This chicken and rice casserole with cream of mushroom soup recipe is a classic comfort dinner that comes together in one pan with simple pantry ingredients. Easy and delicious every time.
The rice bakes right alongside the chicken for a creamy, comforting casserole every time-no stirring or extra steps needed. A reliable, fuss-free chicken and rice bake.
If you like this recipe, you may also love the Creamy Parmesan Chicken. Penne Pasta Bake, Chicken Pot Pie Recipe with Cream of Chicken Soup, and Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Stuffing Recipe.
Quick Look: Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup
- ⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 1 hr 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 4 servings
- ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe: This baked chicken and rice with cream of mushroom soup is a classic, one-pan dinner. Uses a hands-off method, so the rice cooks perfectly alongside the chicken.
- 🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: long grain white rice, chicken breasts, cream of mushroom soup for a classic chicken and rice casserole.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
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Jump to:
- Quick Look: Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 👩🍳 Why This Chicken and Rice Casserole Works
- 🧑🍳 Key Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup
- How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup (No-Peek Method)
- Substitutions for Chicken and Rice and Mushroom Soup
- Chicken and Rice with Cream of Mushroom Soup FAQ
- 🍲 Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
- How to Store Chicken and Rice Baked with Cream
- Expert Hosting Tip:
- More creamy comfort food classics
- Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup (Old Fashioned, Easy)
Chicken and rice casserole with cream of mushroom soup is done when the chicken reaches 165°F and the rice is tender. Bake covered at 350°F for 1 to 1 ¼ hours using the no-peek method for best results.
Try serving this with my go-to mixed greens salad for a perfect dinner! And if you are hosting a dinner party, here are my expert tips! How to host your first dinner party.
👩🍳 Why This Chicken and Rice Casserole Works
This chicken and rice casserole with cream of mushroom soup cooks together in one dish.
✅ Easy and Foolproof
Once it's covered and in the oven, the rice slowly absorbs the liquid and cooks evenly without needing to stir. (Resist the urge to peek-this is the secret.)
✅ The uncooked rice and chicken cook together in the oven.
✅ Creamy, cozy texture every time
The cream of mushroom soup creates that classic and flavorful- this casserole feel like true comfort food.
✅ Flexible and forgiving
Add veggies, swap the soup, or use different cuts of chicken-this recipe is hard to mess up and easy to make your own.
🧑🍳 Key Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Chicken - Use uncooked chicken breast or chicken tenders, or thighs. Bone-in or boneless. Skinless chicken works in this recipe.
- Rice - White rice. If you'd like to use brown rice, you will need to increase the water by ⅓ of a cup and increase the cooking time to 75-90 minutes.
- Lipton Soup Mix: Packed with favorite flavor and very little effort.
- Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup - A classic ingredient in cream of mushroom with chicken and rice. You can swap in cream of chicken soup. If you'd like to make your own cream of mushroom soup, see below.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup (No-Peek Method)
- Preheat and Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together the uncooked rice, cream of mushroom soup, water, and seasonings until well combined. 👉
- Stir and Add
Place the raw chicken pieces directly on top of the rice mixture.
- Season
Add salt, pepper, and any additional spices you like on top of the chicken. Pro Tip: I save a little of the onion soup mix for on top of the chicken- it gives the chicken more color and flavor.
- Cover Tightly & Bake
This is how your rice cooks. 👉 "Avoid opening the oven (no peeking), as this releases heat and can prevent the rice from cooking evenly."
- Bake
For 1 to 1½ hours, depending on your chicken pieces.
- Check for doneness
Remove from the oven. The rice should be tender and fluffy and the chicken should be fully cooked (160-165°F internal temp)
Substitutions for Chicken and Rice and Mushroom Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup: Substitute cream of chicken for the mushroom - or homemade cream of chicken or mushroom soup shown above.
- Chicken Breasts: Substitute Chicken thighs.
- Substitute Brown Rice for the white rice: You can, but brown rice takes longer to cook and may require additional liquid. For best results, stick with white rice.
- Additions: Add frozen or fresh vegetables like green beans or broccoli to the casserole.
Chicken and Rice with Cream of Mushroom Soup FAQ
No need to precook the chicken or the rice because it will cook in the oven as it absorbs the rich flavors of the chicken, cream of mushroom soup, and stock or water.
Yes, use Cream of Chicken Soup, or my homemade Cream of Chicken soup.
The casserole is done when the rice is tender and the chicken is fully cooked. You should be able to fluff the rice easily with a fork, and the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 160-165°F.
If your rice is still hard, it's usually because the dish wasn't tightly covered or the oven was opened during baking. This is a no-peek chicken and rice casserole, which means the steam needs to stay trapped inside for the rice to cook properly. No worries, though. Here's the fix. It just needs more time - continue cooking in 15-minute increments. Drizzle on ⅛ cup of additional liquid if it looks dry.
Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole (without baking) and store it covered in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Freezing Unbaked: Assemble the ingredients in a freezer-safe dish, cover with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding an extra 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.
🍲 Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
If you prefer homemade over canned, make your own version in about 10 minutes using butter, flour, chicken broth, milk, and simple seasonings.
