Crockpot chicken and rice is an easy, fuss free one pot dinner, and a great option for quick weeknight meals. Chicken breasts, brown rice and vegetables are cooked together to create a simple, but flavorful dish.
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You can't beat the convenience of a one pot slow cooker meal, and this slow cooker rice and chicken is a great addition to your meal plans for busy weeks.
We use lean chicken breasts, whole grain brown rice, and vegetables, to keep the dish healthy and low calorie, but it's still filling and full of flavor. You can also easily customize the recipe by using your favorite vegetables or seasoning.
If you're looking for a quicker version of this recipe, you will love my Instant Pot Chicken and Rice!
Why you'll love it
- Quick and easy one pot dinner
- Easy to customize with your favorite vegetables
- Kid friendly recipe
- Great option for meal prep
- Gluten free, nut free and low fat
🥘 More SLOW COOKER RECIPES from Hint of Healthy
Ingredients
Brown rice: Use whole grain brown rice. Rice tends to become a little mushy in the Crock pot, but brown rice hold together better than white rice. Don't substitute for white rice, instant rice, or any other type of rice, as these require different water ratios and cooking times.
Carrots: Fresh or frozen carrots work, either sliced or diced.
Chicken stock: Use any chicken broth. You can also use hot water and a bouillon cube.
Chicken: I prefer chicken breasts, but boneless skinless chicken thighs also work well. If you want to use frozen chicken, you will have to thaw it first.
Celery: Optional, but adds a great flavor.
Onion: White, red or yellow onions all work. You can also use shallots.
Garlic: Use garlic cloves or garlic paste.
Seasoning: Salt, pepper, and dried herbs add a lot of flavor to the dish. I use dried oregano, dried thyme and dried parsley, but you can use other herbs or spices if you prefer.
Mustard: Dijon mustard adds flavor. You can also use mustard powder, yellow mustard, or omit this ingredient if needed.
Frozen peas: Thaw them before use, and discard excess water. Alternatively, use drained canned peas.
Parmesan: Optional, but delicious!
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Add brown rice, diced carrots, Dijon mustard, diced onions, grated garlic, diced celery and seasoning to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Two: Pour over chicken broth and seasoning, and place the chicken breasts on top. Don't stir. Cover with a lid, and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked. Then, remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker, and shred or dice the meat. Leave it to rest on the side. Continue to cook the rice and vegetables for a further 30-90 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. The exact cooking time can vary depending on your slow cooker.
Three: Add the peas, Parmesan, and shredded chicken to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. The peas and Parmesan will quickly warm up. Add any seasoning to taste, and serve.
The exact cooking time required can vary depending on your slow cooker. Keep an eye on the dish, and serve as soon as the rice is cooked.
Top tips
- Keep an eye on the dish. The exact cooking time can vary depending on the make and model of your slow cooker, and the size of the chicken breasts.
- Avoid overcooking the rice, or it will be extremely mushy.
- Be aware that slow cooked rice will have a mushy texture. It works well in this recipe.
- The exact amount of liquid needed will vary depending on the quality and water content of your chicken. If you think the rice is too mushy, you can use less chicken stock next time.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker when cooked, and leave it somewhere warm while the rice finishes cooking. This prevents the meat from becoming dry.
- Avoid removing the lid from the slow cooker more than necessary, as this could increase the required cooking time.
- Make sure to use long brown rice. Other types of rice will not work in this recipe.
Serving suggestions
Crockpot chicken and rice is a fantastic meal for dinner or lunch. It can be served on its own, or enjoyed with side dishes. I like to serve it with a vegetable side, which makes the meal filling, healthy and nutritious.
Here are some of my favorite sides to serve with it:
- Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Spicy Roasted Carrots
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Beetroot and Feta Salad
Rice tends to be quite mushy when cooked in the slow cooker. We still like it! I prefer to use brown rice, as it holds together a little better than white rice.
Variations
Other vegetables: Feel free to add extra vegetables, or replace the vegetables suggested. You can use frozen mixed vegetables, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach and more. Quick cooking vegetables should be added towards the end of the cooking time, while harder vegetables should be added from the start.
Other seasoning: You can vary this dish endlessly by changing up the seasoning. Use spice mixes like stew or casserole seasoning, ranch seasoning or Mexican seasoning. Or, you can add dried herbs like rosemary or basil, and spices like paprika, onion powder or cumin.
Dairy free: Omit the Parmesan.
Gluten free: Ensure that the ingredients are all labelled gluten free. Be particularly careful with the chicken broth, as both liquid broth and bouillon cubes can contain gluten, but the other ingredients are usually fine. You can find certified gluten free broth in most supermarkets.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need a 3 qt or 6 qt slow cooker or crockpot. You will also need a cutting board and a knife to dice the vegetables.
The chicken is removed from the slow cooker, and has to be left to rest while the dish finishes cooking. I like to place the chicken on a plate, and cover it with some aluminum foil to keep it warm before I add it back to the slow cooker.
Storage
Store leftover crockpot chicken rice casserole in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat the dish in a microwave, in a pot on the stove top, or even in a frying pan.
To ensure that the dish is stored safely, you should place any leftovers in the refrigerator as soon as the food has cooled down. Don't leave it sitting out at room temperature, as this could cause bacteria to develop.
Frequently asked questions
You can add more flavor to chicken and rice by cooking it in a flavorful chicken broth, by adding seasoning, and by adding flavorful vegetables with various textures.
Yes! You can absolutely cook rice in a slow cooker. Keep in mind that rice will take longer to cook than it would on the stove, and the texture might be a little more mushy.
If your rice is still hard, it means that your slow cooker simply needs more time than what's suggested in the recipe. Every slow cooker cooks different, so you might just have to leave it for a little longer.
If the rice is really mushy, it could mean that you've added too much liquid. It could also mean that your slow cooker cooks really hot. Every Crock pot cooks different, so you might have to reduce the cooking time to make sure that the rice stays tender.
You might also like these recipes
- Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Chicken
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 1 cup brown rice (don't use any other rice than regular long brown rice)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 2 cups diced carrots (2 medium carrots)
- ½ cup diced celery (2 celery sticks)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add brown rice, diced carrots, Dijon mustard, diced onions, grated garlic, diced celery and seasoning to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.1 cup brown rice, 3 garlic cloves, 1 onion, 2 cups diced carrots, ½ cup diced celery, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Pour over chicken broth and seasoning, and place the chicken breasts on top. Don't stir.1 pound chicken breasts, 3 cups chicken broth
- Cover with a lid, and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked.
- Then, remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker, and shred or dice the meat. Leave it to rest on the side. *
- Continue to cook the rice and vegetables for a further 30-90 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. The exact cooking time can vary depending on your slow cooker. *
- Add the peas, Parmesan, and shredded chicken to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. The peas and Parmesan will quickly warm up. Add any seasoning to taste, and serve.1 cup frozen peas, ¼ cup Parmesan
Video
Notes
- If possible, leave the chicken to rest on a plate covered with aluminum foil, or a place where it can stay warm.
- The exact cooking time required will vary depending on your slow cooker. I have tested this recipe in two different Crock pots. In one, the rice only needed an additional 30 minutes to finish cooking, and the other required over an hour. Keep an eye on the rice, and check it regularly to find the right cooking time for your exact slow cooker.
- Store any leftovers in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
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