A simple, old-fashioned chicken and rice casserole is a comforting, flavorful, and easy dinner that comes together in about 10 minutes!
Table of Contents
So easy and delicious – it reheats well, too!
– Jaime
Video: How to Make this Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- You’ll need 3 cups of cooked chicken for this casserole. I like to use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for convenience. If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, start with about 1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Boil until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken and use in the recipe.
- The celery and onion become slightly tender in the casserole, but still have a firm bite (which I prefer for crunch in the dish). If you like your celery and onion very soft, I recommend sautéing the vegetables in a skillet with butter or olive oil before adding them to the casserole.
- This recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked rice. You can boil your own rice on the stovetop, use leftovers from a previous meal, or cook parboiled rice (such as Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice) in the microwave for a shortcut.
- If you’re using Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, microwave the rice according to the package directions before adding it to the dish. Each pouch contains about 2 cups of rice, so you’ll need about 1 ½ packets for this recipe.
Directions
This old fashioned chicken and rice casserole is a simple combination of condensed soup, cooked chicken, and fresh celery and onion. In about 10 minutes, you can stir everything together and pop it in the oven! The full step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the overview:
- Stir together the filling, taste, and season with salt and pepper if desired. Since you’re not sauteing the veggies before adding them to the filling, make sure that they’re diced into small pieces. They will soften slightly in the oven while the casserole bakes. If you prefer softer vegetables in your finished dish, I recommend cooking the vegetables in a skillet on the stovetop first.
- Pour the rice mixture into a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish.
- Combine the cracker crumbs and melted butter.
- Sprinkle the buttered crumbs on top of the casserole.
- Bake, garnish, and serve!
What to Serve with Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
This classic, old school chicken and rice casserole goes well with Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe, pumpkin muffins, Southern-style green beans, brown sugar glazed carrots, baked apple slices, cranberry sauce, or our favorite house salad with candied pecans. It’s classic comfort food that tastes like you’re back in Grandma’s kitchen!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the entire casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Before baking, 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, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before baking according to recipe directions.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the casserole: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with aluminum 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.
This recipe is awesome! The whole family loves it and it is easy to make.
– Bill
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
0 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
This easy chicken and rice casserole comes together in just 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked, diced chicken
- 3 cups cooked rice
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup (or use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- ½ cup slivered almonds (about 2 ounces)
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 30 crackers or 1 ½ cups crumbs)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or other herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together chicken, rice, mayonnaise, condensed soup, chicken broth, onion, celery, and almonds. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, stir together Ritz cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, until hot, bubbly, and golden brown on top, about 25-30 minutes.
Notes
- You’ll need 3 cups of cooked chicken for this casserole. I like to use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for convenience. If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, start with about 1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Boil until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken and use in the recipe.
- The celery and onion become slightly tender in the casserole, but still have a firm bite (which I prefer for crunch in the dish). If you like your celery and onion very soft, I recommend sautéing the vegetables in a skillet with butter or olive oil before adding them to the casserole.
- Use microwaveable rice for a shortcut. If you’re using Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, microwave the rice according to the package directions before adding it to the dish. Each pouch contains about 2 cups of rice, so you’ll need about 1 ½ packets for this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of the casseroleCalories: 366.6kcalCarbohydrates: 31.6gProtein: 16.5gFat: 19.7gSaturated Fat: 5.7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5.7gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 54.6mgSodium: 657.3mgPotassium: 274.4mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2.1g
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe Variations
- Any variety of cooked rice will work in this casserole. I typically use long grain white rice, but you can substitute with wild rice, basmati rice, or brown rice if you prefer.
- Use any flavor of condensed soup that you like: cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, or cream of celery soup are all nice options.
- Add more veggies to the filling, such as steamed broccoli, frozen mixed vegetables, canned corn, frozen peas, or sautéed mushrooms.
- Don’t have Ritz crackers? Crushed Corn Flakes cereal mixed with the melted butter, buttered panko breadcrumbs, or crushed potato chips are great substitutes for a crunchy, flavorful topping.
- Omit the almonds for a nut-free dish, or substitute with a different nut of your choice. Chopped pecans are also great!
- For a tangier flavor, use sour cream instead of mayo. You can also just replace half of the mayo with sour cream for a combination of both.
- Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese (or another variety of cheese) on top of the casserole before adding the cracker crumbs.
- Season the filling with extra herbs or spices. Good options include chives, parsley, thyme, oregano, or basil, as well as garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half. Bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
More Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipes to Try
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Rice
55 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Chicken and Rice Casserole with Mushroom Soup
55 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in April, 2020. It was updated in December, 2024.
Hi. This looks delicious!! But all I have is canned chicken and condensed cheese or onion soup. Do you think these would work as substitutions? Thanks
Hey, Jen! Those ingredients should work fine. The canned chicken is a good option, and you can use either soup flavor — whichever you would prefer in the casserole. Enjoy!
How many people can you feels many people can you feed and what size of dish
Hi, Esther! I said in the recipe that it feeds 6-8 people, but that’s obviously just an estimate. It will totally vary depending on the size of your diners’ appetites! 🙂 I think 6 people is safe, but you may get 8 servings if some of those are smaller eaters or children. You’ll need a 9 x 13-inch dish. Enjoy!
This was pretty easy to adapt for our allergies and sensitivities! (Gluten and dairy)
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be making it again!!
We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you, Mary!
So easy and delicious – it reheats well, too!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a note, Jaime! So glad that you enjoyed it!
This is a wonderful casserole! Very easy to make and serve the same day or make ahead for a meal (leaving crumbs off until you bake it). I had all ingredients except for soup so made a white sauce (~ 3 cups) and it was wonderful. I will be making this again in the future!
Thank you, Arlene! I’m so glad that you liked it, and that you made it work with the ingredients that you had on hand. Thanks for taking the time to come back here and leave me a note. 🙂
Just wondering if this freezes well? Looks great!
Hi, Denise! Yes! This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the entire casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Before baking, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
You can freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Enjoy!
You are my kind of cook…..plenty of flexibility…..I will try this tomorrow night….tnx for the ‘sparkle’….:)
Oh, good! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
This is a delicious recipe when using up left over chicken….thank you for posting it. I used left over green beans and carrots, crm chicken soup, uncle Ben’s rice, plus sprinkled top with shredded cheese and smashed Italian croutons, then grated Romano/parmesan cheese. Yummy with garlic bread for dinner.
Sounds perfect, Elaine! Thanks so much for coming back here to leave me a note. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
This recipe is awesome! The whole family loves it and it is easy to make.
Thank you, Bill!
Hello and good evening! This recipe, Blair, was very good!! Made it this evening and my husband and I both loved it! Served it with green beans and a tossed salad. Thank you! I look forward to your post each Sunday and have made several of your recipes. Your boys are getting big! Have a great week!
Sounds delicious, Janie! Thank you so much for trying it out and continuing to read the blog. Have a great week as well!
AMAZING!!! I added poultry seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper and parsley flakes, and broccoli florets. I also mixed cheddar cheese in with it, as well as on top. My husband said this is definitely a keeper.
Awesome! Thank you, Diana! I’m so happy to hear that!
Comforting casserole—just what we needed with 2 family members under the weather! I added extra celery and sauteed it before baking casserole. I love the flexibility of this recipe! Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you, Lisa! So glad that it was the perfect comfort food!
My husband loves chicken and rice and this has become a favorite of his! I love your site. It has become a go to for me. My family is very happy! Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much, Jessica!
My sister and I love this recipe! I am 76 and she is 65 years old. Yum!
I’m so glad to hear that, CJ. Thank you!!
This recipe saved “the day” for me. I had no soup so used chopped chicken, a big glob of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of curry powder and 2 tablespoons plus of a jarred chutney sauce with a dusting of grated cheese on top. It was good, I didn’t figure out calories and I used up leftover chicken.
We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you, Nancy!
This recipe was wonderful! I was looking for a recipe of chicken and rice without sour cream. It was perfect! Great taste and crunchy with celery, crackers topping. My husband loved it as well. I will definitely share it the next that I make it again.
By the way, I am originally from East Tennessee and know the Blue Ridge Mountains and Virginia very well. Keep putting those good recipes out! I miss the food back there. I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years.
Thanks again!
Thank you so much, Karen! We’re happy to have you here and hope you continue to enjoy the recipes.