This Slow Cooker Basil Chicken and Rice is a complete meal with tender chicken thighs, rice and plenty of basil.
This recipe is a spin off my mom’s oven recipe for basil rice. My mom makes a basil rice recipe that goes great with anything. She would brown rice and butter in a skillet, add dried basil, chicken broth, and rice and then finish it in the oven. I made her rice recipe a complete meal by adding chicken.
How to make Basil, Chicken and Rice:
For this recipe, I cook chicken, leeks, basil, butter and chicken broth for 6 hours. Then I stir in Minute Brand rice and put the lid back on and cook for about 25 minutes more. You may remember that I do not like conventional rice in the slow cooker, it gets gummy. Minute rice is parboiled then dried, so it doesn’t get gummy and it cooks fast.
The rice turns out perfectly fluffy and tastes amazing since it is flavored with the butter and broth the chicken has been cooking in. The thighs turn out moist and tender in this meal too!
I always looked forward to this rice when my mom was making it and this slow cooker recipe makes life easier with the chicken cooked with it. Have a great week!
Other great Chicken and Rice recipes:
- Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Slow Cooker One Pot Chicken Burrito Filling
- Slow Cooker No Peek Chicken
- Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
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Slow Cooker Basil Chicken and Rice
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 15 oz. can chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup diced leeks
- 3 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 cups white Minute rice ADD AT THE END
Instructions:
- Add the chicken, chicken broth, basil, salt, pepper and leeks to the slow cooker. Add the butter on top of the chicken, no need to melt it.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
- After the cooking time is done, remove the chicken onto a plate with a slotted spoon. Stir in the minute rice, Add the chicken into the rice. Cover and cook on LOW for 25 more minutes, or until the rice is tender.
- Serve and enjoy!
Could I do this in the instant pot?
I think you could. I wouldn’t pressure cook the rice at the end though. Just put the lid on until the rice puffs up.
I found this recipe to be good but pretty bland. The chicken was falling apart which was great but it just did not really have much flavor. I used instant rice and that works great (I asked about it but never got a response which is why I am mentioning it here).
Can I use instant rice? If so would I just cook rice for the 5 min it says on box instead of 25?
Very good! I didn’t think it could be so good with such few ingredients. The only thing I did differently was add chicken stock instead of chicken broth, only because that’s what I had in the fridge. This one’s a keeper for sure!
Can I cook on high instead of low? Waited to late to make it. I will be eating at 8pm if I cook on low
Yes will do fine
Looks amazing! I’ve been looking for a chicken & rice recipe that won’t leave the rice gummy. Can’t wait to make it.
Thoughts on using fresh basil? I have a basil plant that I need more recipes for! I know it’s more potent than dry… thinking of chopping up fresh and using a little less.
I think that should work fine! Sounds good.
Looks very yummy! Is it possible to substitute or do away with the butter, though? Would it dry out the chicken if I skipped the butter?
You can replace it with more broth.
Can you use whole grain brown basmati rice which normally enjoys long slow cooking. Also, it is better for you.
This looks really good! Could you use frozen chicken, if so how much longer?
Can you use boneless chicken breasts?
Yes!
Can split breasts be used instead of thighs
Yes, will work fine.
Will keep this recipe, due to can’t get any rice at the moment whilst mindless idiots are stock piling rice during the corona virus outbreak. X
I know! I’ve been surprised at how much money is being spent. Like, who knew Americans were holding out?
Joking, kinda.
Could you use Arborio rice? If so is the amount and time cooking the same?
Standard rice does not do well in the slow cooker, it gets gummy.
Hi
Would it be same measurements of ingredients if doing in a 3.5 quart slow cooker?
I think this recipe should work fine in a 3.5 quart. In the photos I see that the pot wasn’t even half full.