Chicken and Yellow Rice Casserole
Chicken and Yellow Rice Casserole requires just 3 ingredients, yet it is big on taste and very satisfying. It’s a comforting one-pot meal that requires almost zero prep! This dish is a family favorite and a convenient option for busy weeknights, making it a staple in our home. This recipe is definitely a keeper, and I believe your family will love it, too!
This baked chicken and yellow rice casserole is one of those dishes that reminds you of home-cooked meals made with love. It’s perfect when you need something simple yet delicious. Plus, it requires minimal prep—just mix, layer, and bake! When you’re feeding a hungry family, this casserole checks all the boxes.
This recipe is a favorite in our home, and you can find even more like it in my collection of easy dinner casseroles.
In our home, we eat a lot of casseroles, and this recipe is fantastic. My Mexican Dorito Casserole is a requested family favorite, as well as my Rice-a-Roni Recipe with Chicken. They offer comforting blends and flavors that bring warmth to any meal.
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💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I have been making this casserole for years, so it is a tried-and-true recipe that’s easy, delicious, and guaranteed to become a family favorite.
- Easy to Make: Only a few simple steps are required, and the oven does the rest!
- One-Pan Meal: Chicken and yellow rice casserole cooks in a single dish, which means fewer dishes to wash.
- Full of Flavor: The rice and creamy soup make a rich, savory base.
- Budget-Friendly: Simple ingredients that won’t break the bank.
If you love simple, hearty chicken dinners, my chicken pot pie recipe and my list of chicken dinners are must-tries for a cozy, comforting meal.
📋 Ingredients Needed
These are the key ingredients needed for this yellow rice and chicken recipe. The ingredients are simple and pantry-friendly and only require a few, making this dish ideal for busy nights. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and amounts.
- Chicken Thighs: I use bone-in, skin-on thighs to add rich flavor and stay juicy while baking. Thighs are ideal for this dish because they stay tender and moist while baking. You can remove the skin or use skinless thighs if desired. You can also use breasts, but you will need to adjust the cooking time.
- Yellow Rice: This is a family favorite. It’s flavorful, vibrant, and golden from spices like turmeric or saffron. It’s usually found next to white rice at the grocery store. I’ve used several brands, and they all work fine. If you like this dish, you’ll have to try my cheesy corn and rice casserole, and no peek pork chops and rice.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup: Adds a creamy, comforting texture and depth of flavor that keeps the casserole moist. You can use cream of chicken as well.
- Water: Helps cook the rice perfectly. You might also replace water with vegetable or chicken broth for extra depth of flavor.
For another delicious dish, be sure to try this 4-ingredient Rice-a-Roni with Chicken. It’s an easy meal for those busy nights. It’s amazing, and the whole family will love it.
⏲️ How To Make This Dish
Cooking chicken and yellow rice in the oven comes together in minutes, making it my go-to recipe for a delicious meal with minimal prep.
Step 1: Mix the Rice. In a bowl, stir together the rice, cream of mushroom soup, and water until everything is well combined.
Step 2: Layer It Up. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish, making sure it spreads out evenly.
Step 3: Add the Chicken. Arrange the thighs right on top. The juices will seep into the rice, making it even more delicious.
Step 4: Season to Taste. Sprinkle salt and pepper (or your favorite seasonings) over the top. Feel free to add a little garlic powder or paprika for extra flavor!
Step 5: Bake. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1.5 hours. If you’re using breasts, you may need to add extra time to ensure they’re fully cooked.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy. Let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This allows time for everything to settle.
💭 Pro Tips
- Use bone-in chicken thighs: They stay juicy and are more flavorful than boneless.
- Use Yellow Rice: Yellow rice is the best! I don’t use white rice for this dish, but you can swap it out if desired. Depending on the type you use in the swap, you may need to adjust the amount of water.
- Spray the Dish: Give your baking dish a good spray with nonstick cooking spray. Trust me, this makes cleanup a breeze!
- Don’t skip the foil: Covering the dish helps everything cook properly, absorb all the flavors, and keep it moist. Let the oven do the work for an easy chicken and yellow rice dinner.
- Short on time? Using pre-cooked or shredded chicken can speed things up, but you’ll still need to bake the casserole long enough for the rice to cook through.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
This yellow rice with chicken is a meal on its own, but you can pair it with other delicious sides. A few of my favorites are:
- Serve with simple vegetables like zucchini fries with parmesan or deep fried okra.
- A simple side salad like this tomato caprese salad would add lots of color and complement the dish.
- Add some warm biscuits like these easy drop biscuits from scratch.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yellow rice is a flavorful, seasoned rice that gets its golden color from turmeric or saffron. The seasoning mix in this rice adds depth and warmth to dishes, making it an excellent choice for casseroles. This rice is usually found next to the white rice in the grocery store.
