This easy chicken and rice casserole with cream of mushroom soup and shredded rotisserie chicken is a simple, delicious, and comforting dinner that you can make ahead. The recipe takes advantage of a few shortcuts for quick prep, but adds herbs and vegetables for plenty of fresh flavor.
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If you love the comforting combination of chicken and rice, try this dump-and-bake chicken tzatziki with rice, this easy Crock Pot chicken and rice, and a pot of chicken and rice soup, too!
An Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup
I’ve shared quite a few different chicken and rice casserole recipes over the years — from dump-and-bake options to made-from-scratch dishes — but this particular dinner is definitely one of my favorites! It wins major points for ease (I always appreciate a kitchen shortcut), but doesn’t sacrifice fresh, homemade taste.
While cream of mushroom soup is a simple base, the meal really gets its flavor from sautéed mushrooms, onions, and celery, along with herbs like chives, parsley, and thyme. You also can’t beat a crunchy, buttery, Ritz cracker and French fried onion topping. This is your grandmother’s old school chicken and rice casserole — elevated!
Ingredient Notes
- You’ll need cooked, shredded chicken for this casserole, so pick up a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, or cook your own chicken at home. If you’d like to start with raw chicken, boil about 1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs until cooked through (about 10-15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken.
- Use cooked white rice, brown rice or wild rice. You can even purchase a couple of microwaveable packets of rice to cut down on prep time.
- Fresh herbs provide great flavor, but dried herbs are also a fine substitute when necessary.
- Feel free to use any vegetables that your family enjoys, such as peas, broccoli, sweet bell peppers, carrots, or zucchini.
- Sour cream helps to create a thick, rich, creamy, and slightly tangy sauce for the casserole filling. Use the full-fat variety for the best flavor and texture.
- For a cheesy casserole, feel free to sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of the rice mixture before adding the cracker crumbs.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup
Any good Southern casserole starts with condensed soup and is finished with a buttery, crunchy, Ritz cracker topping…and this recipe certainly delivers! Toss it together at the last minute for a quick weeknight meal, or prep it ahead for your busiest days. This easy, creamy chicken and rice casserole is comfort food at its best!
- Sauté mushrooms, onion and celery in butter.
- Stir in chicken, rice, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and herbs.
- Transfer the filling to a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Stir together the topping and sprinkle over the casserole.
- Cover the dish and bake in a 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the cover and continue baking until the top is lightly toasted, about 5 more minutes. Bake the casserole just until it’s heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly. Don’t bake it for too long or it may dry out or get burned on top.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve!
Serving Suggestions
This classic chicken and rice casserole with mushroom soup pairs well with flaky biscuits or Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe, cast iron cornbread, Southern fried apples, roasted yellow squash, Southern-style green beans, sauteed asparagus, a winter salad with orange vinaigrette, or a simple salad dressed with Dijon vinaigrette.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes.
- You can freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly with a layer of plastic wrap and another layer of aluminum foil, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- How to Bake from Frozen: If you’re baking the casserole directly from the freezer, double the baking time while the dish is covered (about 50 minutes covered, or until hot). Then remove the cover and continue baking the casserole for about 5-7 more minutes.
- Leftover chicken and rice casserole will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the casserole: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
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Chicken and Rice Casserole with Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
- ¼ cup butter
- 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
- 3 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- 3 cups cooked rice (white rice, brown rice, or wild rice will all work well)
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup milk (or sub with chicken broth or water)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (or 1 teaspoon dried chives)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
FOR THE TOPPING
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 31 crackers total)
- 1 (2.8 ounce) can French-fried onions
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
PREPARE THE FILLING
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and celery; sauté until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl.
- To the same bowl with the vegetables, add the chicken, rice, soup, milk, sour cream, chives, parsley, and thyme. Stir gently until completely combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
PREPARE THE TOPPING
- In a medium bowl, stir together the crackers and French-fried onions. Add the melted butter and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
BAKE THE CASSEROLE
- Cover the casserole and bake until the filling is hot and bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking for 5 to 7 more minutes, until the topping is lightly toasted. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Try microwaveable packets of rice for another shortcut, or use leftover rice from a previous meal.
- For a lighter option with less sodium, feel free to substitute with the Heart Healthy variety of condensed soup.
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Use any flavor of condensed soup that you prefer: cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup are both nice substitutes for the cream of mushroom soup.
- For a lighter option with less sodium, feel free to substitute with the Healthy Request line of condensed soups.
- Mix up the herbs to use your favorites. Try rosemary, basil, or sage instead of the parsley, chives, or thyme. Garlic or garlic powder would also be great additions.
- Don’t have Ritz crackers or French fried onions? Substitute with crushed potato chips, crushed Corn Flakes cereal mixed with melted butter, or other buttery crackers (like Keebler Club crackers).
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Alternatively, you can divide the casserole ingredients between two 8-inch square baking dishes. Bake one now, and freeze the other for a later meal.
More Chicken and Rice Casseroles
Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
35 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Originally published in September 2021, this recipe was updated in January, 2025.
Can’t really rate the casserole.
My confusion is if the rice needs to be cooked prior to mixing all the ingredients. I suspect it should because of the amount of liquid introduced to the ingredients.
Hi Thomas,
Yes, the rice should be cooked prior to adding it to the casserole. We hope you enjoy!
Thank you for providing a recipe to use pre-cooked ingredients! Almost all the others I could find called for raw chicken and uncooked rice. Whenever I have used those before, it seems that no matter how long (or short) I cook it, the chicken is overdone and the rice is still crunchy.
I made modifications to use what I had on hand, but your proportions and cooking time & temp helped me immensely. I’ll try your recipe and follow to the letter, soon, and compare the two. I love having options!
We’re so glad you found our recipe and were able to adjust it to suit your needs. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback!