Creamy French Onion Chicken and Rice Casserole
This chicken and rice casserole is serious comfort food! My whole family loves how flavorful it is, and I love that it’s super simple to throw together for busy nights!
I have this weird new food obsession.
Rice.
Seriously. Rice.
It seems so random. I mean, I’ve always liked rice just fine, it’s just not something that I ever really craved or cooked, unless it was my Bacon Fried Rice. <— Can never get enough of that one!
Lately, though, I’m obsessed.
I think it has something to do with white rice made in my Instant Pot. It’s the most perfect rice I’ve ever had. Shall I share my recipe sometime?
Anyway, my family is getting sick of plain white rice, so I thought I’d continue my obsession and create something with a little more excitement and flavor.
Enter the casserole – my favorite way to serve dinner. 😉
Does anyone serve casseroles for dinner multiple times a week or is it just me?
I feel like it’s just me.
You see, my mama doesn’t like casseroles and never served them to us as kids, so I’m just making up for lost time.
Also, I’m from the midwest, and I feel like we’re basically required to like casseroles around these parts.
This chicken rice casserole is pure comfort food and it’s totally simple to throw together.
I seasoned this chicken and rice recipe with my favorite little packet of onion soup mix.
What is it about those onion soup mixes that are so yummy? I love using them.
Check out my French Onion Soup Sliders for a tasty burger.
Those little packets mixed with some sour cream are up there in the running for favorite dip, too. Right next to the ranch dip made with dry ranch powder.
I have a problem with those little packets of seasoning, apparently.
Anyway, this chicken rice casserole comes together with just a handful of ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. I think you’re going to love this one just as much as we did. Total comfort food and perfect for a chilly day.
I’ve heard from quite a lot of readers about this recipe since it went viral on Facebook. (Are you following me on Facebook? You should!)
Troubleshooting this chicken and rice bake:
This recipe has been getting mixed reviews – those of you who have success with the rice cooking through just love this recipe. But, there is a group of people who are having trouble getting their rice to cook properly.
My biggest tip to ensure that the recipe is cooked properly is to be sure that the foil is on TIGHT. You need the steam to stay inside the pan to cook that rice properly.
And don’t be afraid to let it cook a bit longer if it’s not quite done. The chicken is cooking with the rice, so I know a lot of people are worried it’s going to dry out after being in the oven for so long. But, it’s all up in that steam and liquid and it really doesn’t dry out. It comes out nice and tender, just the way we like it.
So, with those tips, I have you have success with this recipe! It really is a keeper!
Enjoy!
Chicken and rice casserole recipe:
French Onion Chicken and Rice
PLEASE NOTE: The rice will not cook through in the allotted time if the foil is not tightly sealed during baking. The chicken should not dry out as it's nestled down in the rice mixture and sealed tightly with foil, keeping in the steam. If, after the full 75 minutes of cooking, the rice is still not quite tender, keep it covered tightly with foil outside of the oven for an extra ten minutes. The steam inside the dish will finish off the rice.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 2 cups milk
- 20 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 1 packet Onion Soup mix
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 teaspoon parsley
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
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Add the rice, milk, cream of chicken soup, and soup mix to a bowl and stir well to combine.
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Pour rice mixture into the baking dish and place chicken tenderloins over the top.
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Cover tightly with foil and bake for 60 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
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Remove the foil and top with the grated cheese. Cover and return to oven for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
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Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on bunsinmyoven.com should only be used as a general guideline.
For better cooking of the rice, first wrap with plastic wrap and then foil. The plastic holds in the steam the foil holds in heat and prevents burning. A little trick we use in the catering business.
I’m not sure about putting plastic wrap in the oven. If you close the foil tightly it works just fine.
I do this with the plastic wrap all the time. My brother-in-law is a chief and he gave me this idea once when I was cooking lasagna and all the cheese stuck to the foil. When you put the plastic wrap on then the foil it helps with the cooking and the sticking. It does not melt the plastic wrap.
