I have been eating this mushroom soup chicken and rice casserole for as long as I can remember. This recipe has chicken pieces of your choice that are baked up in a creamy mushroom soup and rice casserole, with cheese on top! Oh, and my Grandma would always sprinkle crushed saltine crackers on top as well, a fantastic retro touch!
How to Make Chicken & Rice Casserole in the Oven
Unlike many recipes, you don’t HAVE to use chicken breast in my recipe. In my family, we usually use a whole chicken that has been cut up into various pieces. Making chicken and rice casserole is SO easy—you won’t believe it! Here are the basic steps that you will take to make this chicken casserole ( please see the recipe card for exact details).
- Preheat your oven to 375 °F.
- Whisk together all ingredients except the chicken pieces and the cheddar cheese. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Place the chicken on top and bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes or until the chicken reaches the desired temperature.
- Enjoy!
Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Casserole
The classic ingredients for this chicken and rice casserole are:
- chicken pieces
- mushroom soup
- onion soup mix
- rice
- cheddar cheese
Tips and Tricks for Making Chicken & Rice Casserole
- This can be a really affordable meal for your family. You can skip the chicken breasts and use cheaper cuts like chicken thighs and legs if you want. I find that chicken thighs cook up the best in this recipe, as chicken breasts can dry out.
- If you use chicken breasts, cover them with sauce and rice, if possible, to prevent them from drying out.
- Use only the rice I specify, wild or brown rice will take too long and it won’t cook on time.
- You can choose to cook skin-on or skin-off chicken. The chicken skin doesn’t crisp up, so if you don’t like the texture of soft chicken skin, remove it and cook skinless.
- If you want to keep the skin on and make it crispy, simply place the chicken on top of the rice and soup mixture. It will crisp up more!
This chicken and rice casserole definitely hearkens back to the days of canned soup mania, and it has stayed popular to this day. If you want a really retro taste, you can sprinkle crushed saltines or Ritz crackers on top of the cheese at the end. I love it that way!
Other Great Casserole Recipes
Here are a few tried, tested, and authentic recipes that are also reader favorites! I love the tater tots casserole; it’s my favorite!
- Hamburger Hotdish with Tater Tots Casserole
- Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole
- Tater Tots Shepherd’s Pie
Happy cooking!
Love,
Karlynn
Mushroom Soup Chicken & Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 4-8 pieces assorted cuts of chicken
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- two 10.5 ounces cans of condensed mushroom soup
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F.
- Whisk together the rice, soup, water and soup mix until the lumps in the soup are smoothed out and mixed in.
- Pour into a large buttered 9×13 or deep large lidded casserole dish.
- Place your chicken pieces on top of the rice. IF you are using chicken without the skin, immerse the chicken into the soup and cover it completely so that the chicken doesn’t dry out. If the chicken has skin – and I prefer it that way – you can gently set the chicken on top.
- Cover with foil and cook for 55-75 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken has reached a temperature of 165°F for the breast pieces or 185°F for legs and thighs. Depending on the type of rice you are using, the time can take longer.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese on top. Let the cheese melt, then serve.
Notes
- Nutritional information will vary with brands of ingredients used and the cut of chicken.
- As with all rice recipes, cooking time will vary depending on the type and brand of rice, how tightly you sealed your casserole dish, if your chicken was very cold when you put it into the dish, etc. Allow yourself extra cooking time.
- Use only long grain white rice that cooks in 15-20 minutes on the stove top. Don’t use parboiled, don’t use brown, don’t use medium grain. IF you use these types you will have to cook them longer.
Nutrition
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Patricia says
I really liked it. Modifications: Used 2 cups of long grain brown rice. 4 cups of chicken broth, no water. 2 pounds boneless checken breats. 2 cans cream of chicken soup. Baked at 400 degrees for 90 minutes. Still a little “watery” but let it set. Rice absorbed the liquid-terrific! Just plan ahead and give it time. Probably the important point is to allow more time if using brown rice.
Marjorie says
This recipe looks so good will try it tomorrow.
Kristen says
The top of the recipe says 350 and the actual pieces 400 which is correct?
Mike Johnston says
400 is correct. I’ll update the post.
dave says
Hey Karlynn,
(I wanted to apologize for writing such a wordy comment to your recipe. I’m sorry! Please feel free to cut my comment out–you won’t hurt my feelings!)
This dish is awesome! I love the creamy mushroom flavor of the rice. Wonderful comfort food.
Thank you for posting!
Sherrell says
we followed the recipe, it was so dry. I think this recipe needed 4 cups water but I would use 2 cups chicken broth. with 2 cups water. Would not make this as recipe states.
we put Salsa to add flavor and help with dryness. we did not use dry onion soup which I
think would need more liquid.
Thanks for the try.
Bev says
Excellent recipe!! Easy Peasy!!! I used split chicken breast.
Lilly Garrett says
just did not like it!
Luanne says
The taste is good but by the time the chicken is cooked through, the rice is way over cooked.
If I make this recipe again I’m going to sear the chicken and let it cook part way.
Connie Carlson says
Delicious recipe inspiration that I cooked on the stove top. I seasoned and cooked chicken with chopped onions and minced garlic, oil in a deep pot w/lid. Once cooked added 4 cups of water to the same pot with chicken inside, 1 can of cream of mushroom, 1 Lipton onion soup mix envelope, some chicken boullion and oil. Mixed it up and brought to boil. Once boiling added 3 cups of rinsed rice then after most of water was absorbed, set on low for 25 minutes with lid on. Then flipped rice and covered for another 10 minutes. Results were very tasty and even my 13 YO complimented dinner.
Bev says
Excellent recipe!! Easy Peasy!!! I used split chicken breast.
Karlynn Johnston says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Catherine M says
Close to the old standby my mother in law taught me, but with some adaptions.
Use the whole packet of onion soup mix.
Season and brown your chicken in butter first, take it out, then throw your soup, water, rice into the same pot. Put chicken on top of it.
I use a Dutch oven with the lid. I don’t like messing with the aluminum foil.
The rice/water mixture is always tricky. Rice is rarely perfectly cooked.
Forego the cheese. Not needed.
Cheddar cheese and mushrooms? Doesn’t sound right.
Lilly Garrett says
just did not like it!
Bex says
Really?!? Cheese and mushrooms is amazing! Have you never had stuffed mushroom caps? They are delicious!!