This chicken and yellow rice recipe tastes great the next day, making it perfect for meal prep.
Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the Microwave: Add leftovers to a microwave-safe dish and heat in the microwave until warmed throughout.
Reheat in the Oven: Add leftovers to an oven-safe dish and heat at 350°F until warmed through.
If your rice didn’t cook in this casserole, it is likely due to not having enough liquid in the dish to cook it properly, you didn’t cook it long enough, or the liquid evaporated due to not being covered.
More Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas
If you tried this Chicken and Yellow Rice recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Chicken and Yellow Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs I used 8 thighs.
- 10 oz. package yellow rice
- 2 (10.5 oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 ⅓ cups water
- salt and pepper I sometimes use onion powder, garlic powder, and lemon pepper.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray a 9"x13" casserole dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a bowl, stir together the rice, cream of mushroom soup, and water until everything is well combined.
- Pour the rice mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Arrange the chicken on top of rice mixture.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper (or your favorite seasonings) over the chicken. Feel free to add a little garlic powder or paprika for extra flavor!
- Cover with foil and bake for 1.5 hours. If you are using breasts, you may need to add an additional 30 minutes and adjust the time accordingly.
Notes
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- Chicken Breasts: Swap thighs for breasts, but adjust the time accordingly.
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- Cream of Chicken Soup: If you’re not a fan of cream of mushroom, cream of chicken works just as well.
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- Chicken Broth: Replace water with vegetable or chicken broth for extra depth of flavor.
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- Use bone-in chicken thighs: They stay juicy and are more flavorful than boneless.
-
- Use Yellow Rice: Yellow rice is the best! I don’t use white rice for this dish, but you can swap it out if desired. Depending on the type you use in the swap, you may need to adjust the cups of water.
-
- Spray the Dish: Give your baking dish a good spray with nonstick cooking spray. Trust me, this makes cleanup a breeze!
-
- Don’t skip the foil: Covering the dish helps the rice cook properly, absorb all the flavors, and keep it moist. Let the oven do the work for an easy dinner.
This chicken and yellow rice casserole was so delicious! I loved how easy it was to make and it was so good!
Hi,
I have a couple questions I will be making this dish tomorrow. First question I plan on using frozen green beans should I defrost them ahead of time ahead of time. Second question just making sure I’m not cooking the rice first then adding it to the Casserole?
Hi Tracey! I’m so glad you are going to try this recipe. My family loves chicken and rice and request it often. This is super easy to put together. For the first question, I have never added green beans to my casserole. If you decide to do this–I would defrost the green beans before adding to the mixture. Again, I have never added green beans to my casserole. OR you could always have them as a side dish. Second question, you DO NOT need to cook the rice before adding to the mixture. There will be enough liquid in the mix to allow the rice to cook in the oven. Thanks for the questions. Enjoy!
Thank you thank you. Dinner turned out amazing. Green beans added a great flavor. I did use cream of chicken soup as well. If you can provide an email address I would love to send you a picture
Thank you very much again.
Thank you, Tracey for the picture. I am so glad dinner was a success. Check back for more recipes. 🙂
Just threw this together tonight, I used a xan of mushroom and a can of chicken condensed soup, I’m excited (;
Yay! I love mushrooms in just about everything! I bet it was delicious!
I am single and have been looking for some good recipes 😋. This looks great and can easily be cut down for one serving size. Going to try this tonight.
Love easy recipes and really love yellow rice. Will have to try this one – thanks!
My mom used to make a similar recipe for our family while growing up, though I don’t think she used yellow rice. I bet that’s a great flavor addition. I really like yellow rice. I’ll have to try something like this for my husband and myself soon! It sounds easy and yummy!
Mmmm, this sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
This looks so yummy! Chicken and rice is always a big hit in our home.
This sounds delicious! My partner regularly makes chicken, broccoli & rice which I love!
This looks yummy thank you for sharing
This looks yummy may just be our dinner tonight. Thank you for sharing.
I tell you this looks sumptuous. It’s very boring to make something with lots of ingredients and pre chopping and all. I am definitely gonna try this recipe with very less ingredients.
I definitely want to try this. Not a lot of ingredients which is perfect for me!
This looks super delicious! I’ve been looking for chicken casserole recipes and this looks perfect for dinner. Thanks!
You are welcome! Enjoy!
Hi! I’m using chicken breasts instead as we like white meat best but I wanted to ask you if I put the chicken on the rice in the casserole dish while it’s frozen still?
Hi Kristy,
Chicken breast will work for this recipe. I would not recommend using frozen meat. I would thaw before adding to the top of the rice. Also, depending on the size of the breast, you may need to cook a little longer. Great question! Thanks for trying this recipe. Enjoy!
Yum! I’ve never cooked with yellow rice before. Will have to give this a try!