I just made this… well am still baking…one hour in and the plastic wrap… cling wrap… was melted and sitting on top of the casserole. I was able to get it off. I hope. Rice is nowhere done. Giving this another 20 minutes.
Frustrated!
Sorry you had issues, Lynn! As I mentioned above, I don’t believe plastic wrap is meant for the oven. Hopefully it didn’t stick to the food and ruin it. If your foil was on nice and tight, the rice should still cook through. If you just used plastic wrap and it melted, I’m afraid the rice isn’t going to get the steam it needs to cook and you’re probably going to need to make other dinner plans. 🙁
I have a casserole dish with a lid, glad I read this! I will use this to bake it. Too bad the 8×11 glass pans don’t have lids?!~
I just finished making this casserole and and rice is not cooked. A waste of all other good ingredients. Taste is good but cooking it longer and allowing the steam to finish cooking the rice didn’t work. Didn’t want to risk plastic wrap melting into my food. Don’t publish another recipe.
I am not sure if its Karly being told not to post another recipe or Kevin who suggested the plastic wrap. But everyone’s cooking is different. I am learning alot about cooking different things (slowly coming out of my picky shell) and I am not one to tell someone how to cook something. Me personally, I would not have used plastic wrap. I cook a chicken and rice dish all the time. My recipe is 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, can of cream of chicken soup, I use several different seasonings. I put foil over it, pop it in a preheated 375 i believe oven for 45 minutes. I turn oven off, leave dish in there for 15 minutes. Then I take foil off, sprinkle some cheese over it & broil for 5 minutes. Rice is done and chicken is done. But again, every cook & oven is different, what works for me might not work for you. So to tell someone not to post another recipe cause it didn’t work for you is just rude. Especially if it’s in reference to the person who is blogging her recipes. They don’t have to share what they do. I for one am grateful for the post, I have learned alot. does it always work for me? No, but I just take it off my pinterest & try the next one!! Karly, I don’t know you, but thanks for posting recipes and helping people like me to learn more and to try different things. I’m not trying to be mean or hurt anyone’s feelings and I apologize if I did.
Thank you, Victoria. <3
I’m sorry but I have to be the devils advocate here….who in the hell puts plastic wrap in the oven or over any thing hot???? REALLY? Sorry Lynn, I mean no harm but maybe you should go on the Foodnetworks Worse Cooks show. LOL
Wow! I am really surprised at the rather rude comments to my previous comment. I only used the plastic wrap because of the previous comments. I did not say it was in the recipe nor did I yell at the person who wrote the recipe. I was merely offering my experience. I will have you know that I am actually quite a good cook. I have many people over to eat on a regular basis and those same people keep coming back for more.
I had also sen the use of plastic wrap in several good shows. It seemed strange to me but I thought I would give it a try.
The problem with the entire meal was the length time it took to cook the rice. We ate the dinner and overall it was not bad.
Plastic wrap and all! ?
Can you use minute rice instead of regular rice?
Yes I always use the minute rice and I’m actually able to cut down the cooking time.
Thanks. Minute rice worked great and yes only cooked an hour. Also used one can cream of chicken and one cream of mushroom. Was delish!
DO NOT USE PLASTIC WRAP in the oven!
Use a turkey bag instead of foil or plastic wrap. Plastic wrap is not made for the oven and will melt all over your dish and is toxic.
Have you tried making this in a crockpot?
I have not.
I was thinking the same thing, I like to cook for my parents a few times per week. I like to drop off the crockpot and have my mom or dad turn it on at noonish, then we have dinner after I get off work. If anyone tries the crockpot please share the results.
Wondering how this would end up if I switched the cream of chicken for cream of mushroom. Think it’d taste alright?
It’d be perfect! My family doesn’t like mushrooms, so we use the chicken, but mushroom is great. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe, it turned out great and is hubby approved!
Awesome!! Hubby approval is always a win!
