Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice is the ultimate 5-minute prep comfort food. Chicken, creamy soup, and our secret trick for perfect rice make this a foolproof crockpot dinner recipe and a family favorite.
My Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice recipe has been a reader favorite for YEARS!!! I’ve made this so many times for my family, this recipe is nailed down! Even my husband makes it for us when I’m too busy to cook!
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
This is the kind of recipe that you’ll make on repeat. The chicken cooks in the slow cooker low and slow, making it so tender. It’s cooked in both classic cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup so it will be delicious and tender when it’s done. Just before it’s finished you stir in leftover cooked rice and shredded or cubed cheese. By adding the rice in at the end you don’t end up with a gloopy, gluey mess.
Ingredients and Subsitions
This is an easy recipe to customize to your family’s tastes. Don’t like cheddar pick a different cheese, not a mushroom fan, drop them. You can even add veggies to the mix. We’ve added broccoli to this recipe for a crock pot version of broccoli chicken and rice casserole. You could even add in some spinach, the sky is the limit!
Chicken
You’re going to use thin-sliced chicken breast, so that they cook faster. If you’re short on time you can skip slicing the chicken but you’ll want to cook for a bit longer. Check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it’s done, at 165 degrees F.
You can also substitute chicken boneless, skinless chicken thighs if that’s all you have on hand. Make sure to remove any large fatty bits before cooking. The fat won’t have a place to drain away in the crock pot.
Rice
The key to getting the best out of this meal is using pre-cooked rice. I love to make extra rice the before for dinner. It takes the same amount of time to cook and pulls double duty. By adding the cooked rice at the end you make sure that you don’t end up with mush.
Creamy Base
This recipe uses both cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup. You’ll also add in chicken stock. If you find yourself missing the chicken stock just add water. The flavor won’t be as rich but it’ll work in a pinch.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms can be controversial. I have a family of half mushroom lovers and half mushroom haters. I like to use sliced mushrooms, instead of diced because anyone that doesn’t want them can easily pick them out. I wouldn’t skip the cream of mushroom soup though. I’ve found that most people don’t notice a mushroom flavor. If you can’t get away with this, just use all cream of chicken soup.
Cheese
We like to use shredded cheddar in this at home but I’ve used swiss as well. The flavor is a bit different but just as good. Just make sure that whatever cheese you use, melts well. Not all cheeses melt the same.
How do you make Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice?
This recipe cooks the chicken in the crock pot right in the sauce, than you’re going to add that rice in at the end already cooked. The finished dinner is creamy and spoonable. Make sure to serve up right away or keep on warm until you’re ready to eat.
Tips From Aubrey
- Cook the rice seperately. This is a small step but ablsolutely worth it. I learned from experience, you don’t want mushy rice.
- Check your chicken early. If you’re using the thin-sliced chicken it will cook faster than a full chicken breast. Start to check the chicken for doneness on the early side of done.
- Adjust the consistency. If you find that it’s too thick add some chicken stock until you get the texture you want. If it’s too soupy just add more rice. You can tweak it to your taste so easily.
- Season to taste before you serve. Different brands of soup can result in different levels of seasoning. Add a little salt and pepper to taste if needed. You could even add a little garlic powder if you think it could use a boost. Make this your own.
What to Serve Up with Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice
Keep the side dishes easy with this dinner. I like to serve roasted broccoli or whatever vegetable I have on hand for roasting. I also like sauted green beans, with a bit of butter and garic. If I don’t have the time or mental capacity for that I will just do a quick side salad. it’s nice because it does add a bit of freshness to the meal that’s been slow cooking all day.
Storage, Rehating and Freezing
The leftovers of this dinner make a great lunch durning the week.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Make sure to cool them completely before you add the fridge. They will last up to 4 days.
- Reheating: You can warm the leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop. Just be sure to stir frequently. If it seems to be too thick add a splash of chicken stock or water to thin it out.
- Freezing: Portion out the leftovers into serving sizes and place in freezer safe containers. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw them overnight in the fridge and then warm in either the microwave or stovetop.
Tools used to make this Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice recipe
Medium Saucepan: I don’t what I’d do without this saucepan. It gets used in my kitchen every day. The glass lid even has strainer sides so I even have a colander for pasta!
Slow Cooker: I love this crock pot! The lid is very secure and I can pack it up and take it on the go if I’m heading to a potluck. This slow cooker is a workhorse in my kitchen and has worked great for years!
Wooden Spoon: Wooden spoons are a kitchen essential. I keep a bunch of them on hand for every meal from breakfast to dinner.
CHEESY CROCK POT CHICKEN AND RICE
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Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 chicken breasts thin sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoons garlic minced
- 2-1/2 cups white rice cooked
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 8 ounce container sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups cheese cut into 1-inch cubes (you can also use shredded cheese)
- parsley to garnish
Method
- Cook white rice and set aside.
- Spray a 6qt crock pot lightly with non stick cooking spray. Add chicken breast and season with garlic salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika.
