, bits of vegetables, black beans, and tons of shredded cheese is the most loaded breakfast casserole you will ever eat. Savory and unforgettable, this may be the last breakfast casserole recipe you will EVER need.
- Spinach Mushroom Breakfast casserole with spinach, mushrooms, and eggs – a hearty, savory, and delicious breakfast egg bake that is lick your lips good!
- If you are looking for the BEST tater tot casserole, the tater tot casserole of your youth that grandma used to spoil you with, this is it!
- This Chicken and Potato Casserole is hearty, filling, and easy homemade casserole dinner dish.
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Chicken and Rice Casserole (Campbell’s Soup)
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts cut into 1″ cubes (uncooked)
- 1 can 10.5 oz, cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can 10.5 oz, cream of chicken soup
- 1 can 10.5 oz, cream of celery soup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup pats of butter
Instructions
- Make sure you cook the rice first – you need 2 cups of cooked white or long grain rice.
- Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Add uncooked cut up chicken, all condensed cream soups, spices, COOKED rice and chicken broth in a mixing bowl and combine well.
- Pour chicken bake mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Dot with pats of butter on top of casserole.
- Bake chicken rice casserole for 60 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and the middle is heated and cooked through.
Video
Notes
- Cream of Asparagus
- Cream of Broccoli
- Cream of Roasted Mushroom Garlic
- Cream of Potato
- Cream of Bacon
- Or double up your cream of mushroom or cream of chicken
- Additionally, you could alter one of the cans for the same amount of sour cream
- Although unnecessary, chicken and rice can have extra cheese added near the end with a 2-3 minute broil (watch it, broiling moves quickly!) for a layer of browned cheese on top.
- Always cut the chicken into even pieces to make sure they cook at the same rate and evenly. If some pieces are too large and some too small, you will have undercooked and overcooked chicken.
- I highly suggest using only white rice for this dish versus minute rice, wild rice, or brown rice.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
Comments & Reviews
Zack says
This is a great recipe! I am making it for the second time tonight, my family absolutely loves it!
Trisha says
Thanks Zack! We love it here too. Glad its a hit for your family. 🙂
~Trisha
Mary Hamilton says
I keep precooked chicken in my freezer. At what temperature and for how long would you recommend cooking with the rice and chicken precooked,
Trisha says
hi Mary, in this case because the rice is uncooked, I do not recommend putting fully cooked chicken into the rice bake and into the oven. I would suggest maybe cooking the rice and ingredients alone, then warming your chicken and adding at the end. The problem is if you put in chicken already cooked, its going to be overcooked by teh time the rice is done. But I do not see any reason that cant follow the recipe as instructed, without chicken and THEN adding.
Guerry says
I do not understand. You mention that the rice is uncooked but the recipe stresses the rice is COOKED. If both the chicken and rice are cooked then what is the problem? I am planning to fix this today and freeze, Please explain.
Trisha says
Guerry, because in this case she was asking if the chicken was precooked but the recipe is for uncooked chicken.
If she adds precooked chicken to the recipe as is, with uncooked rice, it will overcook the chicken while the rice is being made.
She didnt mention cooking the rice AND the chicken, just using the chicken cooked from her freezer with the recipe.
I don’t think its relevant to your personal situation if you are asking about making the dish and THEN freezing. Not using baked chicken IN the dish.
Does that make more sense?
Trisha
Angie says
I’m curious to know if you tried this? I want to do the same thing (use chicken that is already cooked)! Seems like if the rice and chicken are both already cooked, the only change would be to maybe shorten the bake time??
Did you happen to try it?!
Madalyn Petronick says
So I made this last night and it was amazing. It is just like something they used to make at an old job and I could never find a recipe that was like it until I came across yours. The only thing I did different was I pulled it out of the oven 5 minutes until the timer went off, gave it a little mix, and topped it with pepperjack cheese! Omg was it amazing!!!
Trisha says
Yum, I am so glad you enjoyed this chicken and rice!! Its one of my favorites too! ~trisha
Janice says
My husband often requests chicken and rice ( I think he grew up having it a lot) neither of us have ever loved previous recipes. LOVE this one! Even the kiddos cleaned their plates. Will definitely make again!!
Trisha says
Janice, I am so happy that you enjoyed this chicken and rice! Its a family favorite of ours too because no one complains about chicken, hahaha!
Trisha
Devon says
I love this recipe. I cut up celery and onions and added it also and about 15 minutes before it is done I add broccoli to the top
Trisha says
Devon, so happy that it made your table! I love your changes!
LANA STOCKBRIDGE says
This recipe is wonderful! I have been making my Mom’s version of Chicken and Rice for years, but lately it just didn’t cook correctly. I made it just like the recipe, except I used Golden Mushroom instead of the Cream of Celery. It was superb! OH ALSO…you can use uncooked rice, IF you use the Uncle Ben’s Original Rice in the orange box. It worked perfectly. It does not work with regular uncooked rice though. Thanks for the recipe!
Trisha says
Lana, yum, golden mushroom sounds delicious! Thanks for the tip on the uncooked rice. I always worry it wont be cooked all the way but glad you found a solution! Appreciate you sharing.
Much love,
Trisha
LANA STOCKBRIDGE says
I forgot that I did add more broth halfway through.
Clarence S. says
I finally tried this recipe, and I’m very pleased with the outcome. It was still a little soupy after 1 hr., so I cooked it for an additional 30 mins and it wad perfect….it even looked like the picture. 😁
Will definitely put this recipe in the rotation.
Angela Sprenkle says
Just made this today and it is absolutely amazing. My husband and I both went for seconds! I’ll definitely be making this again. Soooo delicious and full of flavor!!!
Samantha says
You need to recalculate the sodium content. Just in the three cans of soup, one cup of chicken broth & 1 teaspoon of salt is almost 9700mg of sodium. That comes out to over 1200mg per serving.
Trisha Haas says
As noted on the recipe card below the nutritional values, you need to use your own app. The recipe card automatically attempts to calculate based on the information of the serving size and ingredients but is not something we check or can verify.