I was thinking the same thing… to swap one of the cans for cream of mushroom or cream of celery. (For my crockpot pot roast I use cream of mushroom, cream of celery, and the onion soup mix.)
How would I cook this in the instapot?
Hi, would brown rice work in this???
Probably not without same changes. It takes a bit longer to cook than white rice and I’m not sure if the liquid would need increased.
Thanks! I’ll just do the white rice. Going to try this tonight with your homemade cream of chicken recipe. My husband is in the military and I’m trying to cook healthier for him. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Would this work with instant rice?
I don’t think so. The bake times and liquid amount would likely need reduced.
I’ve done this dish in the instant pot. I don’t have my recipe with me, but try looking up a similar recipe on the instant pot sites.
I added a few jalapenos for my daughter and it was surprisingly yummy!
Could you substitute the milk with anything, I have two family members who can’t have dairy. For some reason the cream of chicken doesn’t affect them. Can I add a third can of that, or do you have any other suggestions
Gayle
You could try using almond or soy milk, though I haven’t tried it myself.
Add an extra can of soup and 2 cups water
Would like to see nutritional information for this recipe. Especially for those dealing with diabetic issues or watching calorie intake.
Hi Michelle,
You’re welcome to plug this recipe into any of the free online nutrition calculators.
How long would it need to be cooked if I were to double the ingredients?
It should take the same amount of time, but I haven’t tried it myself.
How long will it take if I remove the rice all together?
You just want to cook the chicken in the soup and milk mixture? I’m not sure how well that would work.
Could I change the chicken tenders for chicken breast? And maybe brown rice instead of white (maybe cooking the rice first then adding it?)
I think chicken breast would be just fine. Switching to brown rice will likely change the amount of liquid and cook time needed, though.
I used the breast and brown rice. It turned out so yummy! But I think next time I’m going to do less rice and more chicken! Maybe even shred the chicken or cube it.
When you switched to brown rice, what did you have to do differently?
I want to try this in my pressure cooker XL. Any advice?
No, I’m sorry, I haven’t tried this one in a pressure cooker.
Could I use any other type of cheese?
Sure, any type of cheese you like is fine.
I made this last night for the first time and it was a huge hit! I did use mozzarella cheese on top of mine.
Ok so something is definitely off on this recipe. The first time I fixed it when I checked the chicken it needed longer but the rice came out ok. Second I cooked like I did the 1st and the rice came out crunchy! Third time cooked a little longer and some how the rice was semi crunchy and dry. So the forth time I added 1/4 a cup more milk and a cup and a forth of chicken broth. I also cooked it for a grand total of a hour and 35 mins. Now it’s perfect.
Hi Rachel!
The recipe should work the same each time so long as you’re covering it nice and tight with foil when baking. I’m guessing that’s what is causing the variation in cooking.
I want to try this but have no idea where to find, or what brand to buy for french onion soup mix packet. I want to be sure I’m getting the right ingredients. Can you provide a link or pic of what I should be looking for? Nothing I find for french onion soup mix seems to be the right thing. Help!
Looks like I need to take the “French” off of there – it’s just called Onion Soup Mix. Here’s a link so you can see some pictures. You’ll find this near the canned soup at your store. http://amzn.to/2sH6qHO
Gonna try this the “lazy, I don’t have the ingredients” way.
Instant rice and half the portions
Made this for dinner today, changed a couple things. I used cream of chicken and cream of celery soup, cut back rice by 1/2 cup. Provolone cheese slices on top instead and hubby loved the dish! Thank you for your recipe!
Loved the flavor of this recipe, but alas, my rice was pretty crunchy even after leaving the foil on for an extra 10-15 min 🙁 but this won’t discourage me from trying it again, I never seem to get rice right unless I use my rice cooker lol. I’m just going to use cooked rice and cut back the liquid next time. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Ok…so far this has been in the oven 2 hours!! The rice still isn’t done!! Followed the recipe exactly. Proper sized pan. Proper oven temperature. What is going wrong??? Very disappointed
Sorry to hear you’re having problems with this one! The dish needs to be tightly sealed with foil to keep in the steam to cook the rice.
