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With just 10 minutes of prep and a few simple ingredients, this Chicken and Rice Bake is practically hands-off. All you need is rice, cream of mushroom soup, chicken breasts, and seasoning for a delicious one-pan meal that’s ready in about an hour.
If you love easy dinners with minimal cleanup, you’ll want to check out our One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice and Cheesy Chicken Taco One Pot Pasta. Find more family favorites in our One Pot Meals hub.
3 Tips That Make or Break This Recipe
A few quick tips to make sure your chicken and rice bake turns out perfectly:
- Cover the pan tightly with foil. This is the most important step! The rice needs steam to cook, so skipping the foil means crunchy, undercooked rice. If you don’t have foil, try our Skillet Chicken and Rice Casserole instead.
- Pound thick chicken breasts so they’re even. Uneven pieces mean some parts overcook while others stay underdone. A few taps with a meat mallet or the bottom of a skillet does the trick.
- Use long-grain white rice, jasmine, or basmati. These varieties work best for this recipe. Avoid instant rice (it will get mushy) and brown rice, as it takes longer to cook.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How To Make Chicken and Rice Bake
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Because there are only 3 main ingredients in this Chicken and Rice Bake, this recipe couldn’t be easier. Just dump, stir, and bake. The rice cooks by the steam from in the mushroom soup/water mixture and absorbs all of that flavor while the chicken bakes. The rice is super creamy, almost like a risotto while the chicken stays incredibly tender and juicy.
Step 1: Preheat and Prep the Pan
Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Don’t skip the spray, or you’ll spend your evening scrubbing the pan.
Step 2: Mix the Rice Base
In a mixing bowl, combine the uncooked rice with cream of mushroom soup, water, paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture into the prepared dish and spread it evenly.
- Note: If you’re not a fan of mushroom soup, cream of chicken works great as a substitute.
- Tip: For a drier, less creamy rice, reduce the water to 1 cup. The standard recipe gives you a risotto-like texture that’s rich and comforting.
Step 3: Prepare and Add the Chicken
Lightly pound any thick chicken breasts so they cook evenly. I don’t recommend using tenders or thin cutlets here because they can overcook before the rice is done.
Season the chicken on both sides with paprika, salt, and pepper, then nestle the pieces into the rice mixture.
- Using Chicken Thighs? Boneless thighs work beautifully and don’t need pounding. For bone-in thighs, remove the skin and add about 10 extra minutes of cook time. Make sure they reach 165°F internally.
Step 4: Cover and Bake
Cover the dish tightly with foil. This traps steam so the rice cooks properly and the chicken stays juicy. Resist the urge to peek until the timer goes off, or you’ll release the steam.
Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F and the rice is tender.
Step 5: Rest Before Serving
Remove the foil and let the pan rest for 5-10 minutes. This gives the rice time to absorb any remaining liquid and makes serving easier. Sprinkle with fresh minced parsley for a pop of color if you’d like.
Serving Suggestions
This Chicken and Rice Bake is already a complete meal, but you can round it out with a simple side. Pair it with Garlic Green Beans or a fresh Garden Salad. Add some crispy Garlic Bread to stretch this budget-friendly dinner even further.
Quick Tip: For a truly one-pan meal, stir 1-2 cups of frozen vegetables (like broccoli, peas, or a mixed blend) into the rice mixture before baking.
Storage Tips
Storage, Freezing, Make Ahead
- Storage: Keep leftover casserole in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezing: You can freeze the fully cooked casserole, wrapped tightly in foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake covered at 350°F until heated through. While freezing works, the texture is best when fresh since both the chicken and rice can dry out slightly when reheated from frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the rice be cooked before baking?
No, the rice cooks right in the pan with the chicken. That’s why it’s so important to cover the dish tightly with foil. The steam from the soup and water cooks the rice while everything bakes together.
Can you cook raw chicken with rice?
Absolutely. As long as the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F, it’s perfectly fine to cook them together in the same dish.
Can I use brown rice instead of white?
Brown rice needs more liquid and a longer cook time which can dry out chicken breasts. If you want to try it, use chicken thighs, increase the water to about 2 cups, and extend the bake time by 15-20 minutes. Check the rice for tenderness before serving, and make sure the chicken reaches 165°F.
Can I make this casserole ahead of time?
You can prep this recipe up to 24 hours in advance. Assemble everything in the baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats, then bake as directed. You may need to add about 10 extra minutes to account for the chill.
More Casserole Recipes
- Chicken Broccoli Casserole
- French Onion Beef Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
- Cheesy Ham Casserole
Chicken and Rice Bake
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts approximately 3-4 breasts
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Rice
- 10 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 1/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika plus more for sprinkling
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more for sprinkling
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus more for sprinkling
- Garnish: Fresh minced parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9”x13” (2 quart) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Lightly pound especially thick chicken breasts so they are all even in thickness.
- In a medium size bowl, combine soup, water, rice, paprika and black pepper. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Nestle the chicken into the rice mixture. Sprinkle with additional salt, paprika and black pepper to taste.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked to 165°F internal temperature and rice is tender.
- Remove from the oven and let sit, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh minced parsley.
Notes
- Don’t skip the foil! Covering the pan tightly is essential for trapping steam so the rice cooks properly.
