There's no prep work necessary for this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake! Just dump the raw ingredients into a dish and pop it in the oven for an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
There’s no prep work necessary for this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake! Just dump the raw ingredients into a dish and pop it in the oven for an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
That’s right, my friends…the best chicken and rice recipe doesn’t even require cooking the rice or baking the chicken before it goes in the oven! Just a few simple ingredients cook together to yield creamy, cheesy rice and moist, juicy chicken breast with only 5 minutes of work!
How to Make Baked Chicken and Rice:
This healthy chicken and rice casserole takes advantage of a handful of pantry staples. First, you’ll need chicken broth, uncooked long grain white rice, condensed cream of chicken soup, and onion powder.
Whisk these ingredients together in a 2-quart baking dish until smooth.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and then place the raw chicken breasts in the dish with the rice and sauce. I know that it looks like a lot of liquid, but the rice will thicken the sauce and absorb most of the liquid as it bakes!
Cover the dish tightly with foil so that none of the liquid or steam can escape.
How long to bake Chicken and Rice Casserole?
Bake the casserole, covered, at 375 degrees F for 1 hour. I recommend using very thick chicken breast for this recipe, because the thick chicken will have a longer cooking time and will therefore be done at the same time as the rice. Thin pieces of chicken will cook through in about 30-40 minutes, and will therefore be dried out by the time the rice is done at the 1-hour mark. I used 3 chicken breasts that totaled about 2.8 lbs.
After 1 hour, remove the dish from the oven, uncover, and give the rice a stir. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, and the rice should be tender.
At this point, it’s time to add the cheese! I like to use a block of cheddar cheese that I grate myself, because I find that this cheese melts much better than the bags of pre-shredded cheeses.
Sprinkle the cheese over top, and return to the oven (uncovered), just until the cheese melts (about 3-5 minutes).
The end result is a delicious cheesy chicken and rice bake that you can garnish with fresh herbs, top with crumbled bacon, serve with diced avocado, or just dig in and enjoy!
Can you freeze Chicken and Rice Bake?
Yes, you can freeze this casserole after baking. Allow the casserole to cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, place the casserole (covered) in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through. The reheated rice may be slightly mushy (compared to the original version), but it will still taste good!
What to serve with Chicken and Rice Bake:
Here are a few sides that go well with a chicken and rice casserole:
- Steamed broccoli tossed with butter and salt;
- A simple green salad tossed with Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette;
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion;
- Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans;
- 10-Minute Creamy Cucumber Salad
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- I often top the baked, cheesy chicken with cooked, crumbled bacon and diced avocado. It’s like a California Chicken casserole and it has so much flavor!
- I do not recommend substituting instant rice or brown rice for the long grain white rice, because the instant rice and the brown rice require different cooking times and different liquid ratios.
- If you don’t have any chicken broth on hand, you can substitute with water instead.
- Instead of the cream of chicken soup, you can make a chicken and rice bake with cream of mushroom soup or with cream of celery soup!
- Make a chicken and rice bake with vegetables! Stir some frozen peas or some thawed frozen mixed vegetables into the rice at the same time that you add the grated cheese on top. The frozen peas will heat through in the oven in just minutes (no thawing necessary), offering an easy green addition to the casserole!
- I recommend using very thick chicken breast for this recipe, because the thick chicken will have a longer cooking time and will therefore be done at the same time as the rice. Thin pieces of chicken will cook through in about 30-40 minutes, and will therefore be dried out by the time the rice is done at the 1-hour mark. I used 3 chicken breasts that totaled about 2.8 lbs.
Other chicken and rice recipes that you might enjoy:
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Rice Casserole (with brown rice and green beans)
- Dump-and-Bake Italian Chicken and Rice (this is a chicken and rice bake with tomato sauce)
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
- Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
- One Pot Farmer’s Market Chicken and Rice
Dump-and-Bake Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake
There’s no prep work necessary for this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake! Just dump the raw ingredients into a dish and pop it in the oven for an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, NOT diluted (I used Campbell’s Healthy Request)
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2.5 – 3 lbs. total)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- In prepared dish, whisk together condensed soup, uncooked rice, broth, and onion powder. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken breasts on top of rice mixture in the dish.
- Cover tightly with foil. Bake (covered) for 1 hour, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the rice is tender. Stir rice, sprinkle cheese on top, and return dish to the oven (uncovered), just until cheese melts (about 3-5 more minutes).
- Garnish with fresh parsley just before serving, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- I often top the baked, cheesy chicken with cooked, crumbled bacon and diced avocado. It’s like a California Chicken casserole and it has so much flavor!
- I do not recommend substituting instant rice or brown rice for the long grain white rice, because the instant rice and the brown rice require different cooking times and different liquid ratios.
- If you don’t have any chicken broth on hand, you can substitute with water instead.
- Instead of the cream of chicken soup, you can make a chicken and rice bake with cream of mushroom soup or with cream of celery soup!
- Make a chicken and rice bake with vegetables! Stir some frozen peas or some thawed frozen mixed vegetables into the rice at the same time that you add the grated cheese on top. The frozen peas will heat through in the oven in just minutes (no thawing necessary), offering an easy green addition to the casserole!
- I recommend using very thick chicken breast for this recipe, because the thick chicken will have a longer cooking time and will therefore be done at the same time as the rice. Thin pieces of chicken will cook through in about 30-40 minutes, and will therefore be dried out by the time the rice is done at the 1-hour mark. I used 3 chicken breasts that totaled about 2.8 lbs.
Thank you, Blair, for this lovely recipe! I really enjoyed it! It’s quick, nothing complex on the ingredient list, and it performs exactly as you have said it would!
This was dinner yesterday. I made it (mostly) according to recipe, the only major substitution being 1 can (13.5oz) full fat coconut milk for the undiluted soup, and adding in some sauteed mushrooms and onions which I did on the stovetop while the casserole baked. The cheese got to be Romano, rather than cheddar… oh, and in stirring the rice at the end, I stirred in a handful of frozen French-cut green beans for color. YUMMMMMM!
Again, Thank You very much for helping me learn the making of this tasty dish!
Your version sounds delicious, Pat! Thanks for sharing those ideas!