Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
This post is sponsored by Zoup! All opinions expressed in this post are my own as I only support brands that I really love.
This easy Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice recipe is a protein-packed, dump and go, slow cooker casserole that’s family-friendly and comes together in minutes. It requires just 15 minutes of hands-on prep, then your Crock Pot does the hard work for you!
This Crock Pot Chicken Wild Rice Casserole takes me back to my childhood. It’s reminiscent of the rice casseroles that my mom used to make with the exception of cream of mushroom condensed soup.
This particular casserole is packed with tender shredded chicken breast, hearty wild rice, veggies and herbs, savory parmesan cheese, and Zoup! Portabella Mushroom Bisque for a modern upgrade.
Each jar of Zoup! Portabella Mushroom Bisque features a classic French recipe that’s creamy, rich, and kettle cooked in small batches with no artificial flavors or preservatives.
It adds creaminess to the casserole, and its homemade taste shines through with a blend of button, baby bella, and portabella mushrooms, aromatic herbs, savory seasonings and Zoup! Savory Veggie Broth.
The hands-on prep for this creamy chicken casserole with wild rice takes about 15 minutes, then it’s cooked on high for 2 1/2 – 4 hours until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork.
From there, stir in the shredded chicken, sautéed mushrooms and parmesan cheese and dinner is served. This is comfort food, pure and simple!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This chicken and wild rice casserole is an easy dump and go Crock Pot recipe that takes just 15 minutes of prep.
- It’s creamy, comforting and packed with protein.
- It can be customized with brown rice, your favorite veggies, herbs and seasonings.
- Leftovers reheat well, making this recipe a great option for meal prep.
Recipe ingredients
This recipe calls for mostly pantry staples, most of which can be customized with what you have on hand.
- Chicken breasts. You’ll need 1 – 1.5 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper before adding to the Crock Pot. Sub them with boneless skinless chicken thighs as desired.
- Zoup! Portabella Mushroom Bisque. The soup is so creamy, flavorful and packed with a delicious blend of mushrooms. It truly makes this casserole shine!
- Onion. Use about 1/2 an onion, finely chopped, to make sure that it’s nice and tender. Finely chopped shallot is also a great option. The onion adds great flavor.
- Carrot. Must be peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
- Celery. Infuses the casserole with aromatic flavor. If you’re not a fan, simply omit it.
- Garlic. Three cloves of fresh minced garlic adds a layer of flavor. If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder instead.
- Mushrooms. Amp up the veggies by cooking 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms in a skillet on the stove top and add it to the casserole with the shredded chicken.
- Herbs. You’ll need 1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried and a bay leaf. Sub with your favorite herbs such as Italian seasoning, rosemary, etc.
- Wild rice. Use regular wild rice blend, not a quick cooking blend. Sub the wild rice with brown rice if you prefer.
- Chicken stock. Be sure to use low sodium chicken stock to prevent the casserole from being overly salty.
- Parmesan cheese. Shredded parmesan cheese is added to the casserole once it’s cooked for cheesy, umami flavor.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
More about Zoup!
- Created by the team behind Zoup! Eatery (now Z!Eats), which has been serving soup to customers for over two decades.
- The Zoup! Soup lineup includes nine flavor-forward recipes, ranging from Chicken Potpie and Chicken Noodle to Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Sage.
- Zoup! also offers Culinary Concentratesâ„¢, gourmet broth bases available in chicken, beef and savory vegan. In addition, Zoup! makes traditional broths and bone broths, including chicken, beef, and veggie.
- Zoup! products are available for purchase at retailers across the country, through Instacart, and online at ZoupBroth.com, Walmart.com, and Amazon.com
- Visit ZoupBroth.com to learn more and follow @ZoupGoodReallyGood on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and @ZoupGoodReallyGoodBroth on Pinterest.
- Use coupon code 20ZOUPFLAVOR, which is good for 20% off your first Zoup! purchase on Amazon through 3/23/25.
How to make chicken and wild rice casserole in the Crock Pot
This chicken and wild rice Crock Pot recipe is family-friendly and couldn’t be easier to prepare.
Everything is dumped into the slow cooker, with the option to cook mushrooms separately and add them later, then the slow cooker does the rest.
Pro tip: Begin checking for doneness after the casserole has been cooking 3 hours on low as all Crock Pots vary. Cooking time can take anywhere from 3-4 hours on low heat.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Prepare and cook the casserole
- Place the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rinsed wild rice and thyme in the slow cooker.
- Whisk together the mushroom bisque, chicken stock, coconut aminos and Dijon mustard until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the slow cooker and stir, then place the chicken breast and bay leaf in the liquid.
- Cook on high for 2 1/2 -3 1/2 hours or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is tender enough to shred easily. Be sure to begin checking for doneness after 2 1/2 hours.
Assemble the casserole
- Adding mushrooms is completely optional but highly recommended. Heat the tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a medium to large skillet. Cook the mushrooms until the liquid has evaporated and they’re golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the Crock Pot, place on a cutting board and shred.
- Add the shredded chicken, mushrooms and parmesan cheese to the rice and stir gently until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe FAQs
The wild rice blend may be substituted with long grain brown rice, not quick cooking or instant brown rice.
