Need a basic recipe in your arsenal that will make “happy plates”?
The girls loved it and asked for it again the next day. To add a twist to the leftovers, I sauted some baby spinach and then mixed in a serving of the Cheesy Chicken and Rice.
It added some green (which I love) and another dimension to the flavors. Hope you enjoy this easy family favorite!
Crockpot Cheesy Chicken & Rice
- Place chicken into crockpot and season with salt and pepper.Sprinkle your chopped onions on top of chicken.
- Mix together the chicken broth and can of cream of chicken soup.
- Pour mixture over chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- Right before serving, shred chicken with 2 forks.
- Add in cooked & prepared Zatarain’s rice, cheese and corn.
- Mix well, until cheese is melted.
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Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 8oz box Zatarain's Yellow Rice, cooked according to package.
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheese blend
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 10.5oz can cream of chicken soup (I used the healthy choice reduced fat and sodium)
- 1 15oz can of corn, drained
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Place chicken into crockpot and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle your chopped onions on top of chicken.
- Mix together the chicken broth and can of cream of chicken soup.
- Pour mixture over chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- Right before serving, shred chicken with 2 forks.
- Add in cooked & prepared Zatarain's rice, cheese and corn.
- Mix well, until cheese is melted.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Donisha says
Instead of the rice I used mash potatoes and 1/2 a cup of chicken stock…. Was really good
Heather says
Omg! This is soooo good!!!!!!! Thanks for the recipe! Its like once I start eating, I can’t stop! lol
alisha says
I buy the bags of frozen chicken breast. So I made it with those from the frozen state. I cooked my on low for ten hours I also added some smokes paprika and basil. My family loves bold flavors. By adding the frozen chicken I there was enough liquid to just add the box of Zatarans rice uncooked and switch my crock pot to high I cooked it for 25 mins then added the corn and cheese. Let it cook for about five more mins rice was perfectly cooked. This way was easier for me because it became a one dish wonder. Thanks for these great recipes. I have 5 kids 4 are 4 or younger so not having to spend an hour on dinner is great.
Kristen says
Followed recipe verbatim. Turned out more like a soup.
Stephanie says
I made this and it turned out very soupy. I was expecting a cheesy rice dish. Was so soupy I couldn’t tell I had cheese in it. Completed as directed on high for 4 hours. Flavor was great. Just wish it wasn’t soupy. Last thing my family wanted on a hot July night was soup .
Lorissa says
What’s the difference between broth and stock? I always thought they were the same, but I made this today using broth and there was so much liquid. I decided to eat it like a soup and crumble tortilla chips in it. It was good but I’m so confused about how much liquid was left.
WEndy says
So easy! Did not use Zatarans, although I do like it, just used some boxed rice I had on hand. I also used diced mixed mini peppers instead of corn and that seemed to work really well. My cheese blend was swiss, Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack…..so creamy and yummy. Fabulous Recipe, Thank you1
Kelly Fink says
This was good but too runny once I mixed everything at the end.
Shannon says
is there any way to cook this in the over, i don’t have a crock pot.
Joan says
I agree with the person who had to drain off a lot of the liquid – I did the same and only added a small amount back in. It was really good and we all enjoyed it, but I was craving some texture. The corn added a little, but I was left wanting more. Maybe I’ll put some crispy onions on top next time.
Michele says
My husband loved this i recipe but I’ve made it twice and it’s too watery. The ingredient list says chicken stock but the step by step numbered directions call it broth, which is it? I’ll try one more time but use stock to see if it thickens up. If not I’ll be like the others and drain some liquid out.
Sindy says
Could this be frozen?
Corey says
Yep!
Claire says
Hi, Corey. You have a lovely blog, here. I tried this recipe and followed the directions, but the rice mixture did not absorb the liquid and the dish turned out very soupy, more like a stew than a casserole. Any thoughts? It was still tasty, but the consistency was off. Thanks 😉
Jenny says
Recently made this for me and my boyfriend. Amazing! Thanks so much 🙂 <3
Corey says
So happy you and your boyfriend loved it Jenny!
Laura Benavidez says
Corey, I happened upon this recipe while searching for something easy to prepare for dinner with ingredients I had on hand; I didn’t have any Zatarain’s rice but I did have some Goya yellow Spanish rice and a can of Green Giant mexicorn. I made this recipe with these substitutions and added in a can of chopped mild green chilies. I served it with a nice salad and it was fantastic! I hope that it freezes and reheats nicely as there is only myself and my 11 y/o daughter, who loved it as well and there was plenty of leftovers for another dinner.
