MAMAW’S CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE
Quick and easy chicken and rice casserole that’s perfect for a busy day, potlucks or a special delivery to family and friends in need of some comfort. Serve with your favorite green veggies and a side salad for one good down home meal. This makes for awesome leftovers too – it’s even better the next day!
Read rave reviews from people who tried this recipe on Pinterest (Photos)!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MAMAW’S CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes (1 1/2 to 2 lbs), 2 cups instant white rice, 2 cups water, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can cream of celery soup, salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, 1/2 cup butter cut into pads.
**If you don’t care for canned soup, I have links below to make your own homemade condensed soups.**

HOW TO MAKE MAMAW’S CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE
Grease a baking dish (I use a 9×13 baking dish) well, bottom and sides. Next, place chicken pieces in dish evenly, pour water, rice, soups and desired salt and pepper on top, mix well. Last, top evenly with pads of butter.
Place on middle rack of pre-heated oven (400 degrees F) and bake for 60-75 mins. When ready, remove and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with a side salad and your favorite veggies – broccoli and green beans go well with this dish.
This is one of my husband’s favorite casseroles. He looks forward to having the leftovers for work – he thinks it’s even better the next day…and I agree.
PINNABLE IMAGE
PINNABLE IMAGE
Mamaw’s Chicken & Rice Casserole
From Allrecipes.com by Katie Benham
Step-by-Step Video
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Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes (approximately 1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups instant white rice
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, condensed (or make homemade)
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of celery soup, condensed (or make homemade)
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, condensed (or make homemade)
- salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup butter, sliced into pats
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
Grease a baking dish (I use a 9×13 baking dish) well, bottom and sides. Next, place chicken pieces in dish evenly, pour water, rice, soups and desired salt and pepper on top, mix well. Last, top evenly with pads of butter.
Place on middle rack of oven and bake uncovered for 60-75 mins. When ready, remove and allow cool for approximately 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with a side salad and your favorite veggies – broccoli and green beans go well with this dish.
Please head to Allrecipes.com to print the recipe. While you’re there, be sure to read the rave reviews!
Tip
I follow the recipe as directed. The only thing I do different, I mix everything in a bowl and then transfer it to the baking dish.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Cheers!
Tammy
I am glad I have this recipe, The only change is about 10 mins before it’s done, I crush up lightly salted potato chips and sprinkle on top and back in the oven.. Give it that crunchy goodness!! Yum!
Diane H
I only cook for 2, so instead of 3 soups, I used 1 can of cream of mushroom. Sautéed fresh celery and onion, added to soup as well as a teaspoon of chicken base and some milk. I also added a dash of worchestershire sauce. Used leftover rice and baked. Recipe is very adaptable if you get all the flavors in it. It would be good too with a couple dashes of soy sauce if you want more of a stir fry flavor. 🙂
Lisa
Thinking great in the pressure cooker too.
Shelley Hyldahl
I really appreciate the ideas you gave for two. I love them. Thank you for doing so. Have a good day.
Amy
Very very similar to my grandmas. She used can chicken. We mixed all the soups, a can of water, and stick of butter in a Dutch oven then added butter to melt added the rice, then poured over the chicken in a 9×13. Baked at 325 for two hours covered. So glad I ran across this. Brings back wonderful memories!!
Margaret
Can I use chicken that’s been cooked in the crockpot?
William Shoch
Please find a way to download your recipes into AnyList. MAMAW’S CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE looks great, but can’t save
Timaree
I open it in my browser to copy to copycat the recipe saver I use. It won’t do it from Facebook. Try doing that.
Kim
This is a great recipe whole family loves it!!
I also mix all in a large bowl and mix sour cream in with the soups! Delicious!