Bear in mind that the cooking time and amount of liquid could vary if you use a different type of rice.
Simply omit the chicken and substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock to make this casserole vegetarian.
Serving suggestions
The beauty of Crock Pot casseroles like this one is that they’re essentially meals-in-one complete with your carbs, protein, and veggies!
If you want to stretch the serving size further, pair the chicken and wild rice with the following:
- During the final few minutes of cooking, toss together a spring mix salad or butter lettuce salad.
- Incorporate more veggies by serving roasted asparagus or air fryer broccoli on the side.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Be sure to use regular wild rice blend, not quick cooking wild rice. The wild rice may be substituted with long grain brown rice as desired.
- This recipe may be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth in place of chicken stock.
- Feel free to substitute using your favorite types of veggies. Cooked broccoli, peas are also great options!
- You’ll need to use a 6-quart or larger Crock Pot when making the chicken and rice casserole.
More Crock Pot chicken recipes you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Crock Pot Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion chopped small
- 1 carrot chopped into 1/2" chunks
- 1 stalk celery chopped into 1/2" chunks
- 3 cloves garlic minced; sub with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1.5 cups wild rice blend not quick cooking wild rice; rinsed well
- 16 ounces Zoup! Portabella Mushroom Bisque
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos sub with soy sauce, tamari or Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 – 1.5 lbs., seasoned with salt and black pepper, to taste; see note 2
- 1 bay leaf optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil see note 3
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms stemmed and sliced; see note 3
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grease the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray or oil. Place the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and rinsed wild rice in the crock pot.1/2 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 1.5 cups wild rice blend
- Whisk together the portabella mushroom bisque, chicken stock, coconut aminos and dijon mustard in a medium bowl until combined, then pour over the wild rice mixture in the crock pot and stir well.16 ounces Zoup! Portabella Mushroom Bisque, 2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock, 1 tablespoon coconut aminos, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- Submerge the chicken breasts in the liquid and top with the bay leaf. Cover the Crock Pot and cook on high for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours or until the chicken is tender enough to shred easily and the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. I recommend checking for doneness after 2 1/2 hours as all crock pots vary. Turn off the crock pot and discard the bay leaf. Place the chicken on a cutting board and shred.2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 bay leaf
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, about 5-6 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
- Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot along with the mushrooms and parmesan cheese, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season as necessary. Serve with additional parmesan cheese as desired and enjoy!salt and pepper
Notes
- Pro tip: Be sure to use regular wild rice blend, not quick cooking wild rice. Sub the wild rice with regular long grain brown rice as desired.
- If your chicken breasts are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise so that they cook faster. Sub the chicken breasts with boneless skinless chicken thighs as desired.
- Adding mushrooms is completely optional. If you don’t wish to include them, simply omit them or replace with your favorite cooked veggies.
- This recipe may be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and substituting the chicken broth with veggie stock.
- Store chicken and wild rice casserole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
27 Comments on “Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole”
Can this recipe be made into a soup?
I have a slow cooker turkey wild rice soup recipe — simply search the archives for it.
Can you provide times for doing this in the Instant Pot?
Try this Instant Pot version: https://flavorthemoments.com/instant-pot-chicken-and-rice/
I grew up in Texas, one of the largest rice growing regions in the US, but my mother seldom cooked rice. I love it and use it often so your meal sounds good to me.
Thank you Karen — I think you’d love Floating Leaf! 🙂
We grew up on rice pilaf so any sort of dish like this reminds me of my childhood! And not to mention it sounds so delicious and cozy! I’ve never seen Floating Leaf before – I’ll have to keep an eye out for it next time I’m at the grocery store.
I’m glad you’re on the same page with me on rice! You would love Floating Leaf Ashley. It’s not super widely distributed yet but you can find it on Amazon and I hear it’s rolling out to Whole Foods!
What an awesome dish for the whole family! Gotta try this one.
Thank you so much Tricia!
Such warm and cozy food! I could go for a big plate of this for dinner tonight!
It’s the ultimate comfort food! Thanks Gayle!
I love cheesy rice casseroles like this! They’re total comfort food but also nice and healthy too!
Aren’t they delicious? Thanks Izzy!
This looks so good Marcie — love the ease of the crockpot for healthy dinners! I adore Floating Leaf and know you’ve got something special here!
Thanks so much Michelle and I will be making this all fall and winter long!
Holy moly, this looks so comforting and delicious! And I love how this wild rice brings the comfort food to a more nutritious level! Can’t wait to devour this.
Yes…the wild rice makes this dish so much more wholesome! Thanks Dana!
This recipe is amazing! I absolutely love Floating Leaf rice blends. Such a great idea to make it in your crockpot!
I’m with you Kristen — I love those rice blends. Thank you! 🙂
Thank you Robyn and you’re so right — that wild rice is so special!
This looks so ridiculously cozy and comforting! Well done!!!
Thank you Lauren! 🙂
All my favorite ingredients in one dish!
It doesn’t get much better! 🙂
Plugging in my crock pot now, this is perfect for a chilly fall night, and I love Floating Leaf blends!
I hope you love this meal Sue! Those Floating Leaf blends are amazing. 🙂