I found several other recipes I’m looking forward to trying as well.
Thank you.
Vickey says
I know it’s been a while since the original post, but I just came across the recipe and tried it last night. It was AMAZING! Due to my husband’s dietary constraints I had to make a gluten free version (different brand of yellow rice, and Pacific boxed Cream of Chicken soup). I’m not sure if those changes are what gave me a slightly soupier version (almost like a coder), I followed everything else exactly. HOWEVER, I wouldn’t change a thing – the chowder-esque version was TO DIE FOR and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten as many compliments on dinner. Makes me want to try it again and again. Will be bringing leftovers for lunch. Thank you for the recipe!
Corey says
So awesome Vickey! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jill says
Tried this tonight. Thankfully, I read all of the comments, so I was prepared for there to be too much liquid. There was! I took almost 2 cups of liquid out of it when the chicken was all done cooking, then I dumped in the rice, corn, and cheese. I figured if it ended up the wrong consistency, I could slowly add liquid back (I reserved it). It came out perfect, and looked just like the original picture of the dish. I don’t know where that much liquid was supposed to go? Anyway, if you make this, pull some liquid out before you add in the other ingredients. Having less liquid made it easier to shred the chicken, too. Finally, though my kids liked it, it was a little bland for my tastes. I think I may add a touch of red pepper flakes or something next time to liven it up a bit. It would also be great rolled into tortillas with some salsa added. Cheesy, comforting, and good as it is, though!
Beth Ann says
So yummy & toddler approved!! I used Uncle Bens veggie rice which you cook in the microwave for 90sec & it was perfect. I might add some biscuits next time as it tastes like pot pie!
Colleen says
A great and yummy recipe. The whole house smelled fantastic as the chicken, broth and onions cooked. The chicken just flaked apart when shredded. I added broccoli into the crock pot to give more color. I also used white rice. Does need a little bit more salt for taste, other than that it is good.
Raddy says
I made this yesterday and omg that was awesome, it didn’t last even half a day how good this was (: thank you for this absolutely delicios recipe (:
Corey says
Haha! Same here. When we make this I alway hope for leftovers, but there never are. So happy you loved it 🙂
Ginny says
I have the chicken in the crock pot today! Of course I forgot the onion so I had to make the executive decision this morning that we would just miss the onion! I’m pretty sure my husband won’t mind as he’s not a big onion fan anyway 🙂
I could not find the yellow rice at our store so my daughter and I decided we would fix it with parmesan rice, it’s a white rice by Zatarains. I’m hoping this will not be a mistake!
I’ll update with a review when after we eat it tonight!
Haley says
I loved this!
I couldn’t get Zatarain’s Yellow Rice from my local stores, so I used a package of Sidekicks Mexican rice. It was great! Next time I think I’ll add even more rice!
Felicia says
Made this last night, but I put my own twist on it. I reduced the chicken stock to 1cup, & added a cup of enchilada sauce. My kids LOVED IT!
Traci says
Do I use chicken stock or chicken broth? The ingredients say chicken stock but the directions say chicken broth.
Thanks
Corey says
Either will work, but most prefer broth 🙂
Duskab says
Made this tonight and it was very soupy/watery. It tasted good but was hard to eat with a fork. Not sure why it turned out this way. Maybe cause my chicken breasts were kinda small??
Corey says
Yes, that is probably why 🙂
Alberta Smythe says
I just made this and the flavor was great. Followed the recipe to the tee. However I wish I had taken out some of the liquid before adding the rice, corn and cheese. I found it to be to loose. I would try this again.
marisa price says
So, I do not cook the corn?
Corey says
It will cook in the crockpot Marisa.
Maryann says
This looks great! I look forward to making it. However, it doesn’t print correctly. Yay for highlight and print!
jessica bishop says
omg made this tonight…..so awesome..thank you I am so not a cook and i don’t enjoy it but recently i have fallen in love with crockpot recipes. so easy to throw it all in and just let it cook
Corey says
So happy you loved it Jessica!!! 🙂
Tisha says
I just made this. I also found that it had too much liquid. I also feel that it was a little bland. I couldn’t find an 8 oz box of Zatarains so I used Goya instead. Any suggestions for more flavor and less liquid?
Samantha says
I have made it twice and both times it was good but kinda soupy. How do I make it thicker?
JoAnn says
Your link to print the recipe is broken 🙁 it just says ingredients & instructions, nothing else on the page.
