Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

• Courtney O'Dell
• February 4, 2021
• Dinner, Meal Prep, Weekly Recipe Wins
• 2

Easy Chicken and Rice Recipe – delicious fluffy rice and tender, juicy chicken baked to perfection from scratch – with no canned soup!

If you love classic chicken and rice casseroles, but you’re looking to get that down home flavor without using canned soup, this recipe is for you!

This dinner is so easy, you can dump the ingredients in while wrangling the kids, and come back to a delicious one pot dinner!

You can add vegetables, try different cheeses, or swap the chicken breasts for thighs, or even pork chops, too (this will change cooking time, please refer to individual cooktimes of any substitutions.)

We’re going to share plenty of information to help make this recipe great, every time. If you’d like to get immediately to the recipe, please scroll to the bottom of the page, just above the comments.

To see our web story of this recipe, click here.

Using Pre-Cooked Chicken

That would be fine but keep in mind you won’t need to cook the casserole as long since the chicken will already be cooked.

Keep an eye on the casserole and remove from the oven when the rice is fully cooked.

After you have added the cheese allow it to cook just until the cheese is melted. 

Do I have to use fresh parmesan, or can I use canned?

Fresh cheese melts smoothly and gives a nice cheesy topping for this casserole.

You could use jarred cheese if you’re in a pinch but you won’t get the nice melty cheesy topping. The flavors will be similar.

What Rice To Use

We’re using basmati rice in this recipe for its texture and great flavor when baking.

Can I use brown rice instead of basmati rice? 

If you prefer to use brown rice you will need to make a few adjustments to the recipe.

Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice so you will need to adjust your cooking time.

Start by adding 15 minutes and check to see if the rice has fully cooked.

You may also want to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts so the meat doesn’t overcook and become dry.

You will want to add a ½ cup or so more of chicken stock so the casserole doesn’t become dry. 

Can I use Minute Rice?

Minute rice will not work in this recipe. The long cooking time would greatly overcook the rice. 

Adding Vegetables

Mushrooms, broccoli, chopped bell peppers, green beans, corn, or your favorite vegetables would be a great addition to this recipe.

What to Serve With Chicken and Rice Casserole

This easy dinner is truly a one pot meal – with a delicious creamy and cheesy rice side!

If you’d like to try any of our favorite side dishes, please check out some below:

• Easy Caprese Salad
• Air Fryer Broccoli
• Cherry Danish Cheesecake Bars
• Apple Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
• Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Or, check out our other favorite dishes in our Weekly Recipe Wins series!

Recipe FAQ’s

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Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

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