Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Sometimes a classic one-pot meal is just what you need to round out your menu for the week. Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice is full of simple ingredients and not lacking a bit in flavor! Try this easy and filling home-cooked classic in your slow cooker for your next family meal.
This combination of foods reminds me of the comforts of home cooking every time! Whether soups like chicken noodle or chicken pot pie, a simple mix of chicken and veggies provides comfort and care in the form of a meal.
Ingredients Needed For Chicken And Rice
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice is one of those staple meals that can be made with ingredients likely already in your fridge or pantry. There are so many variations of meals you can make with this combination of foods, so why not make it super easy?
You’ll need:
- Basics – Butter (salted or unsalted), chicken broth, and diced onion
- Chicken – Use boneless skinless chicken breasts (although you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs OR boneless pork loin chops if you prefer darker meat)
- Seasonings – Use salt and an herb-and-garlic seasoning blend. My favorite is McCormick Garlic, Herb and Black Pepper and Sea Salt All Purpose Seasoning.
- Heavy Cream – Yes, you want the heavy cream (not half and half)! This brings an extra layer of richness to the meal.
- Frozen Veggies – A mix of frozen peas and carrots is my favorite combo, but you could easily use a frozen mixed vegetable variety or even leave out the veggies altogether.
- Rice – You will want to specifically use quick-cooking jasmine rice. Look for the 10-minute variety since minute rice will cook too quickly. Jasmine rice also helps keep the recipe light and “fluffy” instead of a mushy substance.
How To Make Chicken And Rice In The Slow Cooker
While I don’t typically add an extra pre-cooking step for slow cooking, in this recipe it makes all the difference!
Begin your meal prep by melting the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dice the chicken into large bite-sized pieces and season with salt and half of the seasoning blend (reserve the other half). Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until it is lightly browned.
Tip: If you have a multi-cooker, this would be a great way to use it when browning the meat. Save a dish!
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker (including the rest of the seasoning blend) and stir to combine.
Cook on high for 2 – 2 ½ hours or low for 4-5 hours.
After cooking, you may wish to fluff the rice and vegetables lightly with a fork to evenly mix the ingredients.
Note: Browning the chicken prior to adding it to the slow cooker helps it cook a bit faster. Additionally, using quick-cook rice means your rice will cook faster than a typical variety and cook evenly alongside the chicken. I suggest using a 10-minute rice variety rather than minute rice (which cooks too quickly for the slow cooker here).
How To Serve Chicken And Rice
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice is an all-in-one dish including your basic food groups and a delicious, creamy taste! To spruce up this meal with some additional flavors and textures, consider adding a tangy fresh fruit or a warm dinner roll with butter.
If you choose to leave out the peas and carrots from the slow cooker, pair the chicken and rice with another green side such as roasted broccoli or Lemon Pepper Roasted Asparagus. Oven Roasted Carrots would present a bright visual palette or you might like to add another deep and savory flavor with a side of roasted mushrooms.
Finish off your easy one-pot meal with a simple, sweet dessert like Slow Cooker Peach and Cherry Cobbler or another classic, Slow Cooker Apple Crumble.
Leftover Instructions
Easily store your leftover chicken and rice in the fridge or freezer. This would make a perfect meal prep recipe to portion into single servings for lunches at work or school.
Store chicken and rice in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer – tightly sealed – for up to 3 months.
To reheat from the fridge, warm up in the microwave in short increments from 30-60 seconds. When removing from the freezer, be sure to allow time to defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe Variations
With great staples like chicken, rice, and vegetables, you can customize this recipe in so many ways.
- Meat – Try a different meat by using bite-sized pieces of boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless pork loin chops. Be sure to still brown the pieces slightly prior to adding them to the slow cooker.
- Seasonings – Add a new twist on seasoning with an Italian seasoning blend instead of the herb-and-garlic. Try the seasoning blend from my Italian dressing mix for an easy homemade mix! For a little spice, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, or a teaspoon of homemade ranch seasoning for extra flavor.
- Veggies – Veggies are super easy to swap as well! I love adding peas and carrots for extra nutrition, but you could leave them out if you prefer. Also, look for other mixed vegetable varieties including green beans, corn, or other finely chopped options. Frozen broccoli (in small pieces) would also be a great choice!
- Additions – Extra additions for this dish could be a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, an Italian blend, or parmesan when serving. For heartier flavor, add sautéed chopped mushrooms or celery. Lastly, top off with an extra garnish of fresh parsley or chopped green onion.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice FAQs
Can you put dry rice in a slow cooker? You can put dry rice in a slow cooker as long as there is enough liquid to cook it properly. In this case, the 1 cup of dry rice will be countered with around 2 cups of liquid once the juices have cooked from the chicken.
Why is the rice mushy? Rice can become mushy when it overcooks and continues to absorb moisture in a closed dish, or when too much liquid is added when cooking. Pay attention to cooking times so that the rice does not continue to cook and absorb liquid past the intended time.
Can you cook raw chicken and rice together? Raw chicken and rice can be cooked together but they might cook at different rates depending on size or variation. To cook each element evenly, cut the chicken into smaller pieces or brown it before placing in the slow cooker. Depending on the rice variety, you could add it at a staggered time to reduce overall cooking time.
Do I need to brown the chicken before it goes into the slow cooker? In this recipe, yes, it is important to brown the chicken first. This seals in flavor on the meat and cooks at the same rate as the quick-cooking rice variety.
Tips And Tricks For Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Most chicken and rice recipes made in the slow cooker get some negative reviews due to the rice and chicken cooking at different speeds. This causes either mushy rice (the rice has absorbed too much liquid and the grains have opened), or crunchy rice (the rice has not absorbed enough liquid).
For this recipe, browning the chicken first and using 10-minute rice are key to evening out the cooking time of the ingredients. However, if you find that your rice still isn’t done at the end of cooking time, you can add additional chicken broth and let it cook for another 15-30 minutes.
If your rice is done and your dish is still too runny, thicken it with a bit of cornstarch slurry. Just mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and stir into the slow cooker with a fork.
Be sure to keep the lid on the slow cooker while cooking to keep the steam inside. This will also help the rice cook on time!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- Skillet
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon herb and garlic seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 cup quick cook 10 minute jasmine rice
Instructions
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat
- Dice chicken into large bite-sized pieces and season and salt and half of the seasoning blend (reserve the other half)
- Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until lightly browned
- Add all ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine
- Cook on high for 2 – 2 ½ hours or low for 4-5 hours
Notes
- The Instant Pot can be another great option! Just dice and brown the chicken in the instant pot on the sauté setting. Add the rest of the ingredients, seal the lid, and set to high pressure for 5 minutes.
- If you’d like to make this in the oven, dice and brown the chicken first in the skillet. Add all ingredients to a casserole dish, and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in short increments. Allow time to defrost from frozen before reheating.
