This Chicken and Wild Rice Crockpot is creamy, hearty, and packed with tender chicken, veggies, and perfectly cooked wild rice.
author’s note
The Easiest Way to Win Friendsgiving!
The second the weather cools down, I’m pulling out the crockpot and making all the hearty dinners. There’s nothing better than tossing everything in earlier in the day and having dinner practically ready when the evening gets busy!
This Chicken and Wild Rice Crockpot is pure comfort food. It has all the creamy goodness of my creamy chicken and wild rice soup, but it’s thicker and heartier, almost like a casserole. It’s packed with tender chicken, plenty of veggies, wild rice, and lots of Cheddar.
It’s also a fun alternative to the classic Thanksgiving turkey. Whether you’re planning Thanksgiving, hosting Friendsgiving, or simply want something different, this dish is always a hit. And the best part? The crockpot does most of the work!
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Helpful Tips |
|---|---|
| Chicken | Use boneless, skinless thighs for extra tenderness and flavor or breasts for a leaner option. Trim excess fat and cut breasts into smaller pieces for even cooking. |
| Wild Rice Blend | Choose an unseasoned wild rice blend, not regular wild rice or black rice. Rinse well to remove excess starch and prevent clumping. |
| Chicken Broth | Use unsalted broth for better control over the seasoning. |
| Mixed Vegetables | Use your favorite combo or add onion, carrot, celery, and sweet potato. Pre-chopped vegetables make prep even faster. |
| Garlic & Seasonings | Garlic, poultry seasoning, parsley, paprika, bay leaves, salt, and pepper build plenty of savory flavor. Don’t skip the poultry seasoning! |
| Butter, Flour & Whole Milk | These three ingredients create the rich cream sauce. Add the liquids slowly while whisking to keep it smooth. |
| Cheddar Cheese | Freshly grate the cheese for the smoothest melt. |
Quick Tip
If your crockpot tends to run hot, then your dish might be done sooner, so it’s a good idea to check around 2 and 1/2 hours. On the other hand, if your crockpot runs cooler, it could take up to 4 and 1/2 hours. Finally, you’ll know it’s done when most of the liquid is absorbed, and the chicken shreds easily.
How To Make This Chicken and Wild Rice Crockpot
- Add to crockpot: Add the chicken, wild rice, veggies, seasonings, and broth.
- Cook: Cover and cook on high until the chicken is cooked and the rice is tender.
- Cream sauce: Melt butter, whisk in flour, then slowly add broth and milk. Cook.
- Finish: Shred the chicken, then stir in cream sauce and Cheddar. Add toppings.
Featured Comment
“What an awesome dish! We gobbled this down, and have plans to make it again soon… really a wholesome, wintery, delicious and easy dish to prepare. It doesn’t get easier than this, or tastier than this.Five star!!”
– Santana
Storage
Cool Down: Let the wild rice casserole cool to room temperature.
Store: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Warm in the microwave or oven until heated through. Add a splash of broth if it’s too thick.
More Delicious Crockpot Meals:
Chicken and Wild Rice Crockpot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1-1/4 cups wild rice blend see note 1
- 4 cups chicken broth divided, I like Swanson’s
- 2-1/2 cups mixed vegetables use what you like or 1 small onion, 1 carrot, 2 stalks celery, 1 small sweet potato
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1-1/4 teaspoons poultry seasoning see note 2
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup freshly shredded Cheddar cheese
- Sliced almonds optional
- Freshly chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Generously grease a large crockpot (I use a 6-quart one).
- Trim the fat from the chicken breasts or thighs. If using chicken breasts, cut each breast into 2–3 even pieces (so they will cook at the same rate as the rice).
- In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the wild rice blend to remove excess starch. Add to the Crock-Pot.
- Prepare the veggies: dice an onion, thickly coin a carrot, slice celery, and chop the sweet potato into bite-size pieces. Add to the Crock-Pot.
- Add in the minced garlic, poultry seasoning, dried parsley, paprika, salt and pepper to preference (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper), and bay leaves.
- Pour 3 cups of chicken broth over everything and stir.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 and 1/2 to 4 and 1/2 hours or until the chicken is cooked through, rice is tender, and most of the liquid has been absorbed. I do not recommend cooking this dish on low.
- Near the end of cooking time, melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat.
- Whisking constantly, slowly add in the flour. Whisk the mixture for 1 minute.
- Very slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup chicken broth. Allow the mixture to thicken. Again, very slowly, whisk in the whole milk. Allow the mixture to thicken.
- Shred the chicken in the Crock-Pot and add in the cream mixture, Cheddar cheese, and if desired, sliced almonds and chopped fresh parsley. Taste and add any other seasonings to taste such as a pinch more of salt/pepper.
- Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just wondering if this is a soup or more like a risotto? It looks delicious!
Soup! If it’s too thick you can always add some more broth. The longer it sits/cooks, the thicker it gets since rice continues to absorb surrounding liquid!