- Pound thick chicken breasts so they cook evenly. Thin cutlets or tenders may overcook before the rice is done.
- Best rice options: Long-grain white, jasmine, or basmati. Avoid instant rice.
- For drier rice: Reduce water to 1 cup for a less creamy texture.
- Using chicken thighs: Boneless thighs work great with no changes. For bone-in, remove the skin and add 10 minutes to cook time.
- Add vegetables: If desired, stir 1-2 cups of veggies into the rice mixture before baking.
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerate covered, and bake as directed (may need 10 extra minutes).
- Go easy on the salt if you’re sodium-sensitive. The soup adds saltiness, so taste before adding more.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers, tightly covered, for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- Freezing: Wrap cooked casserole tightly in foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake at 350°F until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Hubby and I have been married 48 years. We both agreed this was the worst chicken that I have ever made!!! I did add some onion, garlic and paprika to the rice (and chicken soup with mushrooms). Even added some parmesean to the chicken. Boiled chicken, tough. Don’t do it.
The sauce was not absorbed as much as I like, so it was more like gravy with rice in the gravy.
This recipe is garbage. I cooked it at 375 for over an hour, and the rice wasn’t cooked, and the chicken was overcooked. Waste of time and ingredients.
I’m guessing you didn’t add the foil to help the rice cook properly. I make this recipe all the time and never have a problem.
This is now one of my go-to recipes 🙂 My kids actually eat it! I did change a few things: I use a combo of boneless chicken thighs and tenderloins, cream of chicken instead of mushroom, and chicken broth instead of water. Thank you for this yummy easy meal to throw together. Just be sure to wrap the foil on tightly 😉
You are so welcome SueBee! Thanks for the awesome feedback.
I’m not sure when I actually downloaded this recipe, but I do know that I’ve made it at least 4 times since I did. It’s turned out perfectly everytime and the grandss (except for Ms Fussy!) loved it as did the grownups!
I did make some minor changes to the recipe as follows:
(1) I doubled the cecipe to make 8 servings. Trivial change.
(2) I “chunk up” some carrots to add to the sauce/rice mix I’ve used crinkle cut carrots as well as coarsely chopped baby carrots. This addition adds the veggie, so a side veggie isn’t really necessary.
Great recipe, Thanks Kristin!
Fantastic feedback Susan! Thank you so much for stopping by to share.
Absolute trash. Looking at the recipe, I knew it would be lacking flavor, but I added extra seasonings and extra water and it was still dry and bland, and yet the rice still wasn’t cooked! I’ll never make this recipe again. Fail!!
Did you make sure to cover it with foil? Because that could make leave the rice uncooked. Otherwise changing the recipe from what it actually tells you to do can casue it to fail. Giving one star to a recipe you changed isn’t really fair now is it? I just made it 2 weeks ago and it came out perfect, so I’m feeling like the “fail” is probably on your end.
Yeah you can’t give a 1 star when you changed the recipe. Take it down Kam
Geez, Kam! Do you speak so harshly to all fellow human beings or just the ones who freely share their recipes with you online? Try a little kindness!
Anyhoo, I made this recipe and it came out pretty much as I expected: a good old-fashioned Americana casserole. Nothing fancy, just a simple and satisfying comfort-food. Thank you for sharing your recipe, Kristin! My family enjoyed it.
Can you replace the rice with Penne or Shell pasta?
No that would not work. Pasta doesn’t cook the same as rice.
Can I use boneless chicken thighs instead of breast?
Yes you can. However thighs take at least 10 extra minutes to bake.
I used basmati rice because it’s what we had! I also added some frozen spinach for veggie content, but ended up having to cook it for an extra half hour for the rice to really be done…at 45 minutes it was still cruchy. I’ll definitely have to play around with what I can and can’t add (or how to adjust the time properly!) That said, the extra time didn’t hurt the chicken and for the most part, the family liked it! (My teenager only likes about half of what I make so I don’t use her as a true example ^.^)
Ha! I totally get the teenager thing! Glad to hear you liked the recipe, and that you tried it with your own touches. You might need to add a little more liquid since you’re adding to the rice. I haven’t tried adding spinach though, so I can’t say for sure. Good luck!
I’d like to add fresh sliced button mushrooms…do I need to saute first? Adding fresh broccoli…steam and add after cooking or can uncooked fresh broccoli be added at beginning and baked with everything else?
Saute and add the fresh mushrooms and bake them with the chicken and rice. The broccoli though, I’d personaly just steam and swerve with the meal as there no way to ensure that it cooks properly without cooking it separately.
I have a question about your chicken and rice bake. Can I use Minute Rice instead of the long grain rice? I only have Minute Rice and can’t get to the store today. Thanks.
Hi Heidi, Unfortunately Minute Rice won’t work with this recipe.
Want to make this recipe and I am wondering if I can use brown rice in place of white rice.
Brown rice cookes at a different rate so I wouldn’t advise it. I’d worry that it would overcook the chicken.
Will the recipe still be good if I make it smaller and cut the inbred in half?
Hi Vicki, I’d love to help you with your question, however I think there’s a typo and I’m not sure what you meant to say. Feel free to reply here or email me directly. Thanks!
Cooked as is, rice didn’t cook evenly but it had a nice taste. Less rice next time maybe.