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A simple, old-fashioned chicken and wild rice casserole is a staple in Southern home cooking. The comforting, flavorful, and easy dinner recipe comes together quickly, and is delicious alongside cornbread, salad, and biscuits!
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is an Inexpensive Dinner
If you’re looking for an easy, affordable meal to feed a crowd, then casseroles are the way to go! The budget-friendly one pan suppers are a simple way to stretch the meat that you have — whether it’s leftovers from a previous meal, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or those few extra chicken breasts that are stashed away in your freezer. Combine the protein with flavorful wild rice and plenty of veggies and you’ve got a satisfying, cozy supper that everyone at the table can agree on!
This delicious chicken and wild rice casserole with broccoli is the definition of classic comfort food, and you can tailor it to suit your family’s individual preferences. If you prefer a made-from-scratch version, try this recipe. If you don’t want broccoli in your dish, opt for other veggies like carrots, corn, or green beans. Don’t have Ritz crackers in your pantry? Use buttered breadcrumbs, Corn Flakes, potato chips, or other crackers. You get the idea! You can take this simple recipe and make it your own.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a simple chicken and wild rice casserole. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil: to sauté the veggies.
- Onion and celery: vegetables that add flavor and texture to the dish.
- Chicken: you’ll need cooked, shredded or diced chicken, so a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftovers from another meal work well in this dish. You can also substitute with leftover turkey.
- Wild rice: you’ll need a box of Uncle Ben’s long grain & wild rice, cooked with the seasoning packet according to the package directions. For a shortcut, you can also use the microwaveable packets of Uncle Ben’s wild rice (just make sure that you measure out 3 cups of cooked rice).
- Broccoli: I love the bags of frozen baby broccoli florets, which you don’t even have to cook before adding them straight to your casserole. Just thaw the broccoli so that the florets are tender, and stir them right into the dish. Plus, they’re perfectly bite-sized, which means no chopping!
- Mayonnaise and sour cream: add creamy richness to the base of the casserole.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup: sub with cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup — whatever you like!
- Chicken broth: to thin the soup that forms the base of the casserole. I prefer low-sodium chicken broth, homemade broth, or unsalted broth in this dish, since the mayo, wild rice mix, and condensed soup already include plenty of salt.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: because every good chicken and broccoli casserole needs some cheese!
- Ritz crackers and melted butter: the rich, buttery, crunchy topping on the casserole.
The Best Chicken to Use for a Casserole
You’ll need about 2 cups of cooked, diced or shredded chicken for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick whichever method works best for you:
- Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 1 lb. of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken into bite size pieces. You’ll need a total of about 2 cups shredded. I find that 1 lb. of raw chicken breasts yields about 2 cups of pulled chicken, but there’s some flexibility here — it doesn’t need to be exact.
- Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed. One large rotisserie chicken should yield about 3-4 cups of meat, so you might have some extra to use in a different dish. It keeps well in the freezer, too!
- Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken from a previous meal, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
- Canned Chicken: Yep, you can even use canned chicken in this casserole.
Do you cook the wild rice before adding it to the casserole?
Yes! This recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked wild rice. I always use a box of Uncle Ben’s Original Long Grain & Wild Rice in this dish, prepared with the seasoning packet according to the package directions. One 6-ounce box of uncle ben’s wild rice yields about 3 cups of cooked rice.
Alternatively, for a shortcut I have also used Uncle Ben’s “Ready Rice” Long Grain & Wild Rice microwaveable packets. These packets include the herbs and seasonings as well. If using the microwaveable rice, prepare according to the package instructions before using in this casserole. Each packet yields a little less than 2 cups of cooked rice, so you’ll need two packets (with some extra leftover). Either option works!
Do you have to cook broccoli before putting it in a casserole?
Yes, if you’re starting with fresh broccoli florets, you’ll need to pre-cook the broccoli slightly before adding it to the casserole. This way it will be nice and tender by the time the casserole heats through. For a shortcut, I like to use thawed frozen baby broccoli florets in this recipe, which are soft enough when thawed so that you don’t need to steam or pre-cook them before just adding them to the dish. The baby florets are also small enough that you don’t need to chop them. Just thaw, drain, and stir into the casserole!
How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
This easy chicken wild rice casserole takes advantage of a handful of kitchen shortcuts so it comes together quickly. You can also assemble it in advance for even faster weeknight dinners!
- Saute the celery and onion in a skillet.
- Combine the veggies with the chicken, wild rice, broccoli, sour cream, mayo, soup, and chicken broth.
- Transfer the chicken and rice mixture to a casserole dish and top with grated cheddar cheese.
- Add a crunchy, buttery Ritz cracker crumb topping, and then pop it in the oven.
