Crock pot chicken and rice with cream of chicken soup

This Crockpot Chicken and Rice Soup is a light, yet creamy one pot wonder! It’s easy, packed with veggies, chicken, and rice, and is loved by everyone — kids included!

Table of Contents Show

Ingredients
How to make
Do you cook chicken before adding it to soup?
Can uncooked rice be cooked in soup?
What rice to use
What to serve with crockpot chicken and rice soup
How to store
Crockpot Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Can you put cream in a slow cooker?
Is it better to cook chicken on high or low in crockpot?
Do you need to add liquid to crock pot when cooking chicken?
Is it OK to put raw chicken in slow cooker?

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General
Ingredients
How to make
Get the recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Add in chicken raw?
Add in rice uncooked?
What rice to use
Pairing suggestions
How to store
Nutrition information

This crockpot chicken and rice soup is literally the perfect meal, because it’s so cozy and hearty, but also packed with lean protein and veggies and doesn’t weigh you down. I highly recommend serving it next to a piece of crusty bread for dunking!

Ingredients

These every day ingredients create a soup that is packed with amazing textures and flavors!

Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts can be used in this soup. Chicken thighs are juicier and more affordable, but chicken breasts are leaner. Either way, you’ll need 2 pounds.
Onion, Carrots, and Celery – aka “mirepoix”. This trio of veggies is a very common base for soups which provides flavor, texture, and nutrients. Some grocery stores carry a pre-chopped mirepoix, which would save on prep time. If buying a pre-made mirepoix, you’ll need to measure out about 2 cups.
Garlic – minced garlic provides a subtle nutty flavor. We always use a jarred variety to save on prep time. If using fresh, you’ll need about 4 cloves, minced to replace the 1 tablespoon called for.
Spices: Ranch Seasoning Mix, Basil, Salt, and Pepper – this simple combination of spices creates a creamy, tangy, slightly sweet, earthy flavor that creates a broth you can’t stop slurping!
Chicken Broth – used to create the base of our soup. Vegetable broth may be used as a substitute, but beef broth or water is not recommended. Beef broth will be too rich and salty whereas water won’t provide enough flavor. Feel free to use homemade chicken broth. If using homemade, you’ll need about 8 cups to replace the 2 (32 oz) cartons of store-bought.
Rice – a white, parboiled rice like Uncle Ben’s is recommended for the best texture. Parboiled rice is NOT the same as instant rice, so be sure to read the labels on your rice package.
Sour Cream and Cream Cheese – work together to add a rich, creamy texture and ever so slightly tangy flavor to the broth. Be sure both are brought to room temperature before stirring into the soup to avoid a clumpy texture.

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Pro tip

It’s important to use the correct rice. Instant rice will become mushy and non-parboiled rice might take too long to cook.

How to make

This is a true one pot wonder — the chicken and rice both get stirred in uncooked!

Grease a 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray, then stir in chicken, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, ranch seasoning, basil, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
Stir in rice, sour cream, and cream cheese, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes – 1 hour on HIGH.
Taste, and re-season if necessary, then serve and enjoy!

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Pro tip

If you’d like to thicken the soup, let it sit on the WARM setting with the lid OFF. The rice will soak up the broth as it sits.

Do you cook chicken before adding it to soup?

No. Whether you’re using chicken breasts or thighs, the chicken is added to the soup raw. Raw chicken will cook in the crockpot on HIGH in 3-4 hours or LOW in 6-8 hours.

Can uncooked rice be cooked in soup?

Yes. Stir the uncooked rice into the soup, then cover and cook on HIGH for 30-60 minutes. It’s important to stir the rice in after the chicken and vegetables have had a chance to cook to avoid mushy rice.

What rice to use

Use a parboiled white rice, like Uncle Ben’s, or anything that takes about 20 minutes on the stove for the perfect texture. Instant rice will get mushy and non parboiled rice may take much longer and more liquid to cook. Stir in the rice uncooked!

What to serve with crockpot chicken and rice soup

This soup is hearty enough to eat it as-is, but if you’re looking to bulk it up, here are some of my favorite sides:

Garlic Bread
Drop Biscuits
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Pear, Blue Cheese, Candied Pecan Salad
Fruit Salad

How to store

This soup is best served immediately (the rice might get a little soft as it sits in the fridge), but leftovers are still delicious for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing this soup.

To enjoy again, heat in the microwave or on the stove until warm.

– Jennifer

Crockpot Chicken and Rice Soup

This Crockpot Chicken and Rice Soup is a light, yet creamy one pot wonder! It’s easy, packed with veggies, chicken, and rice, and is loved by everyone — kids included!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Yield: 8 people

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Equipment for this recipe

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

▢2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
▢1 yellow onion finely diced
▢3 carrots finely diced
▢3 ribs celery finely diced
▢1 tablespoon minced garlic
▢1 (1 oz) packet ranch seasoning mix
▢1 tablespoon dried basil
▢1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
▢1/2 teaspoon pepper
▢2 (32 oz) cartons chicken broth
▢1 cup uncooked white rice use a parboiled rice like Uncle Ben’s (anything that takes about 20 mins on the stove)*
▢1 (8 oz) container sour cream room temperature
▢1 (8 oz) block cream cheese room temperature, cubed into small pieces

Instructions

Grease a 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray, then add in chicken, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, ranch seasoning, basil, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.
Stir to combine, then cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
Uncover and stir in rice, sour cream, and cream cheese.
Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes - 1 hour on HIGH (even if you cooked on LOW before) or until the rice is cooked to your liking.
Shred or cube chicken, taste and re-season if necessary, then serve and enjoy!
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STORING

Room Temp:N/A

Refrigerator:3-4 Days

Freezer:N/A

Reheat:Heat in the microwave or on the stove until warm

*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions

Notes

*It's important to use the correct rice. Instant rice will become mushy and non-parboiled rice might take too long to cook.

Can you put cream in a slow cooker?

Dairy. Prolonged cooking of dairy products causes them to separate. Adding milk, cream or yogurt to crockpots at the beginning of cooking is a sure-fire way to wind-up with a grainy, watery mess at the end. Stir it in once the recipe has finished cooking.

Is it better to cook chicken on high or low in crockpot?

Always cook your boneless skinless chicken breasts on LOW for the best results. I do not recommend cooking boneless chicken breast on HIGH, as it will become very dry, even if you check it early. On high, the chicken turns out drier; I consistently have the best results with low.

Do you need to add liquid to crock pot when cooking chicken?

Do You Need to Add Liquid? As long as the breast pieces are in a single layer, in contact with the slow cooker, then no, it's not necessary to add any chicken broth or chicken stock. If you're doing multiple layers, you will need to add liquid to cover the meat, but I don't recommend this.

Is it OK to put raw chicken in slow cooker?

Raw chicken, just cooked on a low setting, will usually cook in 4-6 hours if you haven't overfilled your slow cooker with ingredients. The more sauce in the pot and the fewer pieces of chicken, the shorter time's needed.