This Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice is a comfort food family favorite that could not be easier. It’s got tender bites of seasoned chicken, fluffy cooked rice, and mixed veggies all served in a deliciously creamy cheese sauce.
And if you're looking for more easy crockpot chicken recipes, be sure to try our Crockpot Chicken and Gravy for Rice, Chicken Burrito Bowls, and Tuscan Chicken.
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Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
This ooey, gooey cheesy chicken and rice is your new weeknight dinner hero. The only real prep involved is cutting a few ingredients. From there, the slow cooker does all of the work while you go about your business. Within a few hours, you’ll have a hearty, delicious home cooked meal ready and waiting for you.
Most of the ingredients in this cheesy chicken and rice crockpot recipe are basic pantry staples - chicken breast, white rice, broth, cream cheese, shredded cheese and mixed veggies. As for the chicken, you can either dice your chicken breasts or leave them whole to shred later. Feel free to also use leftover shredded chicken or even rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
For the veggies, I typically use carrots, corn and peas because I usually have them on hand. Green beans, broccoli, chopped onions and peppers would also taste great, too. No matter how you mix and match, we promise this easy crockpot recipe will be a winner in your house.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breast - I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breast that I’ve cut into chunks before adding it to the slow cooker. If you would rather the finished dish have shredded chicken, you can add the chicken breasts whole and shred them once they’ve cooked. If you choose this route, the cooking time will likely be longer.
- Chicken Broth - you can use any kind of store bought chicken broth or even homemade chicken stock.
- Cream Cheese - this adds a lot of creaminess to the cheesy sauce. Some recipes for similar cheesy chicken and rice dishes will use a can of cream of chicken soup, which you could use instead.
- Carrots - these should be peeled then cut into ½” dice.
- Rice - any kind of long-grain white rice works best. If you want to use brown or wild rice you can, but keep in mind that it will take longer to cook.
- Corn - you can use fresh, frozen or canned corn for this dish.
- Peas - either fresh or frozen peas will work.
- Cheddar Cheese - you can purchase shredded cheese or else shred your own. Any kind of cheddar mix would also work great.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
- Add ingredients to the crock pot. Add the chicken breast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cream cheese, diced carrots, chicken broth, and rice in a crockpot. Mix lightly and cover with a lid.
- Cook. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours (low for 7-8 hours), or until the rice and chicken are cooked.
- Stir in the peas, corn and cheese. Add the peas, corn and shredded cheddar cheese and stir gently. Cover and switch to the "warm" setting, allowing the mixture to sit and the cheese to melt for about 15 minutes.
- Serve. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! The easiest way to store crockpot cheesy chicken is to portion it into freezer bags and freeze flat. You can store frozen for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight.
Any kind of green salad or veggie side dish will pair great with this recipe.
You can definitely use brown rice instead of white rice, however the cooking time may be longer than 3-4 hours. Wild rice would taste great, too!
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: leftovers can be frozen in freezer bags, or any other airtight container, for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator overnight.
- To reheat: reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high, or until warmed through. You can also reheat in a saucepan over low heat with a bit of extra chicken broth or water.
Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Chicken Breasts cut into 1" pieces
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese cut into 1" cubes
- ½ cup Carrots diced into ½" pieces
- 1 ½ cups Long Grain White Rice
- ½ cup Corn frozen, fresh or canned
- ½ cup Peas
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a crockpot, add the chicken breast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cream cheese, diced carrots, chicken broth, and rice. Mix lightly.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until the rice and chicken are cooked.
- Add the peas, corn and shredded cheddar cheese and stir gently. Cover and switch to the "warm" setting, allowing the mixture to sit and the cheese to melt for about 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Crock Pot Chicken Recipes to Try
- Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
- Slow Cooker Tangy Chicken
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
- More Slow Cooker Recipes
- More Easy Chicken Recipes
More Chicken Recipes
This Cheesy Chicken and Rice crockpot recipe is a simple, delicious, hearty recipe that the whole family will love. It uses basic ingredients like chicken breast, white rice, broth, cream cheese and veggies to create a cheesy chicken and rice dinner with barely any prep.
Jill Baird
If it's a little dry, I would add a little more chicken broth and cream cheese if you want too.