Desiree says
Making this tonight but instead I’m using white rice since I had all ingredients. Smells yummy and can’t wait to try it.
Raquel says
Hi I know this is an old recipe but I was supposed to make it tonight, and slept later than i should have and didnt have time to mix it up before work! Well the hubby still wants it, so I was wondering if there was a way to convert this to baking it in the oven? TIA 🙂
Corey says
Sorry Raquel, I have never made this in the oven.
Megan says
Hi! This recipe looks so good! Have you tried it with white rice? I’m not a huge fan of yellow rice so just wondering how it would taste with white?
Thanks!
Corey says
I’ve never tried this with white rice before Megan, but if you do, would you please let us know who it turns out? Thanks!
Audrey says
I just made this for dinner tonight, it was SO delicious! Been a while since I’ve cleaned my plate and cleaned it fast. My 2 yr old liked it as well which makes me happy. I did find the liquid was A LOT so in the end I just drained some out. But it did turn out great. Thanks so much for sharing with us 🙂
Tanya says
Can you add green beans to this too?
Corey says
I think green beans would be a yummy addition Tanya!
Kate says
I have made this several times, and my family loves it. It’s great comfort food and so simple and easy to make. One of my go-to recipes now. Thanks for sharing!
Manuel says
Thanks for the great starting point.. I wanted chicken and rice but didn’t have a lot of time…
I used the idea of your recipe but changed it drastically to save time and match diet…
I bought a Rottisseri chicken to cut out chicken cooking, I used mixed veggies instead of corn and brown rice (for my diet) instead of yellow. It took 20 minutes to put together in crockpot and now I’m just warming… I seasoned with slap-your-momma seasoning.. It tastes awesome and I haven’t added the cheese yet. I will add it just before serving. Thanks again!!
Amature Husband cook. 🙂
Mac says
When following instructions perfectly, definitely more of a very thick soup consistency. Not exactly what I wanted, but still pretty good.
Matthew J Sauk says
So I made this using the 2 cups of chicken stock and the cream of chicken. It was really runny for me. I think next time I do it I will only use 1 cup of chicken stock. I had over 2lbs of chicken breasts so I was a little shocked to see that much juice left after shredding it.
It was still very good I must say!
Sophie says
This recipe sounds easy to make and i am excited to try it. I wanted to double the recipe though. Would i have to cook it for 14-16 hours on low though?
Corey says
No, you would keep the cooking time about the same, maybe adding on 30-60 mins.
Ryan says
Very yummy!i would add an additional box of rice. 4 kids 14 and under and they loved it!
Leigh says
I searched for an awesome crockpot chicken recope and this came up first..ran to the grocery store and got everything. …cooking now for about an hour I can’t wait…reading all the reviews I am excited and really hungry lol
ashley says
I made this and it was amazing. I was hoping to freeze some to reheat later and I was wondering how well this will due after being frozen for awhile and reheated again.
tari says
We love this! I do use the Mexican cheese blend and add a little more broth . I also use Del Monte Southwestern canned corn and their Fiesta corn and it turns out amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
Sarah says
You mention an 8 Oz box of Zatarain’s rice but our boxes are 6.9oz in the store. Wondering if they’ve reduced the size and less rice is leading to a more watery meal for some (since this was originally posted 4 years ago)? I’m debating making 2 boxes in case and mixing in whatever I need…
Excited to try it, I think the family will love it!
Bree says
I followed the recipe exactly (plus a little extra cheese), and it was DELICIOUS! My husband doesn’t even like onions, but he silently inhaled this before saying, “yum, I wish I had a bigger stomach.” It came out more like a chowder and there was a bit too much meat for me, so I’ll add another box of rice next time. Thank you for providing some variety to our meal rotation!
Erin says
So I am freaked out about eating chicken that’s been sittin in raw juices mixed with the soup and stuff. I know it’s cooking but I worry the chicken is sitting it’s in juice and then we eat it. I mean I already ate it but just seeing if it’s safe.
Chris says
Thank you so much. I found another offshoot recipe to use with this. We made it just as the recipe listed, plus some extra seasoning. It came out wonderful. The next day I used the meal to make enchiladas. Just rolled the mixture into tortillas and poured enchilada sauce on top, then added cheese on top at the end of baking. Came out great and stretched the meal out a bit more.
Corey says
Cheesy Chicken and Rice enchiladas?!!! I love the way you think Chris. Gonna gave to try that next time I make this recipe 🙂