Can I use chicken broth instead of milk?
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure.
For the question about instant rice. That is what I used and it turned out GREAT!! Thank so you much for this recipe. I have a toddler and making dinner can sometimes be a challenge. But this is just so easy and he really liked it too!
So you followed the recipe as written, except used instant rice….and everything cooked right? Cooked the same amount of time?
Did you use the same amount of liquid in the recipe when using the instant rice? I am making it now however all I have is instant rice
I did the same and cooked it about 30 minutes covered and 5 min uncovered with cheese. I also cooked chicken in the crock pot all day, shredded it, and mixed it in with everything else before baking. I think it’s delicious!
This was SO good!! I made sure my foil was on tight at the beginning and again after stirring and it cooked perfectly! My husband loved it, too! Thanks for the great recipe!
So happy to hear that! 🙂
Could I used canned chicken breast meat in this recipe?
I’d be a bit worried about the chicken drying out as it’s already cooked. If you do give it a try, I’d stir the chicken in with the rice rather than place it on top.
I’m sorry, but this was NOT a good dish – in fact, it was horrible. After TWO hours – yes, TWO hours, the chicken finally was done, however the rice was still hard and it was just a disaster. Sadly, I spent $7.00 on the gruyere cheese, not to mention the money for the other ingredients … and…for nothing. Everything but the chicken was discarded after we tried it and found it to be awful. I followed your directions EXACTLY, so it wasn’t a matter of not reading correctly.
Hi Kathy, I’m sorry this one didn’t suit your tastes. I can’t imagine it taking a full two hours to cook through if the foil was tightly sealed around your dish. I know it’s frustrating to try a new dish and not have it turn out how you’d like, but better luck next time!
What is the calorie count for this dish?
I don’t calculate nutritional information on most of my recipes, but you’re welcome to add these ingredients to any of the free online nutrition calculators and see what you come up with. 🙂
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Would u please be able to tell me if i swapped chicken for pork chops that are thin how long i should cook it??
You’ll have to cook it for the same amount of time because of the rice. Not sure how the pork will do.
Should the Chicken be thawed or frozen?
I’ve only made this with fresh chicken.
Wanting to make this tonight but chicken is frozen. Do i need to thaw before hand or increase time?
I haven’t tried this one with frozen chicken, so I’m not sure how it’d work.
Made this 2 weeks ago and it was amazing!! I now added this into one of the 4 meals I am not making for a friend who just had surgery..I hope she loves it as much as we did! Thanks for the delicious recipe!!
So glad it was a hit! 🙂
I only had frozen chicken breasts when I wanted to try this, so I put the chicken in the microwave on half power for a couple minutes to help thaw it first. Also used mild cheddar on top since I had some on hand. Turned out wonderful!! Chicken and rice we’re both done in the allotted time. Even my picky 87 year old father went back for a second helping!!
Can I make it with the canned French onion soup?? If so, how much of the can should I use?
I haven’t tried this substitution, so I’m not sure how it’d work. I’d probably swap the milk for the soup.
Can you do this in a crock pot? If so what is the timing
I’ve not tried this in a slow cooker.
I feel like I want to add some mustard (or mustard powder) to this but I have a thing for mustard!
I have a casserole dish (Kitchen Aid brand) that has a ceramic lid. Would that work instead of aluminum foil… I hate foil (almost as much as I hate cling wrap)
Could you bake the chicken in the liquid mixture first and then add cooked rice to the mixture after the chicken is done? If so, would you still cook the chicken for an hour?
I haven’t tried this, so I’m not sure how you’ll need to adjust.
