This Slow Cooker Basil Chicken and Rice is a complete meal with tender chicken thighs, rice, and plenty of basil. Try this recipe tonight to put an easy weeknight dinner on the table.
Basil adds such a wonderful flavor to meals, just like in my Slow Cooker Puttanesca Sauce – a must-try for your next pasta dish.
Why this recipe works
This recipe is a spin on 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 and easier by using the crock pot.
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 preboiled and 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! Your whole family is sure to enjoy this meal. Don’t forget to check the bottom of this page for more chicken recipes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken: I use chicken thighs for this recipe. They are a fattier cut which means more flavor for this chicken dish.
- Chicken Broth: The chicken broth will soak up the flavor from the chicken, butter, leeks, and seasonings as well as serve as the liquid for cooking the rice.
- Rice: As I mentioned above, I like the way Minute brand rice cooks in the slow cooker. You’ll have perfectly cooked rice for a delicious recipe.
- Seasonings: Butter, dried basil, kosher salt, and black pepper provide the perfect amount of seasoning to this basil chicken recipe.
Step-by-Step
Step One – Place the chicken into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add in the chicken broth, basil, salt, pepper, and leeks. Put the unmelted quartered butter on top.
Step Two – Cook chicken thighs on LOW for 6 hours.
Step Three – When the cooking time is complete, add in the rice and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 25 minutes longer.
Step Four – Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins would pair perfectly with the other ingredients.
Although this calls for basil, you can also play around with adding fresh lemon juice to create a lemon basil chicken. Garlic powder and parmesan cheese would be absolutely delicious. It can also be turned into a Thai dish by adding soy sauce, fish sauce, holy basil, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. Cherry tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes would marry well with this dish as well.
Although it is considered a one-pot meal, you can still serve additional sides like garlic bread, roasted red peppers (for a topping), and fresh green onion as a garnish.
Add any remaining chicken and rice to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the leftovers on the stove top over medium low heat. You may have to add a bit of liquid to keep the rice from sticking and/or burning.
Of course. Fresh basil, homegrown basil, normal sweet basil, or dried basil leaves will work. You can also add fresh spinach. I recommend cutting the fresh basil leaves, so the flavor disperses easily.
Delicious recipes like this can be served with zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or over pasta of your choice.
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Slow Cooker Basil Chicken and Rice
Equipment Needed:
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!
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
- UK viewers: If you can’t find Minute rice try Tilda’s Easy Cook Long Grain Rice.
- Add any remaining chicken and rice to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the leftovers on the stove top over medium low heat. You may have to add a bit of liquid to keep the rice from sticking and/or burning.
- Although it is considered a one-pot meal, you can still serve additional sides like garlic bread, roasted red peppers (for a topping), and fresh green onion as a garnish. You can also serve this with a steamed vegetable or a green salad.
- Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins can be used instead of chicken thighs.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
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.
If you use wild rice when would you put it in to make sure it gets cooked.
Hi Jacque, I would add it at the beginning. Here is a recipe where I use a mixture of brown minute rice and wild rice: https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/slow-cooker-minnesota-pork-chop-casserole/
Thank you
I love my crock potcooking. Why did you change from crock pot to slow cooker??? Is it a modern name, only???
I’ve always used the name slow cooker. Crock Pot is a brand.
Can I leave the butter out and maybe use olive oil instead? If so, how much olive oil would i use?
Hi Gaetana, I would probably do only a tablespoon of olive oil and maybe do water or broth for the rest of the butter amount (to keep the liquid ratio correct).
Can you cook this on high if so for how long?
I would do 3.5-4 hours on high.
Instant, white rice is not an option for me. What are your recommendations in regards to long grain, wild rice, brown rice and and the red/black varieties?
Long grain rice and brown rice don’t do well in the slow cooker. Wild rice does good. The slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough for regular rice. They do make minute brown rice. You can cook the rice on the stove top and serve this over?
How would caulifower “rice” work with this recipe?
Thanks for posting this recipe. My family loved it.
is chicken broth the same as chicken stock just asking as im in assieland thanks
Stock will work the same as broth. 🙂 May be even better.