This crockpot chicken and rice is a cozy, comforting meal that has incredible flavor and perfectly juicy chicken thighs. You’re going to love it for easy, but delicious weeknight dinners. This chicken and rice crockpot recipe is a similar version of my chicken and potato recipe, but the potatoes are swapped for rice! Same cozy and delicious seasonings and same easy and minimal prep to make it all happen. Serve the slow cooker chicken and rice with easy veggies like haricot verts (green beans) or frozen broccoli for a balanced meal that’s both delicious and nutritious.
This crock pot chicken recipe is a bit different than many creamy rice casserole dishes that are made with cream of chicken soup and shredded cheddar cheese. They are delicious, but different. 🙂 This version is made with rotisserie chicken spices and cooked with chicken bone broth for a lighter meal that still has incredible flavor and richness.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
- What You'll Love About Crockpot Chicken and Rice
- Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken and Rice in the Crockpot
- FAQs
- Storage Instructions
- What to Serve with Chicken and Rice Crockpot Recipe
- How to Feed Easy Crockpot Chicken and Rice to the Whole Family
- Want More?
- More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Let me Meal Plan for you!
What You’ll Love About Crockpot Chicken and Rice
- Cozy, comforting, and nutritious
- Takes just 10 minutes to prep
- Only 3-4 hours cook time (hands-off)
- Made with simple ingredients
- Balanced meal, just add a veggie side
- Tender, juicy chicken thighs
- Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free
Ingredients
- Chicken – This slow cooker chicken and rice is made with chicken thighs for best flavor. Look for chicken thighs that are bone-in and skin-on. You can trim off excess skin if you prefer. You could also use chicken breasts if you wanted a leaner cut of meat, but you’ll be missing out on some flavor.
- Rice – Use a long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati. Do not use an instant cooking rice as it will get mushy if it’s cooked for too long. White rice is preferred, but brown rice can be used, but the cooking time might need to be adjusted.
- Spices – Sea salt, black pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
- Broth – I prefer to use a chicken bone broth for the best flavor and a protein boost for the rice. You could also use chicken or vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Oil – Use a neutral vegetable oil like canola or avocado for searing the chicken. You can also skip the oil if you prefer, as the chicken has enough naturally occurring fat that it won’t stick on a nonstick pan.
- Butter – Use a high-quality butter for best flavor. The butter here is purely for adding rich and delicious flavor.
How to Make Chicken and Rice in the Crockpot
This is an overview on how to make slow cooker chicken and rice, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
FAQs
Is this chicken and rice crockpot recipe healthy?
This question can be answered in so many ways. Are you vegetarian? Then no, I wouldn’t recommend this crock pot recipe. Do you aim to include carbohydrates, protein, and flavor in meals? Then yes, it’s a balanced meal that is a great source of protein, carbohydrates, and flavor. Add a veggie side (ideas below!) for a complete meal. You’ll find the estimated nutrition facts below the recipe card.
Why does the chicken need to be cooked until 185 degrees F?
Technically, chicken is safe to eat with an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, but cooking a fattier cut like chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks to 185 degrees F allows the higher fat and collagen content in thighs get a chance to “baste” the white meat, which makes it super juicy, tender, and flavorful. Once I learned this trick, I’ve never looked back!
Can I add veggies to this crock pot chicken meal?
While I absolutely love adding veggies to meals (and think you should!), I have not added any into the slow cooking process as I think they are so easily overcooked. If you really wanted to add some, you could add vegetables like carrots, celery, onions, or garlic and then remove them before serving if they are too mushy. They will impart delicious flavor to the dish.
Storage Instructions
Store crockpot rice and chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How to reheat
Reheat rice and chicken in a hot skillet or 350 degrees F oven for best results. You can also microwave your leftovers if you prefer, but the chicken skin won’t be crispy. Be careful to not overcook the chicken or it will dry out.
Can you freeze chicken and rice?
Yes, you can freeze the chicken and rice in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Let thaw overnight before reheating.
What to Serve with Chicken and Rice Crockpot Recipe
All this crockpot chicken and rice recipe needs is a veggie side. Serve with your favorite veggie or side salad or try one of these easy vegetable sides:
How to Feed Easy Crockpot Chicken and Rice to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.
I would recommend serving the crockpot chicken thighs and rice in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
If you like this healthy crockpot chicken and rice, you might also like some of these other easy slow cooker chicken recipes:
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy with Noodles
- Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff
- Crockpot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
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Crockpot Chicken and Rice Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
Description
This crockpot chicken and rice is a cozy, comforting meal that has incredible flavor and perfectly juicy chicken thighs. Just 10 minutes prep.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
- 2 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs (about 6 skin-on, bone-in thighs), trimmed of excess fat
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 2 cups chicken bone broth
- 2 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Prep ingredients:
Mix together chicken seasoning. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon sea salt, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Season chicken on both sides with remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. - Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken, skin side down first for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Cook in batches if necessary.
- While chicken is searing, place rice in the bottom of 6 qt. slow cooker. Stir in chicken broth, and half of the dried seasoning mix.
- Add chicken and any juices from the pan over the rice mixture in a single layer (skin side up) and sprinkle with the remaining chicken seasoning mix. Top chicken with thinly sliced pieces of butter.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees F and rice is tender.
Equipment
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Keywords: crockpot chicken and rice, chicken and rice crockpot, chicken and rice crockpot recipe, slow cooker chicken and rice
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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