This Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice is easy, cheesy, and loaded with veggies, fiber and protein for a complete slow cooker dinner that the kids will love, too!
Recipe first shared on Spend With Pennies.
Back to school is nearly upon us so we’re busting out all the easy crockpot meals, and this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice is at the top of the list!
I’ll be honest, with 3 kids 6 and under I don’t have a lot of prep time for meals. They keep me on my toes (and the 9 month old keeps me chasing her around the house all day!), and if I can provide them with an easy, healthy meal that I didn’t have to spend a lot of time making? I’m down.
What I love about this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice is how easy it is to customize to your family’s tastes.
You can add in different veggies, different seasonings, different cheeses, and really make it your own (i.e., make it so that you know it won’t be a fight at dinnertime!).
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!).
It’s also naturally gluten-free (check your labels) and can pretty easily be made dairy free as well.
How to make Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice:
- First, we add the veggiess, low sodium chicken broth, seasoning and chicken breasts to the crockpot. You want to make sure your vegetables are chopped finely so that they cook in the same amount of time as the chicken (because nobody likes overcooked chicken!).
- Then we add the instant rice, and it soaks up all the extra liquid and cooks up nice and fluffy (so easy!).
- Lastly, we stir in a little milk and cheese to give it a touch of creaminess (and because my kids eat anything with cheese in it!).
How to make this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice your own:
- Try swapping out the vegetables for ones your family enjoys more: broccoli (add it with the rice at the end!), mushrooms, zucchini, corn, fresh peppers, etc.
- Use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you prefer (just take the skin off first!).
- Mix up the seasonings and cheeses to create something entirely new — especially fun if you’ve made it once as is, and now want to create a new variation to add to the recipe box!
Love easy slow cooker dinners? Try these!
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Honey Balsamic Glaze
- Slow Cooker Beef Beef Barley Soup
- Honey Balsamic Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 large carrots peeled and finely diced
- 1/2 onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups instant brown rice
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a 3-4 quart slow cooker, stir together the broth, carrots, onion, red peppers, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken breasts, and cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
- When chicken is cooked, remove and place on a cutting board.
- Stir in the peas and rice to the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.
- When chicken is cool enough to handle, slice thinly.
- After 15 minutes, stir the chicken, milk, and cheese into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 15 more minutes, until cheese is melted and rice is tender. Serve.
Nutrition Information
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Madison Soto says
Do I need to cook this before freezing? Or can I put the ingredients in a freezer bag before they’re cooked?
Ashley Fehr says
I would probably cook and then freeze
Sheila says
Hi! This looks great? How would you change it for cooking in the Instant Pot?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t tested it in the Instant Pot so I can’t say for sure.
Chris says
Could you use frozen chicken?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen chicken so I can’t say for sure.
Des says
Hi! I only have 6 quart slow cooker.. would that change anything?
Ashley Fehr says
It may just cook a little quicker since it is not as full
Meg says
I am interested in trying it with quinoa – curious about how to change the cook times if I do
Ashley Fehr says
Sorry, I’ve never tried this recipe with quinoa so I can’t say for sure!
Allison says
How would I use normal rice?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t tested this recipe with long grain rice yet, so I can’t say
Tamikia Samford says
How would I cook this if I have a package of already cooked shredded chicken?
Ashley Fehr says
You could probably add it in at the beginning of the cook time but I would wait until the last hour or so so it doesn’t get overcooked
Robin says
This recipe looks great! I usually make a big batch of shredded chicken on the weekend and then use it for quick cooking throughout the week. Could I use it in this recipe? How would it alter cooking time if the chicken is already cooked?
Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes definitely! You wouldn’t change the cook time at all 🙂
Sally McMurray says
Thank you so much. I was wondering about the
Sally McMurray says
Sorry for the cut off. I was just wondering the same thing as the original poster and just wanted to thank you for your help in your response.
Ashley Fehr says
No problem Sally!
Tammy VanSant says
Hi Ashley! I made this meal tonight for this week.. loving the idea.. one question.. I put the 1/2 cup res peppers and it is really hot… I tried watering it down, putting brown sugar in it.. and she is still spicy!! I can handle it I think, but was that supposed to be half cup peppers?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Tammy! Roasted red peppers are not spicy at all. I would make sure you are using roasted red peppers and then you shouldn’t have any problem!
Raegan Dyck says
We’ve made this a couple times now and we double the recipe for our family of 4 big eaters; with lots of leftovers for lunches. It’s great to have when you get home from hockey.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m happy to hear that Raegan!
Jonathan Murray says
Did you have to adjust the cook time if you double the recipe?
Ashley Fehr says
It may take a little longer to cook if your slow cooker is very full. If you use a larger slow cooker, it would take about the same amount of time
Coleen says
Don’t have chicken broth can I use water? If yes how much should I use?
Ashley Fehr says
You can definitely use water but you may need to increase the seasoning as the broth adds lots of flavor
Georgina Bailey says
Hi
I’m front the Uk. When you say instant rice, what are the instructions to book? We have microwaveable rice that you put in microwave for 2 minutes, but I don’t think this is what you’re referring to. Would it be the quick cook rice (takes 5mins)? Thanks
Ashley Fehr says
Our instant rice takes about 5 minutes on the stove. I hope that helps!
Claire says
Can this be frozen easily? If so, do you have any tips for freezing and/or warming?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes! Rice freezes extremely well. I would package it in freezer packs, squish it into a thin layer and freeze flat. Then thawing will be a breeze — just leave out at room temperature for a few hours and toss into a skillet with a splash of water.