Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe (2024)

Crock Pot chicken and rice recipe are one of the easiest meals to make. It’s filling, will feed the entire family, and tastes great.

We all love comfort food, and this slow cooker meal, with simple ingredients, hits the spot. Plus, it’s super easy to make.

A Nutrition Powerhouse Family Favorite

Chicken and rice is a family favorite around here and we cook it at least once a week.

The recipe is so easy and versatile.

What To Love About Slow Cooker Chicken

• Less time in the kitchen.
• Chicken is nutritious.
• You can create a lot of variety with chicken, and it’s budget-friendly. You can add pork instead of chicken on occasion.

Nutrients in Chicken

You can even throw frozen chicken in the Crock Pot and it will be cooked by the time you get home in the evening.

For some variety, give this slow cooker chicken and Spanish rice a try.

Ingredients You Will Need to Make the Best Chicken and Rice Recipe

• Skinless chicken breasts
• Instant Rice
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• Garlic and onion powder
• Butter
• Water or chicken broth

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card. ⬇️

How To Make Crock Pot Chicken and Rice

1. Add the water, chicken, butter, soup, seasonings, salt, and pepper to the Crock Pot.
2. Cover and cook on low for seven hours (eight hours if the chicken is frozen).
3. After the cooking time, shred the chicken and then add the rice.
4. Pour one to two cups of water over the rice to make sure it is covered.
5. Cook for half an hour to one hour or until the rice is done.
6. Add the shredded cheese, stir, and serve.

Step-By-Step Instructions for the Chicken and Rice Recipe

Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray.

Add the water, chicken breasts, butter, cream of mushroom soup, seasonings, salt, and pepper to the Crock Pot.

Set your Crock Pot for five hours on medium or seven hours on low.

For best results, cook for a longer amount of time. I am of the belief that if you set it for longer, it’s going to be a little more tender, whether it’s beef or chicken.

• OPTIONAL: You can use chicken broth in the recipe instead of water to add a little more flavor.
• If you are not a big fan of cream of mushroom soup, you can use a can of cream of chicken soup or cream of celery instead.

Once everything cooks, shred the chicken inside of the Crock Pot.

I usually use two forks to shred, and that does the trick. Give everything a good stir again.

Next, add the rice to the shredded chicken. I put in two cups of rice.

If you’ve added more than two chicken breasts, you need to add more rice. But this amount feeds me, my husband, and my two teenage boys.

Once you add the dry rice, if the amount of liquid seems low, pour some water over it (try to cover all of the rice with water if you can), close the lid, and check back in about 1/2 hour to see how it’s doing.

If it’s still a little crunchy, just add more water.

The rice will soak up all of the liquid as it cooks.

OPTIONAL: I’ve added Spanish rice to this chicken and rice Crock Pot recipe to give it a different flavor.

However, if you decide to add the Spanish rice, I would leave out the garlic and onion seasonings.

Once the rice cooks, give everything a good stir.

Finally, add the shredded cheddar cheese to the chicken and cooked rice.

Stir everything again. Since it’s hot, the cheese will melt pretty fast. After you stir everything together a few times, it is dinner time.

And, if you can get your chicken at a discount, this meal is under $10, and I like that a lot.

We head over to Fresh Market on Tuesdays, which are sale days for ground chuck and chicken. And they have some great sales.

Can You Put Raw Chicken In A Crockpot?

• Yes, I do it all the time. The chicken just needs to cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Can You Put Frozen Chicken In A Crock Pot?

• Yes, but you will need a longer cooking time than the suggested time, and make sure the internal temperature is above 165 degrees before eating. I put frozen chicken in my Crock Pot often.
• I usually cook it about 30 to 60 minutes longer if frozen.

How Do You Store The Slow Cooker Chicken?

• If you have any leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• To warm up the chicken and rice recipe in the microwave, add a tablespoon of water to keep the chicken from drying out.

Variations and Substitutions for the Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

Slow cooker chicken and rice is a very versatile recipe, allowing for various substitutions and additions based on what you like and dietary restrictions. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Swap the long-grain white rice for brown rice or quinoa and make it a healthier recipe.
• Add some diced bell peppers, diced carrots, English peas, or green beans to the slow cooker for added texture and nutrition.
• Try a Mediterranean twist by replacing the dried thyme and oregano with dried basil, rosemary, and a splash of lemon juice.

More Family-Friendly Meals

• Slow cooker lasagna
• 5-Ingredient ground beef casserole (one of my most popular posts)
• Crock Pot Italian Chicken

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

Print out the Crock Pot Chicken and Rice recipe card below, grab those ingredients, and start cooking! I love slow cooker recipes and I think the whole family will love this, especially on those busy weeknights.

Then, share your comments below and share a picture of your meal on Pinterest. If you made any changes or added something different, be sure to share with us so we can try it, too.

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice is an easy dinner to fix. It's a budget-friendly meal that everyone will love.

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 3 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 stick butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups instant rice
• 1-2 cups water for rice at the end of the recipe
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cook for a total of 6 hours on medium or 8 hours on low.

1. Add the chicken, three cups of water, can of cream of mushroom soup, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and butter to the Crock Pot.
2. Stir and cover with the lid.
3. Cook for 5 hours on medium, or 7 hours on low.
4. After cooking, shred the chicken and add the rice.
5. Add 1-2 cups of water over the rice, if needed. (Just make sure water covers the rice).
6. Cook for one more hour, (check in 1/2 hour to see if rice is finished cooking).
7. Add more water, if needed, to cook the rice more.
8. Stir everything.
9. When rice is finished cooking, add the cheese, mix well, and serve hot.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 563Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 999mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 32g

Nutrition is approximate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Desserts to Go Along with Your Chicken Recipe

Chocolate Poke Cake

Homemade Banana Pudding