This Crock Pot Chicken and Rice recipe is so easy to make. And when I say easy I mean easy.
This is one of our very favorite crock pot chicken recipes and only has 3 ingredients, an onion and salt and pepper.
Crock Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice Recipe
This is one of my families favorite recipes.
I use a family size package of Vigo Yellow Rice.
Vigo Yellow Rice is the best yellow rice you can buy as far as I am concerned.
We eat it in this Crock Pot Chicken and Rice recipe and I also serve it as a side dish with baked chicken breasts all the time.
Crock Pot Boneless Chicken Breast Recipe
I used boneless skinless chicken breast but you can use bone-in chicken breasts if that's what you have on hand.
For years I used bone-in chicken breasts but now I just stock up on boneless chicken breasts when they are on sale.
Using the boneless chicken breast I buy on sale and then freeze ends up saving me time and money.
Here is how I freeze chicken and stock the freezer with chicken when it is on sale.
Crock Pot Chicken & Rice Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 16-ounce family size package yellow rice mix ( I used Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice brand)
- 5 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large bay leaves
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken and Rice
Step 1: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, onion, and bay leaves in a 6-quart crock pot.
Step 2: Pour 4 cups of the chicken broth over the chicken, cover the crock pot and cook for 3-4 hours on high or until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 3: Remove chicken from crock pot and break apart into large chunks.
Remove the onion and bay leaves from the crock pot and discard.
Step 4: Return the chicken to the crock pot. Add the remaining cup of chicken stock to the crock pot.
Step 5: Add the yellow rice to the crock pot and stir. Place the lid on and cook for an additional hour or until the rice is tender.
Step 6: Gently stir the chicken into the rice to combine. Salt to taste before serving. Serve as a side dish or a meal.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Do Not overcook: Once the yellow rice is cooked tender you should turn the crock pot off to prevent the rice from overcooking.
- Remove the Chicken and Rice from the hot crock pot and serve from a serving bowl to prevent the rice from overcooking and getting mushy.
More easy chicken crock pot recipes
Head over to the Crock Pot Chicken Recipes page where you will find all my crock pot chicken recipes.
Print the Crock Pot Chicken and Rice recipe below
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Crock Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless chicken breasts
- 16 ounce family size package Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice mix
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken, onion, bay leaves and pepper in a 6 quart crock pot.
- Pour 4 cups chicken broth over the chicken.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on high or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from crock pot and break apart into large chunks.
- Remove the onion and bay leaves from the crock pot and discard.
- Return the chicken to the crock pot.
- Add the yellow rice to the crock pot and stir.
- Cook for an additional hour or until the rice is tender.
- Serve as a side dish or a meal.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- Do not overcook or the rice will turn to mush.
- If you are using bone-in chicken breasts after the chicken has finished cooking you will need to remove the cooked chicken from the bone before returning it to the crock pot. You should also skim the broth with a small fine-meshed strainer to make sure all of the bones have been removed from the broth to prevent choking on a bone.
Mari K.
In the ingredients list is says chicken Broth. In the directions is says chicken Stock. I used the broth. After wondering the same as a few other reviewers why the rice isn't cooked after an hour. Used the vigo in a 6qt, in Fl. Im at an hour and a half and rice is still very much crunchy. Would the broth / stock make a difference? I mean i used broth because I imagine like everyone else base my shopping list from the Ingredient list not the directions.
Arlene Mobley
Mari
Chicken broth and chicken stock are the same thing. Was the rice completely covered in liquid? What size slow cooker did you use? The rice has to have enough liquid to absorb to cook. Everyone's kitchen cooking environment is different. As is every slow cooker temperature can be different. If the rice is not cooked through after an hour add 1/2 of chicken stock or broth to the slow cooker. In a pinch you can use water.
JeanC
i have to cut most recipes in half, since I am only one, not four or six. I love chicken and yellow rice. Any tips on freezing leftovers with rice? Does rice freeze well?
Arlene Mobley
Jean I have never frozen left overs of this recipe. The rice could turn very mushy after it defrosts. If you try it let me know how it turns out!
Sarah
You can freeze it I have frozen it many times
Rob
Hi there was wondering why the onion gets discarded. Is there an opportunity to add some onion to the final dish? If so how would you do it? Cut up and leave in the whole time? Remove half way through, slice and add at end? Would love you thoughts. Anyway, I'm excited to try this and thanks for the recipe!
Arlene Mobley
Hi Rob
Most of my family doesn't like the onion so I leave it whole so I can remove it. You could dice the onion when you add it since you'd like to have the onion in the final dish. Enjoy!
