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Delicious no peek chicken is an easy, cozy dinner recipe with tender chicken and rice baked in one dish. Everything stays moist and flavorful under foil–the hardest part is trying not to peek!
I’m a sucker for a viral recipe. I’ve shared my spin on the TikTok-famous Mediterranean baked feta pasta and spaghetti casserole recipes. No peek chicken and rice took social media by storm a few months back, and all I can say is I should have tried it sooner!
I made this no peek chicken recently, and, can I just say, WOW. Where has no peek chicken been my whole life? This recipe has all the retro vibes of a chicken and rice casserole that someone’s grandmother discovered on the back of a soup can. In the BEST possible way.
When I made it, I freshened the flavors up with lemon and parmesan cheese. The chicken came out super juicy and the rice was so creamy! I could eat it again tomorrow. And I likely will, since the leftovers store like a dream.
Where Does the Name Come From?
All the ingredients for no peek chicken get added to a baking dish, covered with foil, and baked. The name “no peek” comes from how tempting it is to sneak a glance under the foil while the casserole cooks. But the first rule of no peek chicken is just that: No peeking! 🙈
Why I Love No Peek Chicken
- It’s super easy. No peek chicken is a one-and-done meal, with baked chicken and rice cooked all in one baking dish. Some recipes call for a whole cut-up chicken, but I use quick-cooking chicken breasts because, well, weeknights.
- There’s lots of flavor. My version of no peek chicken has a savory mix of ranch, parmesan, and fresh lemon zest baked into the sauce. The flavors are just as addictive as my family’s favorite marry me chicken.
- The chicken is so juicy. As everything bakes, the foil traps the steam, locking in the juiciness of the chicken. Meanwhile, the rice absorbs the sauce, and by the time it’s done cooking, everything is deliciously savory and tender.
- It’s a meal-in-one. Not only does this recipe bake in one pan, but it’s a complete chicken dinner in one. Just serve up and enjoy! It’s also easy to play around with seasonings or add vegetables with similar cooking times, so you can really make this no peek chicken your own.
Recipe Ingredients
These are my notes on what you’ll need to make this easy no peek chicken and rice casserole. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for a printable list with the full recipe details.
- Cream of Chicken and Cream of Broccoli – You can also substitute one or both of these with condensed cream of mushroom soup.
- Ranch Dip Mix – Or ranch dressing mix. They’re basically the same thing!
- Lemon Zest – For a bit of freshness. I also like to squeeze a bit of the leftover lemon over my chicken and rice when serving.
- Chicken Stock – Or low-sodium vegetable stock.
- Rice – I use basmati rice, but a similar long-grain white rice, like jasmine, also works. You could also use wild rice for a version that’s similar to wild rice chicken casserole. Avoid instant rice or minute rice as it cooks too quickly and will turn out mushy.
- Chicken – Use any boneless or bone-in chicken you’d like. Keep in mind you’ll need to adjust the baking time. Boneless chicken, like the chicken breasts I use, cooks faster than bone-in chicken. You may also need to add a little more liquid to match the longer cooking time.
- Parmesan Cheese – I love a crust of parmesan cheese over my juicy baked chicken. You can use another shredded or grated cheese, like cheddar.
- Black Pepper – Freshly cracked pepper is classic, but there are plenty of ways to season this no peek chicken casserole. I can’t wait to try my chicken seasoning or something with more kick, like homemade Jamaican jerk spice.
How to Make No Peek Chicken and Rice
Here’s a short overview of how to make no peek chicken. You’ll find a complete step-by-step in the printable recipe card below the post!
- Mix the ingredients. First, combine the condensed soup, ranch mix, lemon zest and rice. Pour in the chicken stock and stir.
- Assemble. Add the rice mixture to a greased 9×13” baking dish. Next, nestle the chicken breasts into the rice. Lastly, sprinkle over the parmesan and season with pepper.
- Bake. Now’s when the magic happens! Cover the baking dish with foil and place it into the oven. Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remember, no looking!
- Broil. Finally, remove the foil and broil the casserole for the last 2-3 minutes to get the parmesan nice and toasted. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Don’t peek! Do I sound like a broken record yet? LOL. But in all seriousness, the whole point of no peek chicken is to leave it covered for the entire time that it bakes. Resist the urge to lift the foil, which releases the steam.
- Add vegetables. The best choice of veggies for this dish are chopped onions, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, frozen peas, sweet corn, or a mix of vegetables. Frozen veggies can go right into the casserole and bake from frozen.
- Different seasonings. I mentioned it earlier, but this no peek chicken leaves lots of wiggle room in terms of seasonings. Try herb blends like Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence, or dried herbs and spices like cayenne, thyme, and oregano.
- Make it low-carb. For a low-carb version, make this no peek chicken with cauliflower rice. You might also like this chicken and cauliflower rice casserole!
Serving Suggestions
No peek chicken doesn’t need much, maybe a fresh green salad to balance the richness of the dish, or a side of fluffy bread to soak up the extra sauce. I love this leafy salad with orzo and feta or this green goddess salad, and my homemade focaccia bread or skillet cornbread is always a winner!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. No peek chicken and rice stores well for 3-4 days in the fridge. Let the casserole cool completely and store it in an airtight container.
- Reheat. Warm leftovers on the stove or in the microwave. I usually add a splash of broth or water to help keep the rice moist.
- Freeze. No peek chicken freezes great for up to 3 months. You can reheat it in a 350ºF oven straight from frozen until the chicken and rice are hot throughout.
More Chicken Casseroles
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Salsa Verde Chicken
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No Peek Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken
- 1 10.5-ounce can cream of broccoli
- 1 1-ounce packet ranch dip mix
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking with cooking spray.
- Mix. In a large bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of broccoli soup, ranch dip mix, lemon zest, chicken stock, and rice.
- Assemble. Pour the rice mixture into the prepared baking dish and arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer over the top. Sprinkle evenly with the parmesan and pepper.
- Bake. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Do not peek or remove the foil during baking (yet).
- Broil. Remove the foil from the baking dish, turn on the broiler, and broil until the parmesan is nice and golden brown (2-3 minutes).
- Garnish and serve. Remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle everything with chopped fresh parsley, and serve warm.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
The No Peek Chicken was very easy to make And very flavorful. Although next time I think I will use less rice and more broth, the rice seemed like so much and there wasn’t much juice in the rice.
This recipe is wonderful. I wouldn’t change a thing. The lemon zest was the perfect finish. I think I will serve it next time with fresh steamed vegetables.
I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! The lemon zest really does add a nice touch. Serving it with fresh steamed vegetables sounds like a delicious idea! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can you recommend an alternative to the two canned soups? We avoid canned soups entirely in our house because of the heavy salt content (we’re a low-sodium family).
Hi!
I totally get it—canned soups can be loaded with salt, so I often swap them out in my recipes, too. Instead of using canned soup, I recommend my béchamel sauce recipe, which you can find here: https://diethood.com/bechamel-sauce-quick-easy/
For the chicken soup alternative, you can add a crumbled low-sodium chicken bouillon cube to the flour mixture while making the béchamel. If you want to keep it really low-sodium, you could skip the bouillon altogether and just add some herbs and spices to taste.
For the broccoli soup substitute, finely chop some broccoli florets and sauté them until tender, then stir them into the béchamel. You’ll need just under 3 cups of the béchamel for this recipe.