- Add diced onion and minced garlic on top of chicken and pour in chicken stock, cream of mushroom soup, and cream of chicken soup. Cover and cook on LOW 5-6 hours, or HIGH 3-4 hours.
- 30 minutes before done, add in sliced mushrooms and finish cooking. Once done add in cooked rice and cheese. Cover and let sit 5 minutes for cheese to melt, stir and garnish with parsley. Serve warm.
Did you make it?
Show me! @aubrey_realhousemoms or tag #realhousemoms!Yes! This recipe starts with raw chicken and it cooks fully and safely in the slow cooker. No pre-cooking needed.
For this specific recipe, no. Cooked rice is stirred in at the very end. That is the secret to getting a creamy, casserole-like texture rather than mushy, overcooked rice.
Cooked brown rice can absolutely be swapped in at the end. It adds a little extra nuttiness and fiber to the dish.
Simply stir in a splash of chicken stock or broth until it loosens up to your preferred consistency.
Add a little more cooked rice and let the slow cooker sit on warm for a few minutes to absorb the extra liquid.
Want more easy crockpot meals?
- Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
- Slow Cooker Mushroom Round Steaks with Gravy
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
- Crock Pot Pizza
- More dinner recipes…
Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Lori says
Do the fresh mushrooms need to be cooked slightly before adding? They usually release a fair amount of water as the cook so I’m just wondering. I am excited to try this recipe today!
Jennifer Kimmel says
Hey Lori! I do not precook the mushrooms before adding them. They should be just fine.
Ashley Fehervary says
Flavorful and filling I added steamed zucchini to mine and steamed corn on the side for my husband and some homemade buttermilk biscuits on the side. It’s not a thick texture which is fine with me because the super thick ones gross me out and the extra sauciness of it allows for dunking biscuits so it was perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe I am already browsing more recipes on your site!
steaks says
I like cheese. This recipe is definitely a great combination. I will give it a try. Thanks a lot.
rook brand shirts says
It spends long time to cook, I think it’s great but I can only cook it on weekend when I have free time. Anyway thanks a lot.
National Restaurant says
Thanks for sharing!! It was delicious especially when I hadn’t gone to the supermarket to do some shopping. Thank goodness I had those ingredients!
habitat says
Great recipe! Simple materials, easy to process. I love the formula because of its simplicity. Thanks for your sharing
Kimberley Pereda says
This all in one recipe is make me eat easily. The cheese is an awesome combination of chicken and rice that makes this pot look thicker. Wonderful and worth to share recipe.
Aubrey Cota says
Thanks so much!
Polly says
It’s amazing! I just randomly found your blog looking for this recipe. Awesome! Good for you!
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you!
Kate says
This was wonderful! Never knew that those flavors would come out as they did in this beautiful dish! Follow the recipe word for word!!!
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you, Kate!
Ellery says
Thank you! I just made this recipe tonight and everyone loved it! Very easy and delicious!
Aubrey Cota says
Awesome!
Mariya says
This is really a great recipe. I will make this at the next chance i get.
Julia says
Thanks! My husband and I loved this rice, and I will make it again. I’m passing the recipe along to my neighbor!
Aubrey Cota says
This makes me happy! Thank you, Julia.
Julia says
Absolutely loved this! Made a few tweaks, as I literally never follow a recipe 100%, but this was so yummy I will actually make it again! Thank you!
Aubrey Cota says
HAHAHAHA thank you, Julia!
Robert Wymer says
I made this cheese and chicken and it was great. I’m gonna fix it again this weekend.
Aubrey Cota says
Awesome! Thank you, Robert.
Olga says
It’s really awesome! This will quickly become a favorite in our house!
Aubrey Cota says
Oh yay! I’m so glad to hear. Thank you, Olga.
Sarah Richardson says
I described this to a friend as “chicken and rice mush”. I’ve made it a few times and it’s really good, but I think I’m going to add more rice and remove some broth to help it thicken up some! Overall, will recommend! 🙂
Aubrey Cota says
I’m not super excited about the mush comment 🙂 Although, I’m glad to see you liked it so much that you are willing to try again. It is interesting to see how recipes are modified to fit either the location or preferences in where they are made, I guess that’s why I’m glad to know these recipes can be flexible in that way.
Emma says
This was really tasty but I will reduce the chicken stock by at least half next time. It was like a thick soup instead of a solid casserole. Still delish! It definitely pays to use long cooking rice.
Aubrey Cota says
Thanks, Emma!
Alycia Conforti says
Absolutely delicious!! Followed the recipe exactly, but topped with onion straws. Cooked in exactly 3 hours on high. Deff making this again!!!
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you, Alycia. I’m so glad to see it worked out so nicely for you.
Zoey says
This is the first recipe I’m making in my first ever Crock Pot! It’s cooking right now. So far it’s delicious. I’ll come back to give an update when it’s totally done!
Aubrey Cota says
Great! Thank you so much!
sanchez says
What kind of chicken should I choose, should I use evil chicken?
Aubrey Cota says
The evilest works best! 🙂