Baked chicken thighs with rice and cream of mushroom soup

This casserole will soon become one of your family favorites. The casserole has chicken that is moist and flavorful with delicious rice as a side dish. Add a vegetable and you have a complete meal.

• 1 cup uncooked minute rice
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 pieces chicken pieces (legs, wings, breasts, or thighs)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Container:9 x 13 baking dish

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Mix rice, soups, and milk. Place in a 9x13 greased pan.
• Lay chicken pieces on top of rice mixture and season chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup Mix over the top.
• Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Note Depending on the size of chicken pieces, you may be able to place more than 8 pieces of chicken on this casserole if desired. Just be careful that you do not overcrowd the chicken.

chicken rice casserole 19

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Average of 5.00 out of 5 stars

"Love this recipe. It is easy quick and virtually fail proof! The only thing I changed was the cream of celery, since I am not a fan, I substituted it with Campbells cream of chicken and herb, which added an extra layer of chicken flavor! Will definitely keep it in my meal rotation!"

"First time making....easy and taste great..."

"Loved it! Simple to make the kids ate it. They couldn't get enough of the rice. Chicken was moist and the rice had great flavor. The kids asked "Can you make this again sometime?" . . . I guess they liked it!"

This classic chicken and rice casserole recipe is a one pan meal that’s full of tender chicken and creamy rice, all baked together to golden brown perfection. A classic dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Casseroles always hit the spot, and my family enjoys favorites such as chicken enchilada casserole, beef noodle casserole and this creamy chicken and rice dish.

This chicken and rice casserole is actually a family recipe that comes from my mother-in-law. It was my husband’s favorite dish growing up, and his mom always made it for company. It’s pretty old school with the canned soups, but sometimes you just need a little classic comfort food, and this casserole definitely fits the bill. How can you go wrong with tender chicken and ultra creamy rice?

Chicken and Rice Casserole Ingredients

This dish is made with simple ingredients that are easy to find in any grocery store.

• Chicken Pieces: I find this recipe works best with bone-in, skin-on chicken such as drumsticks and/or thighs. You can also use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Boneless chicken does not work as well, as it may dry out before the rice is done cooking.
• Rice: This recipe calls for long grain white rice. It will not set properly with minute rice. If you choose to use brown rice, you’ll need to add more water and possibly increase the cooking time.
• Cream Soup: I use cream of chicken, cream of celery and cream of mushroom soups for maximum flavor. It is ok to use low sodium or light versions of the cream soups. You can also just use one or two types of soup if that’s what you have on hand, so long as it still amounts to three cans.
• Water: This ingredient is to hydrate the rice. I do not recommend substituting chicken broth because you could end up with an overly salty casserole.
• Butter: I add butter to this dish to give it a little richness, it also helps to ensure the chicken will brown nicely.
• Seasonings: The chicken is seasoned with a blend of salt, pepper and paprika.
• Parsley: A little fresh chopped parsley adds extra flavor and a bright color to this dish.

How do you make chicken and rice casserole?

Place the rice, water and cans of soup in a casserole dish and stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces on top of the rice, and season the chicken with butter, salt, pepper and paprika. Cover the dish and bake until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Uncover and bake a little longer until the rice is tender and the chicken is browned. If you prefer chicken with a crispy skin, you can broil the casserole for a few more minutes. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy.

Tips for the perfect dish

• It’s important to use bone-in, skin-on chicken for the best results. Boneless skinless chicken can get dry during the longer cooking time.
• This dish can be assembled up to 4 hours before you plan to bake it. Store it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to put it in the oven.
• Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish as the rice will change texture when it’s thawed.

Recipe FAQs

Can you cook raw chicken and rice together?

Yes, you can cook raw chicken and rice together. This is best achieved in casserole form, so that the two can cook together in the even heat of the oven, and be done at approximately the same time.

At what temperature do you bake a chicken casserole?

Generally speaking, a chicken casserole will bake at 350 degrees F. For this particular recipe, after the initial baking time, the temperature is increased to 400 degrees F to give the chicken a chance to brown.

What can you add to rice to give it flavor?

In this casserole, the cream soups add all the flavor to the rice. Generally speaking, when making rice, you can amp up the flavor with additions such as broth, sauteed onions, fresh herbs or minced garlic.

Chicken and rice casserole flavor variations

You can add other flavors into this dish to make it your own, I often add other ingredients that I have on hand to spice things up a bit.

• Vegetables: Add 1 cup of vegetables such as sliced mushrooms, carrots or broccoli to the dish before it goes into the oven.
• Cheese: Sprinkle 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top during the last 10 minutes of the baking time.
• Herbs: Add extra flavor with additional varieties of herbs such as thyme, dill, green onions or fresh basil.

My husband is thrilled that our kids love this casserole as much as he does. Add a green veggie on the side and you’ve got an easy dinner for those times when nothing will do except comfort food!

More great chicken recipes

• Garlic & Herb Roasted Chicken
• Cajun Chicken Pasta
• Bacon Wrapped Chicken
• Honey Mustard Chicken
• Chicken Santa Fe

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This classic chicken and rice casserole recipe is a one pan meal that’s full of tender chicken and creamy rice, all baked together to golden brown perfection!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 625kcal

• ▢ 6 bone-in skin-on chicken pieces such as legs, thighs or drumsticks
• ▢ 2 cups white rice
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 can cream of chicken soup
• ▢ 1 can cream of celery soup
• ▢ 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika regular or smoked paprika
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter melted
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• ▢ cooking spray

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9″x13″ baking pan with cooking spray.

• Add the rice, water, and 3 cans of soup to the pan. Stir to combine.

• Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture. Drizzle the butter over the chicken and rice.

• Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika.

• Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

• Uncover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and chicken is browned. If you like extra crispy chicken skin, broil the casserole for 3-5 minutes after it's done baking.

• Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

1. It’s important to use bone-in, skin-on chicken for the best results. Boneless skinless chicken can get dry during the longer cooking time.
2. This dish can be assembled up to 4 hours before you plan to bake it. Store it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to put it in the oven.
3. Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Calories: 625kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 845mg | Potassium: 478mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 695IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2.6mg

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