Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice features bites of tender chicken breasts, a medley of veggies, a creamy, cheesy sauce and perfectly cooked white rice. It’s an easy dinner recipe that the whole family loves!
Enjoy more of my favorite Crockpot chicken recipes like Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs, Crockpot Creamy Garlic Chicken and Crockpot Tuscan Chicken.
Table of Contents
- Why we love this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipe:
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Ingredients:
- How to make Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to store Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
- Can I freeze Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice?
- Serving suggestions:
- More Crockpot Recipes You’ll Love!
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice recipe Recipe
This Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice recipe is easy, cheesy, and loaded with veggies, fiber and protein for a complete dinner that the kids will love, too! Don’t you love a nutritious meal that your kids will actually love?
Another thing I love? That there are no extra pots or dishes. A cutting board and a slow cooker is about all you need here, and I’ve given you a few ideas below for how to make this even easier (with even less dishes!).
You can also customize this easy Crockpot recipe in a number of different ways to make it best fit the needs of your family. Just scroll down to my variations section to see what might work out for you!
Why we love this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipe:
- Easy: You only need 15 minutes of prep work to make this easy slow cooker recipe!
- Sneaky Veggies: Carrots, roasted red peppers and peas add a nice pop of color and fresh flavor to the chicken and rice.
- One Pot Dinner: Everything comes together in your Crockpot with just a few simple steps.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Ingredients:
- Chicken Breasts: I prefer to cook these whole in the slow cooker as they don’t dry out as quickly. You can chop them first and add raw, chopped chicken to the rice and it will easily cook with the rest of the ingredients, or you can use pre-cooked Crockpot Shredded Chicken or chopped leftover Air Fryer Chicken Breast and stir it in with the cheese and cream.
- Chicken Broth: Use low-sodium chicken broth and add more salt if needed.
- Parmesan: Freshly shredded parmesan cheese will create the very best flavor and consistency.
- White Rice: Don’t swap this with brown rice! Brown rice requires a longer cooking time. (Originally, this recipe used instant rice and you can find a link to the old recipe down in the recipe card).
- Onion: A white or yellow onion will both get the job done.
- Cream: Heavy cream will give you the thickest, creamiest results. You can use a lighter cream, just note that your cheesy sauce won’t be as thick.
- Garlic: Add more or less to taste.
- Veggies: I use a medley of carrots, roasted red pepper and peas for this easy recipe! You can switch that up with other veggies if preferred
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt and pepper is all you need! You can of course add whatever other seasonings sound good to you.
How to make Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Make the best Crockpot chicken and rice with veggies every time with this easy recipe! For more detailed step by step instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Rinse rice well and add the rice, broth, carrots, onion, red peppers, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.
- Add chicken breasts and cook until cooked through.
- Remove chicken and place on a cutting board. Chop or shred chicken and set aside.
- When the rice is cooked, stir in the chopped chicken, cheese, peas, and half and half.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chicken: Feel free to use leftover chicken breasts that are already cooked, like leftover Slow Cooker Chicken Breast or Instant Pot Shredded Chicken! Just mix it in with the cheese and cream. You can also use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you prefer (just take the skin off first!).
- Vegetables: This is an easy recipe to swap in the vegetables you have and enjoy, so feel free to clean out the fridge! Firmer vegetables get added at the beginning of the cook time, and softer or frozen vegetables get added at the end.
- Spice it up: though it has loads of flavor, this recipe doesn’t have a lot of spice. Feel free to add in a ¼ teaspoon of red chili flakes for extra kick.
How to store Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Store any leftovers you have in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To reheat, just add a splash of broth or water and pop individual servings in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time it stops, until warmed all the way through.
Can I freeze Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice?
Sure thing! Just let the chicken and rice fully cool to room temperature prior to freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, simply let it defrost in the fridge for a few hours until you’re ready to reheat it.
Serving suggestions:
The beauty of chicken and rice is that it’s an entire meal all by itself! There’s carbs, protein and veggies in every bite. Of course, you can always double down on the veggies by plating it next to some Cheesy Baked Asparagus, Roasted Carrots or Roasted Green Beans!
More Crockpot Recipes You’ll Love!
- Crockpot Pulled Pork — my favorite any time of the year meal.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Rice Soup — a cozy classic!
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings — more chicken and veg comfort food!
