Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Rice
1 Comment Jan 31, 2024
Updated Aug 25, 2024
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This whole chicken and rice recipe is the perfect choice when looking for a one pot meal to serve your family. All it takes is just a few pantry staples, a whole chicken, and minute rice for a wonderful recipe your whole family will enjoy.
There are so many ways to cook a whole chicken in the crock pot. Some of my favorite recipes are Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Mayo and Slow Cooker Whole Beer Chicken.
Table of Contents
Why this whole chicken and rice recipe works
When thinking of cooking chicken and rice together, most people instantly go to oven baked chicken. And while that can certainly get the job done, using your slow cooker can help you take the guesswork out of how to get perfectly cooked rice and flavorful chicken.
You’ll add the uncooked white rice at the end of cooking time and come out with deliciously fluffy rice that will be served alongside a few other vegetables. This meal is absolutely delicious, especially if you’re looking for something low maintenance, with a quick prep time, and moderate cooking time.
Recipe Ingredients
- Onion: You’ll need a small yellow onion, diced.
- Vegetables: A couple of celery ribs and carrots are diced and chopped.
- Whole Chicken: I suggest using a 5-pound chicken.
- Seasonings: Melted butter, salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, and paprika (this seasoning also helps the chicken to look less pale since cooking it in the slow cooker doesn’t give it a fried look).
- Rice: Mine brand rice, uncooked, is the perfect type for this recipe (yay to no rice prep time).
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step Two – Add the chicken. Pour over the melted butter.
Step Three – Sprinkle over the thyme, oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours.
Step Four – Remove chicken to a platter and cover with foil.
Step Five – Now you’ll want to remove some of the liquid from the slow cooker, leaving only 2 cups of liquid along with the veggies. Add the minute rice to the veggies and 2 cups of liquid that is in the slow cooker.
Step Six – Add the chicken back to the slow cooker with the rice for a pretty presentation. Replace the lid. Replace the lid. Cook on HIGH For 40 more minutes to allow the rice to cook. Serve and enjoy.
How to serve
- If I was just serving this to my family, I would slice and serve the chicken on the platter and serve the rice from the slow cooker.
- You can also add additional sides such as steamed broccoli or green beans.
- This chicken rice recipe is also great with dinner rolls, cornbread, or another bread of your choice.
Recipe FAQs and Variations
No, standard rice does not cook well in the slow cooker, it gets chalky and gummy.
You can add garlic powder, onion powder, or even fresh garlic and other fresh herbs to create a tasty chicken rub. Lemon juice squeezed over the chicken just before serving adds a unique citrus kick. A drizzle of olive oil also adds a bit of flavor.
Yes. Although the idea behind this particular recipe is to use a whole chicken, you can use chicken breast, boneless chicken thighs, skinless thighs, or chicken strips.
It shouldn’t. The butter and cooking time allows for the perfectly cooked chicken. If you want a soupier finish, you can add a cup or so of hot water, veggie stock, or chicken stock/chicken broth.
Yes. Prepare everything according to the directions except in a baking dish and bake covered. The cooking time will vary depending on your oven but everything should still cook fairly the same.
No. The melted butter will keep everything from sticking.
You can remove the chicken meat from the bone before serving.
Put any remaining chicken, rice, and veggies in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers in the oven covered with foil or on the stovetop in a dutch oven or oven safe pot over medium heat. You may have to a half cup of hot water or broth.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken and Red Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Autumn Chicken Dinner
- Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
- Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken
- Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
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Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 carrots chopped
- 5 lbs. whole chicken
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. paprika, this makes the chicken look less pale since it doesn’t get crispy in slow cooker
Wait to add:
- 2 cups Minute Brand Rice, (uncooked)
Instructions
- Clean out the inside of the chicken by removing any extra parts or packaging and discard.
- Add the carrots, onion and celery to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the chicken.
- Pour over the melted butter and sprinkle over the thyme, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours.
- Remove chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Now you'll want to remove some of the liquid from the slow cooker, leave only 2 cups of liquid along with the veggies. Add the minute rice to the veggies and 2 cups of liquid that is in the slow cooker. I add the chicken back to the slow cooker with the rice for a pretty presentation. If I was just serving this to my family, I would slice and serve the chicken on the platter and serve the rice from the slow cooker. Replace the lid.
- Replace the lid. Cook on HIGH For 40 more minutes to allow the rice to cook. Serve and enjoy.
Sarah’s Notes
- Put any remaining chicken, rice, and veggies in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers in the oven covered with foil or on the stovetop in a dutch oven or oven safe pot over medium heat. You may have to a half cup of hot water or broth.
- Tempted to use regular grain rice (not instant)? Standard rice that is not instant does not cook well in the slow cooker. It tends to get chalky and mushy since the slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough to cook it properly.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
To me the recipe came across a bit bland. Followed recipe except used 3 chicken breasts instead of a full chicken.
Any suggestions to add some flavor and some sauce for extra moisture/flavor.