Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipe – Your favorite chicken and rice casserole prepared in the crock pot! Made with brown rice, tomatoes, and chicken, this is a healthy, delicious, and easy slow cooker recipe perfect for those busy weeknights.
I have a Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice recipe, just like your favorite childhood casserole, only this recipe cooks in the slow cooker while you go and take care of your daily bizness! It’s the perfect set-it-and-forget-it-meal for when you’re on the go or just wanting to take it suuuuper easy (read: lazy Sundays).
Hello there, FRIENDS! Hello there, FRIDAY!!! SO happy to see you!
THIS delish recipe will have your whole family enjoying a warm, filling, healthy meal, together. Even my verrrry picky 8-year old went for seconds.
Plus just look at this glorious bowl of food… I think everyone at the table will absolutely love this meal!
One of my favorite things about this recipe is the tomato sauce. It’s just a quick sauté of onions with a can of tomatoes and some beautiful seasonings, but it really adds so much flavor and awesome texture to the meal.
Side note: Could you ignore the white rice in the pic above, please? Thank youuuu! I forgot to take a process-photo when I made the recipe with brown rice, so the next time that I decided to have this for dinner, I only had white rice and that is how we ended up with that pic above.
CUTS OF CHICKEN
… For Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipes
I am a huge fan of slow cooker chicken and rice concoctions, and I LOVE IT with chicken legs. You, however, do not need to use chicken legs. Want some thighs? DO IT! Skin-on, skin-off, that’s all up to you. I have to add though, for less calories and fat, I suggest using skinless thighs, legs, and/or breasts.
Also, depending on the size of the breasts/thighs/legs, you can fit up to 6 chicken pieces in this crock pot recipe.
But friends, we won’t stop there. No. You are are hungry for the creamy tomatoey rice, as am I, and we will make that happen, too, with a stir of chicken broth.
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN AND RICE
- First and foremost, prepare the onions and tomatoes. I suggest using a can of diced tomatoes with the liquid, but you can also make it with fresh tomatoes.
- Next is to layer the rice inside the slow cooker and add the tomatoes and onions on top.
- A stir of chicken broth will bring all that together.
- Browning of the chicken is not a must, but I prefer it only because it adds more flavor.
- Arrange browned chicken pieces over the rice and tomatoes. You can use whatever chicken pieces you’ve got – chicken legs are my fave in this one!
- Cover with the lid and cook it on LOW for about 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 hours.
Cook’s Notes:
A saute of the onions and tomatoes is also NOT a must. You can just dump all these ingredients together in the slow cooker and let it do it’s thing. It will be fine. Not as flavorful, but still a really good meal with very little work. M’kay?
If you’re looking for an easy meal that will keep your whole family full and happy, I think you’re going to be thrilled with this dinner recipe.
ENJOY!
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TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE:
Your favorite chicken and rice casserole prepared in the crock pot! Made with brown rice, tomatoes, and chicken, this is a healthy, delicious, and easy slow cooker recipe perfect for those busy weeknights.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 2 cups long grain brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
- 6 (about 1.5 to 2 pounds) chicken pieces you can use chicken legs, thighs, and/or breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- dried parsley, for garnish
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add sliced onions to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in garlic and continue to cook and stir for 30 seconds.
Add diced tomatoes with the liquid, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; continue to cook for 3 minutes, or until tender and heated through.
Layer rice on the bottom of your slow cooker.
Stir prepared tomatoes mixture into the rice; add chicken broth and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium heat.
Season chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper.
Add chicken pieces to the pan and brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, depending on the cut of chicken.
Transfer chicken pieces to the slow cooker and arrange over the rice and tomatoes.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 3.5 hours.
Fluff the rice before serving and garnish with dried parsley.
WW FREESTYLE SMART POINTS: 5
*It is 4 points if you use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
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NEED MORE CHICKEN AND RICE? Check out these recipes:
One Pot Chicken and Rice with Artichokes
This recipe is awful. The suggested cooking times turn the rice into pudding and dry out the chicken. The results shown in the pictures are certainly not the result of following this recipe.
My rice came out mushy. Neither of my kids would touch it. My husband said he thinks it’s missing something flavore-wise. I gave it 4 stars because the chicken leg quarters were moist.
Not enough liquid. The rice was still hard after all the liquid was absorbed and the chicken was done. I added a can of cream of chicken soup and more chicken broth and cooked longer.
I love a dish which includes chicken and rice, so this recipe is a perfect lunch idea, Katerina! Keep up the awesome work!
I will be breaking out the slow cooker for this one!
I have to make this slow cooker dish! It looks amazing!
Wow I love this healthy meal for dinner!
I love set it and forget it meals
I love Slow Cooker meals! I need to try this recipe!
What a wonderful meal this makes! I love how rich the flavors look – mmm!
I made this for dinner last night in the instant pot and it was SO GOOD. Even my 4 year old asked for more of the rice and told me how delicious it was. And it was so easy. Thanks for the new recipe!
This looks so flavorful! Thanks for sharing!