Debbie
Rice very hard after 2 hours. I added way more than the recommended amount of chicken broth. I live in Florida, and why would you rinse Vigo rice as stated in the earlier comment? Taste is good, rice is just hard 🙁
Arlene Mobley
Debbie
What size crock pot were you using? Sorry for the confusion in my comment about rinsing the rice. I had my recipes mixed up. As I've mentioned rice can be a bit difficult to cook in the crock pot. I have made this recipe so many times I do it by eye and taste. I taste the rice and add more broth as it needs until the rice is cooked to my liking.
Kathleen
Can I use frozen chicken breast?
Arlene Mobley
You could but it may make the rice mushy from the extra moisture.
Kim T
Should i use 4 or 5 cups of broth? the printed recipe doesn't mention adding the remaining cup of broth/water.
Arlene Mobley
Kim
The 5th cup of broth is to be used if the rice is still a little hard after the cooking time. Crock pot size will play a factor in the amount of liquid and the length of cooking time.
Cathy N
Hi, I made this and after an hour the rice was still not cooked. It didn't need any extra water so I continued and after another 45 minutes the rice was done. The only thing is, by then the chicken was really dry. Any suggestions?
Arlene Mobley
Cathy
Not sure what the issue is. If there was enough liquid the chicken should have been moist. Different crock pots cook very differently.
Lauren D
Looks like a nice, easy recipe. I'm definitely going to try something like this for me and my sweetheart this week. Thanks for sharing!
Crystal
I am in the process of making this recipe. The chicken turned out great. I think the cooking instructions for the rice need to be updated. Like a previous reviewer, my rice was hard after an hour of cooking it. It's now been cooking for almost two hours since I added the rice, and the rice is not done.
Arlene Mobley
Crystal
Rice is a funny thing to cook. What might take me an hour (I'm in Florida and a moist environment) might take someone else in a drier climate longer. Also the type and brand of rice used can make a difference. I hope you enjoyed the recipe once it finished cooking.
Ashley
I also am having the same issue and Im2 in St. Pete Fl. Also used same rice and its still not cooked after an hour and a half with lots of liquid left in it!! It smells so deliviphs I jist want to eat it NOOWW lol.
Arlene Mobley
Ashley
Sorry to hear you're having problems with the recipe. All I can suggest is adding more broth to the crock pot. A 16 oz bag of Vigo Yellow Rice only needs 4 cups of liquid to cook on the stove following the package directions. The 5 cups of broth called for in this recipe should be more than enough to cook the rice even with evaporation. Different crock pots cook at different temperatures so it could be the crock pot you are using.
Kenya
Just got back from the store with my items. This is so easy for me espicially when i have to spend the day cleaning. Can't wait to try this tonight!
Arlene Mobley
Kenya
Enjoy! Crock Pot recipes are so easy!
Roni
Hi,,can you use regular white jasmine rice and if so how much would I use?
Arlene Mobley
Hi Roni
Sorry, I've never cooked jasmine rice so I am not sure what adjustments would need to be made.
Roni
instead of using the 2 cup liquid to 1 cup rice method its 1 1/2 cup liquid to 1 cup liquid ! I was just trying to use what I had on hand instead of going to the store.Thank you for your reply and for sharing what looks to be a yummy recipe !!!!
Arlene Mobley
Your welcome Roni!
Jordyn
Are you suppose to cut the onion in half or put it in there whole?
Arlene Mobley
Jordyn
You can add the onion whichever way you prefer. Whole or cut in half is fine. I always remove the onion before serving once the recipe is done cooking because my family does not like the pieces of onion.
Mommyof3
After straining the stock do you return the onion back into the crockpot or do you disregard it and throw it out ? Thanks in advance
Arlene Mobley
I discard the onion but if your family likes onion you could dice it up instead of using a whole onion like I do. It's much easier to remove the whole onion. I have to be sneaky sometimes LOL.
Emily
So I'm in the process of making this right now. The rice has been cooking for an hour but it's still hard? Has this ever happened to you?
Arlene Mobley
Emily
So sorry to find your comment so late. Lots of family stuff going on this week. If there was no liquid left in the crock pot after an hour and the rice was still hard you should add about a 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the crock pot.
swathi
Thanks for sharing wonderful recipe to Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning tweeting and sharing with in google plus.
Arlene Mobley
Thanks Swathi!
Cheryl Newton
Hi. This looks yummy. But, I have a question about the rice mix. How many ounces in the family-size package? I did a little looking around online, but didn't find an answer. Thanks so much!
Arlene Mobley
Cheryl
The family size package is 16 ounces.
Carlee @cookingwithcarlee
That looks delicious! We will have to try it soon!
Arlene Mobley
Carlee
Thank you! Enjoy!
Liz
Thank you for the nice recipe.
Arlene Mobley
Liz Thank you for stopping by. I hope you and your family enjoys the recipe!