I made this the other night and it was a huge hit with the whole family. I made just a few changes, though. I used mozzarella cheese instead of gruyere and added a light sprinkling of California style garlic salt on top of it and then also added French’s fried onions as a topping during the last 5 minutes of cooking, like you would with a green bean casserole. The onions tied the flavors of the onion soup mix in perfectly and everyone devoured this dish even asking for seconds and thirds. This will be a dinner staple in our house from now on. Thanks so much!!!
I bet those crunchy onions on top were a great addition!
Delicious recipe! Mine came out perfect, the rice was completely cooked 🙂 thanks!
Do you cook the chicken first?
Nope. Everything gets cooked together.
Thanks for this delicious recipe! I read through a lot of the (some very rude) comments before making. I decided to make it in my cast-iron casserole dish in case I needed to use the lid in the oven. I added the foil to the top and cooked it for the first 30 minutes. When I pulled it out to stir at that point, the rice seemed to be cooking a little but the chicken was not even turning white on the outside. At that point I added the lid to the dish for the remainder of the cooking. At 60 minutes, the rice and chicken looked almost done.
I also added the suggested fried onion strings on top along with the cheese and it was amazing.
Glad it worked out for you! The fried onions on top sound amazing!
Very tasty! Followed the recipe everything…..rice, chicken was cooked perfectly. Thank you, ill definately make this again.
I am making this now!!! It sure sounds great!!!
Hope you enjoyed it, Brandi!
So, in reading the comments, I wonder about partially cooking the rice in milk, and adding The partially cooked rice and milk in with the rest of the ingredients and the chicken. I know it takes a little bit of the quick and easy meal out of the recipe, but I’m a bit concerned about the number of people who have said the rice wasn’t cooked. I’m planning on using some long grain jasmine rice because that’s what I have in the house. Does anybody have any ideas about this? The recipe looks like it would be delicious!
Am trying out this recipe as it looks like the type of meal my hubby and I would enjoy. However, as I am not well at the moment, with not a lot of stamina, I decided to TRY making it in my Slow Cooker! No idea how long it will take to cook, but as I’m in bed I don’t care! Cooking it on High setting as the chicken is fresh meat. Fingers crossed!
Dear Karly, My keyboard seemed to go very peculiar and typed gibberish so I’m typing my comment again, and perhaps you can delete the crazy earlier one?! I can’t. Just had to tell you how much my hubby and I enjoyed your Chicken & Rice meal. I cooked it in my Slow Cooker, rather than the oven and it turned out perfectly. I cooked it for 2 hours on a high setting. I added an additional 2 cups of water to the soup mix to ensure it did not dry out. It was perfectly cooked through and delicious. I will know for again that the recipe would easily feed 4-6 people and reduce the amounts by half for 2 people. However, we two have dined well tonight, and I still have enough left-over for tomorrow, so it’s all good. Thank you for sharing your lovely recipe. I have shared its link, credited to you, on my own FB page. Hope that is okay? Thanks again. A
Glad to hear it turned out in the slow cooker! Thanks for sharing!
Is this okay to make ahead of time? Has anyone tried that?
I also would like to know if it can be made a day ahead of time, cooked 45-60 mins., refrigerate, takeout getting close to room temp., before I reheat for 30mins or so. Then put the cheese on top.
I feel like this would be good with some veggies added. Has anyone tried this with frozen peas or green beans? I am making this tonight and want to try it with green beans but not sure if it will effect the cooking time.
I think using frozen green beans in here would work fine and shouldn’t affect the cook time. 🙂
I’ve made this recipe several times, with the only change being that I use whatever type of cheese I have on hand. My husband loves it, it’s simple to make, and comforting. I use a Corning Ware casserole dish with a lid, and I never have an issue with my rice not cooking enough. Always comes out perfectly! Thank you!
Tip-soak rice in water for about an hour, even longer, to soften it up. Then drain and add to dish.
I wonder if adding 1 1/2 C. milk and 1/2 C. water might help. Rice needs lots of water to bloom. Some on the comments might be using 1% and some might be using regular milk. I think this would make a big difference. JMHO