Priscilla Walton
So the recipe says that each serving is 420 calories, but it doesn’t say how much of a serving it is.(like one cup or half a cup of casserole). So I was wondering what do you think the amount of serving it is in this for people that are counting calories and are portioning their foods
Mary Neumann
Here is a great resource to have on hand to bookmark:
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
J B
Years ago, Minute Rice used to have a chicken-rice dish they called Chicken Continental on the back of their box. It was similar to this one, except that you dipped the chicken cubes in flour and browned them first. Then you removed them from the pan and stirred a bit of the rice/soup mixture in the pan to pick up the flavor in the drippings. That got mixed back into the rest of the casserole. Also, you added a couple of teaspoons of whole, dried thyme to the rice. Try it with those two variations. You won’t want to go back.
Jane K
Oh my gosh I found that Chicken Continental recipe for minute rice! Thank you so much for the heads up, it looks great I’m def gonna try it!
Pays up your cannon
I make this but add a can of rotes and some cheddar cheese. I mix the cans of soup and water together then pour over chicken.
Carrie
What’s the brown stuff in the measuring cup in the first two pictures?
Not mention in ingredients
Mary Neumann
That is water, it’s clear…you are seeing the dark table through the clear water/ .And other “dark stuff” would be mushrooms and fresh cracked pepper and maybe some rice that browned during baking.
Stephanie
Can I use chicken thighs? What changes for cook time and temp?
Carol
This was terrific- we both loved it!!!
Kristine S
So easy to prepare. Just added sautéed onions.
A family favorite!
Joycelyn
Been making this casserole for years but never with instant rice because of the lack of nutritional value in instant rice even brown instant rice so only use regular rice instead. Have never had a problem with the regular rice not cooking up on time
I use cream of chicken and celery but not cream of mushroom as my family dislikes the taste of cream of mushroom, also add a few pinches of granulated garlic, spicy or regular paprika, kosher salt as I don’t buy table salt, and freshly ground white pepper instead of black.
Many thanks for adding the links to homemade cream soups as I’ve been trying to make my own due to the unwanted additives found in cream soups but unfortunately, so far, I haven’t found a recipe that works the same or has the same texture as canned cream soups which is important when you are adding extra water.
Stay safe
Stay well
Pat
Do you need to add extra liquid if you use regular rice? This sounds so good but u don’t like Minute Rice. Thanks.
Brittany
Glad I read this comment I was curious about that. Thanks ☺️
Lynn Pennington
Was wondering if this would work with long grain white rice as opposed to the instant kind. I don’t buy instant rice and would hate to get it for one dish.
K
Grandma finds chicken hard to chew, can I substitute canned chicken?
Kristine S
How about ground chicken?
Amber M.
This doesn’t say if you cook the chicken prior to mixing it in the casserole. I’m assuming you cook it first?
Amanda Hollowood
I put it in uncooked. I believe that’s why it takes so long to back. But it comes out great!
Jeanne
It is so good! Making this again this week.
Judy Park
I have made this casserole for years…the only difference is I cut up the chicken into small bite size pieces so that you get chicken with every bite. I love this casserole!
Dana baker
I don’t like instant rice can I use long grain white rice? Not instant?
Barbara
How long do you bake if you use ROTISSERIE chicken
Katherine
This is such a delicious and easy recipe! My only changes: instead of water, I boil and use chicken broth, and instead of the cream of mushroom, I use an extra cream of celery.
Patricia Grimm
I always use chicken broth instead of water for any chicken recipe.
Anna Pasley
Do I have to use cream of mushroom soup?
Mary Neumann
No Anna, you can double up on cream of chicken if you like.
Frances Watson
I do not have instant rice. if I use cooked rice, how much water?
Lorissa
I would also drop a packet of lipton onion soup mix in there. Sounds good!!!
Karen
Made it with broccoli and just a bit of cheese on top. Honey just went back for seconds. the
Cherisa
Can this recipe be halved?
Kelly
Can I use uncle ben’s brown rice instead
Mary Neumann
Sure, Kelly. As long as it’s instant/Minute rice.