Easy Crockpot Chicken And Rice Recipe

I’m sharing my creamy crock pot chicken and rice and the one simple trick I use to get perfectly tender rice in this Crockpot Chicken With Rice.

Creamy crock pot chicken and rice is one of those family-friendly meals makes busy weeknight dinners easy and delicious! No one turns down comfort food after a long day!

I love how tender boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs get in the slow cooker and how a bit of cream cheese stirred in at the end turns everything silky. It never fails to surprise me, like how something so simple can feel a little fancy.

Youd be surprised how often I reach for it. It belongs in every roundup of Chicken And Rice Crock Pot Meals and sits high on my Chicken Comfort Food Recipes Crock Pot list.

Ingredients

• Packed with protein, helps keep you full, adds savory flavor and tender texture.
• Carb source that bulks the dish, mild taste low fiber compared to brown.
• Creamy base, adds richness and sodium, quick shortcut for homemade sauce its handy.
• Adds savory depth, hydrates rice while cooking, choose low sodium if watching salt.
• Makes sauce silky and creamy, boosts fat content and mouth feel, its very rich.
• Gives color, a bit of sweetness, vitamins and fiber, small veggie boost.
• Aromatics that build flavor depth, garlic pungent, onion sweet when softened.
• Butter and cream: Fat adds richness and smoothness, helps mouthfeel and carries flavors better.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 can 10.5 oz condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water

How to Make this

1. Dice the onion and mince the garlic, let the cream cheese sit at room temp so it softens a bit.

2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion until soft about 3-4 minutes, add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more, then turn off the heat.

3. In a bowl whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, milk, softened cream cheese, dried thyme, dried parsley, salt and pepper until mostly smooth; stir in the cooked onion and garlic.

4. Lightly grease the crockpot with a little butter or spray, spread the uncooked long grain rice in an even layer on the bottom and scatter the frozen peas and carrots over the rice.

5. Place the 2 lb chicken breasts or thighs on top of the rice/veg, pour the soup and broth mixture evenly over everything so the rice is submerged as much as possible.

6. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for
1.5 to
2.5 hours, check at the shorter time so the rice doesnt get mushy; chicken should reach 165 F and rice should be tender.

7. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred or chop it, then return the chicken to the crockpot and stir everything together gently.

8. Make a slurry by mixing the 2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water until smooth, stir the slurry into the crockpot, then cook on high another 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.

9. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed, give it one final stir and serve warm.

Equipment Needed

1. 6-quart slow cooker or crockpot (big enough for 2 lb chicken)
2. 10 to 12 inch skillet for sautéing the onion and garlic
3. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife for dicing and chopping
4. Large mixing bowl and a whisk to blend the soup, cream cheese and liquids
5. Measuring cups and spoons, including a liquid measuring cup for the broth and milk
6. Tongs or a slotted spoon to lift the chicken out and to stir gently
7. Rubber spatula or large spoon to scrape the bowl and spread the rice evenly
8. Instant read thermometer to check the chicken hits 165 F
9. Small bowl and fork to make the cornstarch slurry, plus a ladle to pour the sauce over everything

FAQ

Easy Crockpot Chicken And Rice Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken (2 lb boneless skinless breasts or thighs): rotisserie chicken shredded for a quicker, hands-off version (add near the end so rice doesn’t overcook), bone-in thighs or drumsticks if you dont mind longer cook time and a bit more flavor, or turkey breast cut in chunks — same weight roughly, but watch internal temp.
• Long grain white rice (1 cup uncooked): jasmine or basmati as a 1:1 swap for similar texture, quick-cook or instant rice if you want faster finish (add later in cook), brown rice only if you pre-cook it or use 1.5x liquid and much longer time since it needs more heat than typical crockpot cycles.
• Condensed cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz): condensed cream of mushroom or cream of celery straight across, or make a quick substitute with 1 cup milk, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour and 1 tsp chicken bouillon simmered until thick — yields about same creaminess and sodium.
• Cream cheese (4 oz): mascarpone for an even richer, silkier finish, full-fat Greek yogurt (use 1:1 but stir in at end and expect a slight tang), or sour cream (same amount, add gently so it doesnt break).

Pro Tips

– Soften and cut the cream cheese into small cubes before you mix it, or zap it in the microwave 10 to 15 seconds. then whisk it really well or run an immersion blender through the sauce so you dont get weird little chunks. it makes the sauce silky instead of lumpy.

– If you want extra flavor, quickly sear the chicken in a hot pan 1 to 2 minutes per side until browned, dont cook it through. that brown crust adds tons of depth, and you wont lose much time but the dish will taste way less bland.

– Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear to wash off excess starch, this helps keep the rice from turning gluey. also check the pot earlier than you think, especially on high heat, rice can go from perfect to mush fast.

– Brighten and fix texture at the end: taste before you over salt, then add a squeeze of lemon or a splash of white vinegar and chopped fresh parsley to cut the richness. if it gets too thick after chilling, stir in a little hot broth or milk when reheating to loosen it back up.