Slow-cooked creamy chicken and wild rice casserole—easy prep and packed with flavor!
Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Today, we’re pulling out the crockpot for pure comfort food: a creamy chicken and wild rice casserole. It’s like a cozy creamy chicken and wild rice soup in casserole form—the perfect cold-weather meal!
This dish is a great alternative to the classic Thanksgiving turkey, whether you’re planning for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or just want something different.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs or breasts: Chicken thighs are juicier, while breasts, on are leaner. Trim fat and cut breasts into smaller pieces for even cooking.
- Wild rice blend: Rinse the rice to remove excess starch and prevent clumping.
- Chicken broth: Serves as the cooking liquid, infusing the dish with rich flavor. Use unsalted broth to control the saltiness of the wild rice casserole.
- Mixed vegetables: Add flavor, color, and nutrients. Buying pre-chopped veggies save time. Sweet potato adds a slight sweetness.
- Minced garlic and seasonings: Build the dish’s savory and delicious flavor. Poultry seasoning is key for flavor; don’t skip it.
- Butter, flour, whole milk: Create a creamy sauce that ties the dish together. Whisk slowly to avoid lumps in the sauce.
- Cheddar cheese: Adds a rich, sharp flavor to the creamy base. Use freshly grated cheese for better melting.
Storage
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 Wild Rice Casserole
- Prepare Ingredients: Trim the chicken, cut breasts into pieces, and rinse the wild rice. Dice the veggies and add everything to a greased crockpot.
- Add Seasonings: Mix in garlic, poultry seasoning, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Pour in 3 cups of chicken broth and stir.
- Cook: Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, checking occasionally until the chicken is done, the rice is tender, and most of the liquid is absorbed.Make Cream Sauce: Meanwhile, near the end of cooking, melt the butter in a pot. Next, whisk in the flour, and then gradually add the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth and milk, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens.
- Finish and Serve: Shred the chicken in the crockpot, mix in the cream sauce and cheddar cheese, and add optional toppings like almonds and parsley. Adjust seasoning if needed, and serve right away.
Storage
Cool Down: Let the wild ricecasserole 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:
- Crockpot Chili (Rave Reviews!)
- Crockpot Mexican Quinoa Tacos
- Crockpot Short Ribs
- Crockpot Creamy Enchilada Soup
- Easy Crockpot Sweet Potato Stew
- Crock Pot Roast (Reader Favorite!)
Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Slow-cooked creamy chicken and wild rice casserole—easy prep and packed with flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 and 1/4 cups wild rice blend*
- 4 cups Swanson Unsalted Chicken Broth separated
- 2 and 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 and 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning**
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup white flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- Optional: sliced almonds, freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Generously grease a large crockpot. I use a 6-quart crockpot for this recipe.
- 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 crockpot.
- Prepare the veggies: dice an onion, thickly coin a carrot, slice celery, and chop the sweet potato into bite-sized pieces. Add to the crockpot.
- Add in the minced garlic, poultry seasoning, dried parsley, paprika, salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper), and bay leaves.
- Pour 3 cups of chicken broth over everything and stir.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 and 1/2 - 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 crockpot and then add in the cream mixture, cheddar cheese, and if desired sliced almonds and fresh chopped parsley. Taste and add any other seasonings to taste such as a pinch more of salt and/or pepper.
- Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
*Make sure you purchase a WILD RICE BLEND. Regular wild rice or black rice (forbidden rice) will turn the casserole purple. I do not recommend getting a wild rice blend from a box with seasoning mix in it. **Poultry seasoning can be found near all other spices. It is very important to not omit this because it adds quite a bit of flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.3g | Protein: 24.4g | Fat: 16.2g | Cholesterol: 99.8mg | Sodium: 180.9mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 2.4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a good recipe, though I omitted the cheese. I prefer real wild rice instead of a blend. The dish will not turn purple using all wild rice, only if you misused forbidden rice in it.
Depending on the type of wild rice, you may need to cook longer. Darker wild rice may take longer to cook.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this! Thanks so much for your tips Amy! 🙂
Super quick and easy and yummy too!
What do you think about reheating? Or could you possibly freeze and save for later?
Thanks Caly! It reheats great! We haven’t tried freezing it yet, I’m not sure how it would do, but if you give it a try let me know! Thanks again! 🙂
I haven’t made this yet, I’m wanting to cook it in the oven, what temp and how long in the oven?
Thank you
So should I thaw frozen veggies before I add them?
I think they’ll be okay without being thawed!
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
All the information I’ve seen says you should never use frozen meat in a crockpot.
Made this recipe for dinner tonight. Had my husband try it before adding all the fat and he liked it. So stopped there and enjoyed a low fat recipe! Left out butter, cheese, milk etc.
Can I use just regular brown rice instead of wild rice blend?
I’m sorry I haven’t ever tested brown rice with this recipe, so I’m not sure how it would work out. I would think okay, but could end up a bit mushy
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!!
YAYY!! I’m sooo happy to hear this!! Thanks for your kind comment! 🙂
Hi! Planning on making this today. I know it is from two years ago, but I have a quick question. I only have basmati rice at home. Would that change anything much with the dish? Thanks.
Hi Heather! It actually will; basmati rice cooks at a very different rate than a wild rice blend so I’d be worried your casserole would turn out very mushy.
Rated 5 stars although haven’t tasted yet – it’s in the crock pot now. Because I can’t follow instructions, I’m skipping the flour/butter and using a can of cream of mushroom soup. And I didn’t trim the fat off the chicken because I am a rebel. And there’s some leftover Texmati along with the wild rice.
Hope you love it! 🙂
It will totally be a different recipe you made then,,,,
This was delish! I added the sweet potato and loved the slightly sweet taste it gives. Also, instead of sprinkling shredded cheddar on each serving, I whisked it into white sauce. Loved it!
So happy you enjoyed this dish Colleen! 🙂 Thank you so much for the comment 🙂