Southern Style Crock Pot Chicken & Rice

An easy slow cooker recipe for a Carolina favorite made with tender stewed chicken and long grain rice. No precooking the chicken and no instant rice – everything cooks in the crock pot!

JUMP TO RECIPE

I have wanted to try cooking a big-batch rice recipe like this in a slow cooker for forever! I never did because I was scared, since rice can be so persnickety, and who wants to spend a whole day and a bunch of chicken on something if it isn’t going to turn out right?? NOT ME!

I was at home the other day staring at three big ol’ chicken breasts wondering what to do with them and I thought, meh, let’s give it a try! We can eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches if it’s a flop.

In my part of the world, there are several different “chicken and rice” dishes. There’s the pilau dishes where the rice finishes a little drier and fluffier. And there are the chicken bogs wherein the dish is creamier and thicker.

No matter which type it is, they all start with tender, slow cooked chicken simply seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper (stewed chicken, we call it) and uncooked long grain white rice. What you do with it when you put it together, how much liquid you use, and what other ingredients and spices you add to it determines what you call it.

My family prefers the fluffier pilau type more but most of my friends seem to make the creamier versions so I went with a bog-type recipe for this by adding a can of creamed soup. If you prefer the fluffier, drier dishes, simply omit the can of soup.

I chose Cream of Celery soup because that’s the flavor I always choose when I use creamed soup with chicken. I think celery is a fabulous flavor to combine with chicken. I mean, celery is in both the French Mirepoix and in the Cajun/Creole Holy Trinity which are both almost always used with chicken recipes in those cuisines so how could you go wrong, right?

If you have no idea what the heck I’m talking about, Mirepoix is the flavor base of sautéing onions, carrots and celery and the Holy Trinity is a similar base made from onions, bell peppers and celery. Both are phenomenal!

If you prefer, feel free to use cream of chicken, mushroom or onion soup. Or, like I said, you’re welcome to omit it all together! Just don’t use the reduced fat versions because they have added starch and the rice already makes this plenty starchy. Plus I think they taste weird.

Traditional Chicken & Rice is made with a whole chicken or bone-in, skin-on pieces. But since this is a slow cooker recipe and those are usually made to save time and effort and not necessarily traditional, I went with boneless, skinless breasts. Adding the butter and cooking this is chicken broth will help make up for the flavor and richness we’ll lose from not using a whole chicken.

If you’d like to make this with a whole chicken or bone-in, skin-on pieces, go right ahead! If using a whole chicken, omit the butter and feel free to use water instead of broth (though broth would still be great). If using bone-in, skin-on pieces (white or dark meat), reduce the butter by half and still use the broth.

HOW TO COOK RICE IN A CROCK POT OR SLOW COOKER

• Use HIGH HEAT setting – Cooking rice in a crock pot on Low is not recommended. Though rice cooks at a very slow simmer when cooking on the stovetop, most slow cookers will take too long to achieve the temperature needed to cook the rice which could make the rice become gummy and/or cause the grains to break apart.
• Do not OVER-STIR the rice – As with any rice preparation, over-stirring the rice will cause the rice break down which can result in a grainy, mealy texture.
• Keep the lid ON as much as possible – heat escapes every time the lid is removed. Crock pots are made for low and slow cooking so it takes a lot longer to regain temperature lost from removing the lid. Replace the lid immediately after stirring.
• Use a FORK to stir the rice – forks will fluff the rice and separate the grains whereas spoons will push and compact it which can make it sticky and gummy.

The seasonings and spices I used here are just a good jumping-off point. Feel free to add cayenne or red pepper flakes for heat (I don’t usually because I like to eat my chicken and rice with a good dousing of hot sauce). Herbs like rosemary and thyme are always good with chicken too!

If you’re wondering what that red stuff is in some of the photos, it’s hot sauce! I don’t know too many people around here who don’t eat their Chicken & Rice dishes with hot sauce but it is totally optional! We always use Texas Pete (even though that’s not what’s pictured here, damn you coronavirus) which, ironically is made in North Carolina and not commonly sold in Texas (??).

A few folks have told me I need to try this in an Instant Pot but do they make one big enough for a recipe this size? This recipe makes enough for 8-10 main dish servings or double that if you're serving this as a side dish. I might be wrong but I don't think there's an instant pot out there that big.

Recipe for Southern Style Crock Pot Chicken & Rice

Southern Style Crock Pot Chicken & Rice

Yield: 8-10 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 4 HourTotal time: 4 H & 5 M

An easy slow cooker recipe for a Carolina favorite made with tender stewed chicken and long grain rice. No precooking the chicken and no instant rice – everything cooks in the crock pot!

Ingredients

• 3 large chicken breasts
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups long grain rice, uncooked

Instructions

1. Spray the inside of a crock pot with cooking spray then place chicken in the bottom.
2. Cut butter into 6-8 pieces then arrange on top of chicken.
3. Combine broth, soup, salt and remaining seasoning in a mixing bowl then stir until smooth. Pour over chicken.
4. Cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours.
5. If chicken was cooked on Low, increase temperature to High. Keep crock pot covered at all times to keep heat in. The rice cooks best when starting with HOT liquids.
6. Remove chicken from crock pot then shred with two forks. Add chicken and uncooked rice to crock pot then cook on High for 45 minutes.
7. Using a fork, stir rice, scraping the bottom and sides of the crock pot, once every 15 minutes. DO NOT over-stir the rice or it will break down and become gummy. Do not open the crock pot more than necessary.
8. Check the rice after 45 minutes. My crock pot will cook rice in 45 minutes but all crock pots are different. Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes longer if needed until rice is tender.
9. When ready to serve, stir once more with fork to fluff the rice. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

Notes

• Please review the HOW TO COOK RICE IN A CROCK POT OR SLOW COOKER section above.
• Feel free to make this with a whole chicken or bone-in, skin-on pieces. If using a whole chicken, omit the butter. If using bone-in, skin-on pieces (white or dark meat), reduce the butter by half. Discard skin and bones before adding chicken back to crock pot.
• Use your favorite creamed soup if you prefer another flavor over cream of celery.
• Do not prepare cream of celery soup before adding to the recipe. Yes, people ask that.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2020/06/southern-style-crock-pot-chicken-rice.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2020

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