Description
Hearty crock pot chicken and rice delights families with its comforting, one-pot meal simplicity. Southern-style cooking brings tender chicken and fluffy rice together, ensuring you’ll savor each satisfying spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 4 small)
- 1 cup long-grain white rice (uncooked)
- 2.5 cups (590 ml) chicken broth
- 1 can (10.5 oz/298 g) cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 tsp paprika
- 0.5 cup sour cream (optional, for extra creaminess)
- 1 cup frozen peas or mixed vegetables (optional)
- 2 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preparation: Coat slow cooker with nonstick spray to prevent adhering and simplify cleanup.
- Base Creation: Whisk uncooked rice, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika) into a harmonious mixture, ensuring even flavor distribution across the cooker’s bottom.
- Chicken Placement: Position whole chicken breasts atop the seasoned rice layer, partially submerging them without complete coverage.
- Cooking Process: Cover and set slow cooker to low temperature for 5-6 hours or high setting for 3-4 hours, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
- Meat Preparation: Confirm chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F, then extract breasts and shred using two forks into delicate, uniform pieces. Reintegrate shredded meat into rice mixture.
- Final Touches: Incorporate shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream to create a luxurious texture. Add frozen peas or mixed vegetables, warming them for an additional 10 minutes to enhance nutritional value.
- Serving: Plate the creamy chicken and rice, garnish with freshly chopped parsley, and serve steaming hot for a satisfying, comforting meal.
Notes
- Prevent Rice Clumping: Stir rice mixture thoroughly before adding chicken to ensure even seasoning distribution and avoid dry or undercooked patches.
- Monitor Liquid Absorption: Check rice midway through cooking to add extra broth if mixture seems too dry, maintaining creamy consistency without burning.
- Customize Protein Options: Substitute chicken breasts with thighs for more flavor or use rotisserie chicken for faster preparation if time is limited.
- Enhance Dietary Versatility: Replace cream of chicken soup with homemade cream sauce or dairy-free alternative for gluten-free or lactose-intolerant dietary needs.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5-6 hours (low) or 3-4 hours (high)
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg