Easy chicken and rice recipe is simple to put together right in the casserole dish you bake it in with two packages of Knorr's rice, cream of chicken soup, and bone-in chicken legs and thighs. This dish does take a while to bake, so you don't want to start making it late in the day, but man was this chicken and rice recipe so easy and so good. My family eats this chicken and rice or the Mexican chicken and rice recipe on the regular.
I love me some chicken and rice. Back when Cris and I did double momma freeze-o-rama, I made some chicken and rice. Of course, I couldn’t find a recipe to meet my needs, so I made it up. I have also made this recipe with mixed vegetables and also with broccoli.
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Ingredients for Chicken and Rice
To make this super easy chicken and rice casserole you will want the following ingredients:
- Chicken pieces—We recommend bone-in chicken, but boneless will work, too. To make this recipe cook even faster, use diced chicken pieces or shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Chicken Rice Packets - Knorr Chicken Rice Packets work perfectly. Any brand will work for this recipe. You can also substitute long-grain white rice or long-grain brown rice.
- Cream of chicken soup
- Chicken Broth - If you don't have chicken broth, use a combination of water and Better than Bouillon
- Garlic Salt and Pepper Blend
- Paprika
- Broccoli - Frozen Broccoli is our favorite in this chicken and rice casserole, but any type of vegetable can work including frozen peas or green beans.
How to Make Easy Chicken and Rice with Knorr Rice
To start making this easy chicken and rice casserole recipe, begin by dumping the packets of Knorr chicken rice in the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish that is greased.
Since the Knorr rice mixture comes seasoned, I don't actually season the rice combination at all. I mix together the cans of cream of chicken soup, chicken Better than Bouillon, and water. Pour over the rice. Then pour the vegetables you are using over the soup. In this version of chicken and rice, I used chopped-up fresh broccoli.
Stir the rice to combine with the soup and vegetables. Then, season the chicken generously with garlic salt and pepper then sprinkle with paprika. Arrange chicken thighs and chicken legs on top of the rice mixture.
Cover and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer. The chicken needs to be cooked until an internal 165° temperature.
Casserole Essential Equipment
The tools and ingredients you need to make quick and easy casseroles like this baked pork chops and rice casserole can be found in my Amazon storefront's casserole list. Be sure to check it out.
Variations to TikTok Chicken and Rice Recipe
Here are some tasty variations you could try with the TikTok chicken broccoli and rice casserole recipe:
Protein Swaps
- Use cooked turkey or ham instead of chicken
- Substitute pork chops for a great pork chop casserole recipe
- Make it vegetarian by omitting the meat and using veggie broth
- Use a meat alternative like plant-based chicken
Grain/Veggie Swaps
- Swap the Knorr's rice package for white rice, brown rice or cooked quinoa, farro, or another grain
- Use riced cauliflower or broccoli rice instead of regular rice
- Add in other veggies like mushrooms, frozen peas, carrots, etc.
Cheese Variations
- Add cheese like pepper jack, Swiss, smoked gouda, etc.
- Add cream cheese or sour cream for extra creaminess
Flavor Boosters
- Mix in pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, or roasted red peppers
- Add a kick with red pepper flakes, cayenne, or diced jalapeños
- Stir in ranch seasoning or packet of ranch dressing mix
- Add freshly grated nutmeg or a squeeze of lemon juice
Topping Ideas
- Buttery breadcrumb or crushed cracker topping
- Extra shredded cheese and parmesan
- Crispy fried onions or shallots
- Crumbled bacon
You could also bake it in individual ramekins for fun single-serving portions. The possibilities are endless to customize this viral TikTok casserole to your taste preferences. Get creative with add-ins, seasonings, cheeses, and toppings!
Tips for Making Chicken and Rice
- Can this be frozen? YES! I froze this for a month and pulled it out the day before I planned on making it.
- What if I don't like broccoli? You can totally substitute peas and carrot, green beans, or just leave vegetables out altogether.
- Can boneless chicken breast or thighs be substituted? Absolutely! They may not need quite as long to bake.
Easy Rice Casserole Recipes
- Easy Beef Cube Steak Stroganoff: Gluten-Free & Low-Carb Comfort Food
- Mushroom Risotto
- Arroz Con Carne Molida Recipe - Mexican Rice with Ground Beef Skillet
- Arroz con Carne Asada: Mexican Rice, Steak, and Queso
๐ Recipe
Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 8 pieces bone-in chicken pieces - chicken breast, chicken legs and/or thighs
- 2 packages Knorr Chicken Flavored Rice
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 1 tablespoon chicken Better than Bouillon
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°.
- Spray a rectangle casserole dish with cooking spray. Dump the two packages of rice into the dish, spreading them out evenly across the bottom.
- Blend soup, Better than Bouillon and water together and dump over the rice. Pour the cut up broccoli over the top. Stir the soup, rice, and broccoli together.
- Season the chicken pieces with garlic salt and pepper and paprika. Lay chicken pieces over the rice.
- Bake covered for 60 minutes. Then finish cooking for another 30 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°.
Nutrition
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ann
You are making me hungry I loved baked rice
Cris Goode
Yum! Half of my Double Mama meals are still in the freezer because we have been grilling so much. Can't wait to get my mix n chop to be ready for the next freezer day though!
Lana
Yum! Now I need to go eat breakfast!
Jane @ Going Jane
Sounds yummy, Leah! ๐
Heather @ 3 kids and lots of pigs
I don't like peas and I'm not a fan of cooked carrots too much either, but this looks really good.