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube, or 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon. (Optional- see notes.)
- 1 cup milk, preferably whole but any kind work
- ⅓ teaspoon celery salt
- ⅓ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ teaspoon pepper
NOTE: if making cream of chicken add in a cup of finely chopped chicken
- Melt the butter over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour to make a roux and cook for a minute or two to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Gradually add the chicken broth and milk, whisking continuously to avoid lumps.
- Simmer the mixture until it thickens to a creamy consistency. Season with the rest of the ingredients. It will take about 5-7 minutes or so to thicken up.
IMPORTANT TIP: Let the soup heat up slowly. As it warms, it thickens. Skipping this step makes it thin. It takes about 5-7 minutes to get thicker. It doesn't happen instantly; it needs time to heat up.
* 1 batch= two (10.5 oz.) cans of soup
* Store in an airtight container and for a 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months.
Dairy-Free Cream of Mushroom or Chicken soup: Use the recipe above, but substitute the milk or cream for your dairy-free milk of choice.
How to Store Chicken and Rice Baked with Cream
- Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If it dries out during reheating, add a splash of chicken broth or water to restore moisture.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then put into single servings for easy reheating. Store in airtight freezer-safe containers with cling wrap over the rice or freezer bags work well if you remove the air before freezing. Best used within 2-3 months.
Expert Hosting Tip:
If I'm serving this for a get-together, and I want to look extra special, I sprinkle the top of the chicken with a bit of paprika before to give it a nice color. I also saved some of the Lipton soup mix to sprinkle directly on top of the chicken and garnish it with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. I serve it with my mixed greens salad, crusty bread and a make-ahead or store-bought dessert .
IIf you make this chicken and rice casserole, I'd love to hear what variation you tried! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @Lauren_Lane_Culinarian.
Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup (Old Fashioned, Easy)
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 1 ½ cups water
- 10 ounces cream of mushroom soup condensed or substitute Cream of chicken soup
- 4 boneless chicken breasts not thin cut
- 1 package Lipton onion soup mix 1.25 oz (35g) to 1.3 oz envelope
- Optional: ½ large bag frozen green beans or broccoli the amount is really prefrence
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray
- Add uncooked rice
- Combine mushroom soup and 1 ½ cups of water. Pour over rice and stir
- Add chicken breasts and season with salt & pepper
- Add veggies if using
- Sprinkle with onion soup mix.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Do not open the oven while baking-this releases steam and can prevent the rice from cooking properly. (Some ovens require an extra 10 minutes)
Notes
Notes
- Use long-grain white rice for consistent results. Other types of rice may require adjustments.
- The casserole is done when the rice is tender (not crunchy), the liquid is absorbed, and the chicken reaches 165°F.
Troubleshooting
- Rice still hard → dish wasn't sealed tightly or the oven was opened. Add a splash of water, cover tightly, and bake 10-15 more minutes.
- Too wet → needs more bake time uncovered slightly at the end.
- Chicken dry → likely overcooked or cut too thin.
Pro Tip
- To fix a slightly dry casserole, stir in a splash of warm broth or water before serving to bring back the creamy texture.
Swaps
- Cream of mushroom → cream of chicken or cream of celery
- Chicken breasts → chicken thighs (more forgiving)
- Water → chicken broth or stock for more flavor
- Add vegetables → see full list in post
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat with a splash of broth or water to restore creaminess.
Freezing
- Cool completely, then portion into airtight containers or freezer bags.
- Remove excess air and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Gina H. says
Love this recipe! My mom always made this as well, and I loved it with cream of chicken as well as cream of celery (my mom's favorite Campbell's cream soup).
Bonnie Phoenix says
LLB! I will give this a try this weekend. I’m sure your Mom served this up when I was there 😀 But curious how you get the toasted brown chicken in the photo. Do you take the foil off after the rice is done?
Lauren Lane says
I actually didn't brown the chicken, I sprinkled a little more of the Lipton onion soup mix on top of the chicken and also sprinkled it with paprika to give it that nice pretty color. Little food styling trick there!
Keli says
How can I find the recipe for the chicken and rice, as this one is showing black eyed pea soup with sausage. Something got mixed up on the website. Thank you.
Lauren Lane says
I'm so sorry- it's fixed now. I hope you love it!
Dorothy says
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead
Lauren Lane says
Sure! I haven't tried it, but don't see why it wouldn't work.
Lauren Lane says
Yes! That should work fine.
Mark says
I tried this recipe with brown rice. I cooked it 1hr 35 minutes. The rice wasn't completely done but I was hungry so I ate it anyway. Other than the rice being under cooked it tasted good. Oh yeah for 2x I had to use a 11×13 inch dish.
Mark M says
I fixed this recipe and used brown rice. It was really good
Lauren Lane says
My childhood favorite in the ultimate comfort food. I hope you love this as much as I do. And leave a comment if you make it!
Vicki says
I don't like how there are multiple recipes mixed within the one you desire. I would prefer the recipe that you seek to be up at the top with variations after that. Too much busyness.