- See all of my Slow Cooker Recipes here, or our favorite Easy Crockpot Meals here.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1½ cups long grain white rice
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 large carrots (peeled and finely diced)
- ¼ cup onion (finely diced)
- ½ cup roasted red peppers (store-bought, chopped)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup half and half
Instructions
- Lightly grease 4-5 quart slow cooker. Rinse rice well and drain completely.
- In the slow cooker, stir together the rice, broth, carrots, onion, red peppers, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken breasts(whole), cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours (if your slow cooker cooks on the hot side, check it sooner, if it cooks on the low side, it may take longer. They are all different!)
- Remove chicken and test the rice. If rice is not yet al dente, add a splash of broth if it has all absorbed, cover and continue cooking, checking every 15-20 minutes.
- Remove chicken and place on a cutting board. Chop or shred chicken and set aside.
- When the rice is cooked, stir in the chopped chicken, cheese, peas, and half and half.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Notes
- Vegetables: this is an easy recipe to swap in the vegetables you have and enjoy, so feel free to clean out the fridge! Firmer vegetables get added at the beginning of the cook time, and softer or frozen vegetables get added at the end.
- Chicken breasts: I prefer to cook these whole in the slow cooker as they don’t dry out as quickly. You can chop them first and add raw, chopped chicken to the rice and it will easily cook with the rest of the ingredients, or you can use pre-cooked Crockpot Shredded Chicken or chopped leftover Air Fryer Chicken Breast and stir it in with the cheese and cream.
Nutrition Information
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Marsha Gainey says
I made the original recipe with instant brown rice, and it was divine! It made a lot. I had lots of leftovers. I took it to work and was eating it in the break room after I had reheated it, and a coworker came in the breakroom and asked what I was eating because it smelled great. By crockpot standards, it was fast because I cooked it on high for two hours. Will def make again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Marsha! You can definitely still use instant rice.
Jacky Maccy says
Hi I found your site today and I have made this, thankfully mine was absolutely delicious and everything was cooked to perfection, I pretty much doubled the recipe and added loads of sliced frozen peppers and sliced carrots and onions which I grew in my garden last year and froze them.
I am from the UK so never used ‘Heavy Cream’ I used Elmlea cream, I monitored the fluid intake and added more when I felt it needed more, I now have 10 meals to put in the freezer and my husband and I had a portion tonight and I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you so much
Jacky
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jacky! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Liz K says
Wish I had read the reviews. I followed exactly for 2.5 hours in the crockpot and the result was mush. Tried to loosen it with chicken broth but it didn’t help.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Liz! It would be unusual for long grain rice to become mush in 2.5 hours. It’s possible that your slow cooker cooks very hot, or maybe you use a different kind of rice.
Rod says
Not sure what I did incorrectly but this recipe was a disaster for me. Not only was the rice not cooked after 5 hours on low but then when I turned to high, after an hour, everything turned to mush. Didn’t attempt to try it. Only writing this, so other people can have a back up plan just in case it doesn’t go well for them either.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Rod! I’m sorry to hear that! Unfortunately rice in the slow cooker, like pasta, requires a bit of babysitting at the end to get the doneness just right. One hour on high is equivalent to 2 hours on low, so I wouldn’t recommend adding two more hours to the cook time without testing for doneness in that time.
Anita says
You could also cook rice separate and add it in at the end. I do this with pasta dinners also. I cook the pasta separately and add it in the end
Rebecca says
I absolutely LOVE this dish- it has become a staple. However the first time I forgot to add the Italian Seasoning and the rice did not cook in 2.5 hours – I know now to leave this on high for at least 3 – 3.5 hours and it comes out perfect every time. I also didn’t have half and half so just used a quarter cup heavy cream – super yum! The second time I made it I followed the recipe exactly and preferred it the first way (without the Italian seasoning). So now I just add two vegetable bullion cubes, a couple teaspoons garlic salt, salt and pepper and it’s perfect …and leave it in for 3.5 hoursish….
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Rebecca!
Kaitlyn says
After 2.5 hours on high the meal was mush. All the moisture had been absorbed. The flavour was good but the texture was not! It looks like there are several variations of this recipe available with different cooking methods so I will try another way next time!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kaitlyn! Unfortunately all slow cookers cook at a slightly different temperature, so it’s important to adjust the cook times as needed.
Shane says
I cooked this on low for three hours and the rice came out completely mushy. I highly recommend cooking the rice separately and add to your bowls.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Shane! Unfortunately the cook temperature of slow cookers varies so much that cook times are unpredictable — I recommend checking at the shortest cook time and adding time as needed.
Laura says
Flavors were excellent. Chicken was dry. Rice was mushy at best. Not sure what went wrong, but next time will reduce cooking time a bit. Also will cook rice separately, and add at the same time as the other remaining ingredients.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Laura! I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you! Can I ask what kind of rice you used? Cooking the chicken breasts whole usually prevents them from drying out.
Claire says
I had the opposite issue with this recipe. Really mushy rice and rock hard carrots. Not sure went wrong. I will be the only one eating this☹️
Patricia says
Sadly, despite being in the cock pot for two hours after the initial 2.5 hours, rice is still rock solid
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Patricia! I’m so sorry to hear that! It’s tough to say what might have gone wrong, unfortunately there is a big difference in the cooking temperature of each slow cooker so giving an exact cook time is difficult.
Chloe Patterson says
What is half and half?
The Recipe Rebel says
It’s a type of cream, along the lines of heavy cream, it has equal parts whole milk and cream.
Laura M says
The base recipe is excellent. The roasted red peppers really add some good flavor. Because of other comments about the rice not being done, I cooked it separately & added at the very end. Instead of the cheese and milk, I made a 1/2 cup of flour slurry with chicken broth with a couple dashes of hot sauce. It could have been thicker but I didn’t want the cheese. It was delicious. Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Laura!
Kristin says
Same! Very disappointing! Well eat anyway as to not waste food but I’d never make this again.
Laura says
I enjoyed this recipe. I thought it was very tasty, however the rice did not cook all the way and I even added extra liquid because I feared this would be the case. I’m not sure how others were about to make it work.
Heather says
I have to say, I was excited to try this recipe due to the amount of veggies involved, plus the cheese and the CROCKPOT! The bummer is, although it was extremely easy, the taste was not good. I am sure that Beth is a fabulous cook, but for us, the leftovers ended up in the trash. I’m sorry, Beth. I’m just trying to help a sister out. I will certainly try some of your other recipes.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Heather. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
Sharon says
I have not yet tried this recipe, but I have cooked similar recipes with great success. I always season my chicken liberally with onion, garlic and a lot of poultry seasoning, and, of course, salt and pepper. I use these seasonings anytime I cook chicken. I will try this recipe soon.
Marina says
Tried this for dinner tonight and it ended up not having very much flavor. I think next time I’ll add more seasoning and then also put seasoning on top of the chicken after placing it in the crock pot. But all around, still a great chicken and rice recipe!! I will definitely be making it again. 😊
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Marina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback!
Beth says
Definitely tasty, but this took way longer than 2.5 hours and I used instant rice! The chicken took about 3.5 hours on high. I followed your recipe to a T, but it ended up taking more like 40 minutes for the rice alone and it was still kinda chewy. Next time I’ll just cook the rice separately and toss it in.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Beth! Glad it was tasty!
Marlan Harris says
I made this tonight, exactly as it says. The rice was in for 30 minutes, like it says, and did not cool. The flavor was fine but it was like eating little rocks in it. Probably the biggest failure in a recipe I’ve had in a while. I should have done Marry Me Chicken.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Marlan. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
PH says
I’m making this right now. I was wondering, do you think it would be good with some Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup with it instead of the milk and cheese? Just curious if anyone has tried that.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi PH! I feel like this version is better, but would love to know how it turns out if you experiment.
Vicki says
What is a serving size?
The Recipe Rebel says
It’s 1/6 of the recipe.
Emma says
Hi – we have found your recipe and can’t wait to try it! Quick question, can we use plain white rice instead of instant rice? We are in UK, any recommendations on how much longer we would need to put it in for?
Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Emma! I haven’t tried it myself but another reader did this: “I used Jasmine rice because it’s all we had on hand. Just added approx 1/2cup of water and cooked for about 10-15 minutes longer.” If you end up trying it this way, I’d love to know how it comes out!
B.F. says
I certainly know that fresh is preferred, but can I use frozen chicken?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi B.F.! I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen chicken so I can’t say for sure.
Courtney says
I tried regular rice with the 1/2 cup of water and additional 15min but sadly it did not cook the rice. Tried doing another extra 15 when adding the chicken & almond milk at the end but still did not cook the rice. I would just suggest if all you have is non-instant, make that separate and add it in before serving.
Also to the commenter from a month ago asking about using frozen chicken. I had to use only partially thawed chicken due to time constraints & added an extra 30min to make sure it was cooked fully. It was pull-apart tender when I went to cut it
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback about the frozen chicken Courtney!
Fran LaMantia says
It was delicious! My 7 year old son gobbled it down. Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Fran! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!