Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken and Rice Casserole is an easy, creamy dinner made with tender chicken thighs and uncooked long-grain rice baked together in a savory cream of chicken sauce. No precooking the chicken or rice is needed.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 15

Resting Time10

Total Time1 40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken dinner recipe, easy casseroles

Servings:

Author: Sandy Clifton

Equipment

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons Butter divided
1 medium Onion diced
2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 ½ cups Long-Grain White Rice uncooked
2 10.5-ounce cans Cream of Chicken Soup (try my homemade)
2 ⅓ cups Chicken Broth (heated until hot)
2 to 3 cloves Garlic minced
1 ½ teaspoons Poultry Seasoning
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 ½ teaspoons Onion Powder
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Paprika
Chopped Fresh Parsley for garnish

Instructions

Prep

Heat the oven to 375°F.
Use 2 Tablespoons of the softened Butter to generously coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Sauté the Onion (optional)

To a small skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 Tablespoons of the butter and the diced onion. Sauté until softened and lightly golden. Getting some good color on the onion adds even more flavor.
Alternatively, you can skip this step and add the diced onion directly to the rice mixture. If adding the onion raw, omit the 2 Tablespoons of butter used for sautéing.

Make the Rice Mixture

In a large mixing bowl, combine the Long-Grain White Rice, Cream of Chicken Soup, hot Chicken Broth, Garlic, Poultry Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, and Salt. Stir until well combined.

Assemble the Casserole

Pour the rice mixture into the buttered baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Make sure the rice is submerged in the liquid.
Arrange the Chicken Thighs over the rice mixture, nestling them in slightly while leaving the tops exposed.
Sprinkle the paprika over the chicken, then dot the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter on top of the chicken.
Cover the baking dish very tightly with aluminum foil (I like to use 2 sheets of foil or the heavy duty kind).

Bake

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the rice in the center of the casserole is tender and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F.

Rest & Serve

Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Use a fork to gently loosen any rice that has lightly browned or stuck to the bottom of the baking dish, then stir it into the casserole.
Garnish with chopped Fresh Parsley and serve.

Notes

Use regular uncooked, unrinsed long-grain white rice. Instant rice and other rice varieties may require different amounts of liquid and cooking times.
Heat the Chicken Broth until hot before mixing it with the other ingredients. Starting with hot broth helps the casserole mixture come up to cooking temperature more quickly so the rice can begin cooking sooner.
Make sure all of the rice is submerged before covering the casserole.
Keep the casserole tightly covered while baking. The trapped steam helps cook the rice.
Check rice near the center of the baking dish for doneness, since the outside can cook more quickly.
If the rice is still firm and the casserole looks dry, add a small amount of boiling water or hot Chicken Broth, cover tightly, and continue baking until tender.

Nutrition