- Bake the casserole (uncovered) for about 25 minutes, just until everything is heated through and the top is golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
This convenient one-dish meal includes meat, rice, and veggies in every bite! If you’d like to add some other options to your table, here are some sides that go well with the cheesy chicken wild rice casserole:
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Pumpkin Spice Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Skillet Cornbread, Southern-Style Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, Mexican Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Honey Cornbread, or Corn Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins, Cranberry Muffins, Apple Muffins, 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins, or Pumpkin Bread
- Crusty French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Southern-Style Green Beans, Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, or Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Apples, Baked Apple Slices, or Applesauce
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Broccoli and Cheese or Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Sauteed Zucchini
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Cranberry Sauce
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 fridge 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 before you pop it in the oven.
- You can freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Leftover chicken casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to Reheat: 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.
Recipe Variations
- Swap out the frozen broccoli florets for fresh broccoli or cauliflower florets. Cook the fresh vegetables in boiling water for 2 minutes (or steam in the microwave) until they’re crisp-tender before adding them to the dish.
- Instead of cream of chicken soup, try a different flavor of condensed soup.
- If you don’t have Ritz crackers in your pantry, try a buttered panko breadcrumb topping, buttered Corn Flakes, or crushed potato chips.
- Instead of the broccoli, add frozen peas, frozen mixed vegetables, corn, steamed green beans or asparagus, diced pimientos, or sautéed mushrooms to the casserole. Garlic would also be a nice addition — just add it to the skillet with the celery and onion.
- Stir slivered almonds into the filling for nice crunch.
- Try other types of cheese instead of cheddar. Good options include Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Swiss, and American.
- To serve a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan.
Tips for the Best Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole Recipe
- Use low-sodium chicken broth, homemade broth, or unsalted broth in this dish, since the mayo, wild rice mix, and condensed soup already include plenty of salt.
- For a shortcut, swap out the box of wild rice and use microwaveable packets of Uncle Ben’s wild rice instead (just make sure that you measure 3 cups of cooked wild rice from these packets).
- For even more shortcuts, use store-bought rotisserie chicken and baby broccoli florets that you just have to thaw (no cooking or chopping).
- 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 will dry out, the rice will get mushy, and the topping could burn. You know a casserole is done when the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is toasted and golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, thyme, chives, or other herbs for a bright, colorful touch at the end.
More Chicken and Wild Rice Recipes to Try
Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cups cooked, diced chicken
- 1 (6 ounce) box Uncle Ben’s Original Recipe wild rice, cooked with the seasoning packet according to package instructions (about 3 cups total cooked wild rice)
- 1 (12.6 ounce) package frozen baby broccoli florets, thawed
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted (or use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup)
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 30 crackers or 1 ½ cups crumbs)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the chicken, cooked wild rice, thawed broccoli, condensed soup, chicken broth, sour cream, and mayonnaise to the large bowl with the onion and celery. Stir to combine. Transfer the chicken mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle grated cheese over top.
- In a separate bowl, stir together Ritz cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes (or until hot, bubbly, and golden brown on top).
Notes
- Use low-sodium chicken broth, homemade broth, or unsalted broth in this dish, since the mayo, wild rice mix, and condensed soup already include plenty of salt.
- For a shortcut, swap out the box of wild rice and use microwaveable packets of Uncle Ben’s wild rice instead (just make sure that you measure 3 cups of cooked wild rice from these packets).
- For even more shortcuts, use store-bought rotisserie chicken and baby broccoli florets that you just have to thaw (no cooking or chopping).
- 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 will dry out, the rice will get mushy, and the topping could burn. You know a casserole is done when the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is toasted and golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, thyme, chives, or other herbs for a bright, colorful touch at the end.
- Swap out the frozen broccoli florets for fresh broccoli or cauliflower florets. Cook the fresh vegetables in boiling water for 2 minutes (or steam in the microwave) until they’re crisp-tender before adding them to the dish.
- Instead of cream of chicken soup, try a different flavor of condensed soup.
- If you don’t have Ritz crackers in your pantry, try a buttered panko breadcrumb topping, buttered Corn Flakes, or crushed potato chips.
- Instead of the broccoli, add frozen peas, frozen mixed vegetables, corn, steamed green beans or asparagus, diced pimientos, or sautéed mushrooms to the casserole. Garlic would also be a nice addition — just add it to the skillet with the celery and onion.
- Stir slivered almonds into the filling for nice crunch.
- Try other types of cheese instead of cheddar. Good options include Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Swiss, and American.
- To serve a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan.
I didn’t have broccoli or celery so I made it without and just put green beans and crescent rolls on the side. This turned out super yummy and it was easy. Thank you!!
We’re glad you were able to make it work for you, Christy!
This was FANTASTIC!!!! I used cream of mushroom soup and fresh broccoli. I will definitely be making this again!
Thank you, Kaitlynn! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.