Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
No CommentsSep 05, 2025
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You won’t find comfort food better than this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice! This tender chicken, rice, and decadent cheese sauce is a meal you will want over and over.
I’ve had this website since 2012, and I am finally sharing my slow cooker chicken and rice recipe. Why did I wait so long? I FINALLY perfected it. I tried a number of versions, and this one is hands down the BEST you will try! See below why I think so!
Key Ingredients
Chicken: We use boneless skinless chicken breasts, they shred up perfectly. They will be seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
Sauce Ingredients: Cream of chicken soup and butter. Then sour cream and cheese are added along with the rice at the end of the cooking time. The addition of butter and sour cream make this recipe a notch above any other.
What Rice to Use: Long grain rice that is cooked on the stove top. I found this is the BEST texture for this recipe
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
- Let the chicken cook low and slow with seasonings, soup, and butter until tender.
- Prepare rice separately near the end of the cooking time.
- Shred the chicken, stir in rice, cheese, and sour cream, then finish with more melted cheese on top.
Tips & Variations
Soup Swap: Cream of mushroom or celery is an excellent substitute for the chicken soup.
Cheese Change: You can use shredded pepper-jack, Swiss, or even smoked Gouda for a sharp change.
Veggies: You can add veggies, but we don’t want to make the sauce watery. To avoid that, you can use frozen peas, or steamed broccoli or carrots (added with the rice).
How to Serve Chicken and Rice
Serve the chicken and rice casserole topped with green onions. Add a couple turns of freshly ground black pepper. A small dollop of sour cream tastes great as well. If you want a vegetable side, try my slow cooker green bean casserole or honey garlic carrots.
Can I cook the rice in the slow cooker?
No, it’s best to cook the rice on the stove or in a rice maker. Rice doesn’t cook evenly in the slow cooker and can turn mushy and chalky.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 21 oz. cream of chicken soup, (do not add milk or water)
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- 4 Tbsp. salted butter
This stuff gets added later
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, a block freshly shredded, (divided)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups uncooked long grain rice , (cook according to package directions, see instructions below – this will yield about 6 cups cooked rice)
For Serving
- sliced green onion, (optional but adds great flavor and texture)
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker. Sprinkle on the seasonings.
- Spread over the two cans of cream of chicken soup. Slice the butter and add it on top of the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 5 hours.
- About 20–30 minutes before the slow cooker is done, cook your rice. (I prefer a rice maker)
- Shred the chicken with two forks.
- Add the cooked rice, HALF of the cheese, and the sour cream to the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker.
- Stir. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and replace the lid. The cheese will melt in about 10 minutes. Serve and sprinkle with green onions if desired.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Storing and Reheating
Transfer the creamy chicken and rice to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
Make into a Freezer Meal
You can make this into a freezer meal by adding the chicken, soup, butter and seasonings into a freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in fridge. Cook as directed and add the finishing ingredients at the end of the cooking time.
More Chicken Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos and Slow Cooker Chicken Tenders are fun, easy meals everyone will love.
Crack Chicken and Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts make simple, flavorful dinners with minimal effort.
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup and Chicken and Gravy Recipe are cozy classics perfect for family meals.
