Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe with Uncooked Rice
The dump-and-bake version where the raw rice actually cooks through, no crunchy corners..
By KC | Published July 27, 2026 · Updated July 27, 2026
If you have ever dumped uncooked rice into a chicken and rice casserole and pulled out a dish with crunchy grains hiding in the corners, welcome, you are among friends. I have done it. Once, at a church potluck, I served a chicken and rice casserole with uncooked rice that was creamy in the middle and basically gravel around the edges, and a very kind woman named Delores told me it had "texture." She was being generous.
I went home a little embarrassed and a lot stubborn, determined to figure out why the rice would not cook evenly. About a dozen batches later, I had it. The short version: raw rice cooks beautifully in a casserole, but only if you set it up right. Warm liquid, a glass dish, and foil crimped down tight are the whole game. Get those three right and you get tender rice and juicy chicken with zero pre-cooking and one dish to wash. Get them wrong and you get Delores's "texture."
This is the version I make on the nights I want dinner in the oven in fifteen minutes flat and out of my hands until it dings.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Everything goes in raw. No pre-cooking the rice, no browning the chicken, you stir and bake.
The rice actually cooks through, because the whole method is built around the three things that usually go wrong.
One dish in, one dish to wash, and the sauce makes itself as it bakes.
It feeds six for a few dollars and reheats like a dream for lunch the next day.
It is mild and cozy enough that picky kids eat it without a standoff.
At a glance: Prep 15 min | Cook 1 hr | Total 1 hr 15 min | Servings 6 | Difficulty Easy
Ingredients for the Chicken and Rice Casserole
For the casserole:
1 ½ cups long-grain white rice, uncooked (not instant, see the note below)
1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
2 ½ cups chicken broth, warmed
1 cup whole milk
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional, but nice)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
For the topping:
2 cups shredded cheddar, divided (grate it off a block, it melts better)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Skip metal here, it heats unevenly and gives you crunchy corners.
Warm the broth and milk together until steamy, on the stove or in the microwave. Starting with hot liquid is what gets the raw rice cooking right away instead of sitting there staying hard.
In the baking dish, stir together the uncooked rice, cream of chicken soup, warm broth and milk, onion, garlic, peas and carrots, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the cheese. Spread it into an even layer and make sure no dry rice is hiding in the corners. Dry pockets are exactly where crunchy grains come from.
Nestle the raw chicken pieces into the mixture, pressing them down so they sit just under the liquid. Dot the butter over the top.
Cover the dish tightly with foil, crimping it down all the way around the edges. Trapped steam is the whole secret to rice that cooks evenly. Bake covered for 50 minutes and resist the urge to peek.
Uncover and check. The rice should be tender and the chicken should read 165°F on a thermometer. If the rice is still a little firm, re-cover and give it another 10 to 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top and bake uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, until melted and bubbly.
Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. The rice keeps drinking up liquid and setting as it sits. Garnish with parsley.
Food Safety Note: Chicken is safe at an internal temperature of 165°F at the thickest piece, checked with an instant-read thermometer. Because the chicken bakes buried in the rice, temp a few pieces from the center of the dish, not just the edges.
What I Tested
The first three batches taught me everything. Cold broth straight from the fridge left the rice crunchy around the edges at the 50 minute mark, so now I warm the liquid first and that problem disappeared. I tried instant rice thinking it would be the safe choice, and it collapsed into mush before the chicken was done, so long-grain white is the move. And the one time I vented the foil to "let it breathe," the top layer of rice dried out and went crunchy, which is how I learned that sealing it tight is not optional. Warm liquid, glass dish, tight foil. That is the recipe behind the recipe.
Variations and Swaps
No canned soup: skip the cream of chicken and make a quick sauce. Melt 3 tbsp butter, whisk in 3 tbsp flour, cook a minute, then whisk in 1 cup broth and 1 cup milk until it thickens. Use it in place of the can.
Chicken, rice, and broccoli: stir in 2 cups of frozen broccoli florets with the peas and carrots for the classic combo.
Chicken thighs: swap the breasts for boneless skinless thighs if you want richer, juicier meat that is harder to overcook.
Brown rice: you can use it, but it needs more liquid and more time. Add ½ cup extra broth and plan on 75 to 90 minutes covered.
Spicy: stir in a drained can of Rotel and swap half the cheddar for pepper jack.
Gluten-free: use a gluten-free cream soup or the homemade sauce above with a 1-to-1 GF flour, and check that your broth is certified gluten-free.
Tips
Grate the cheese off a block. Pre-shredded is coated in anti-caking powder that keeps it from melting into that silky pull you want.
Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces so they finish at the same time.
If the top browns before the rice is done, that is fine, keep it covered and keep baking. The color is not your doneness cue, tender rice is.
Let it rest. Serving it straight out of the oven is how you convince yourself it is too soupy when it just needed ten minutes to set.
Serving Suggestions
A crisp green salad cuts the richness. I toss mine with our creamy Italian garlic dressing.
Warm garlic bread or a soft dinner roll for scooping up the sauce.
Roasted broccoli or green beans on the side if you want more veg on the plate.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
Storage: Cool completely, then keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Add a splash of broth or milk to loosen the rice, cover, and reheat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or in a 350°F oven until hot in the center. Reheated leftovers should reach 165°F.
Freezing: Freeze cooled portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The rice softens slightly after freezing but still tastes great.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use uncooked rice in a casserole?
Yes, and it comes out tender as long as you set it up right. Use long-grain white rice, warm your liquid before it goes in, spread the rice evenly with no dry pockets, and cover the dish tightly with foil so the trapped steam can cook the grains all the way through.
Why is my rice still crunchy?
Almost always one of three things: the liquid went in cold, the foil was not sealed tight, or the dish was metal instead of glass. Crunchy grains usually hide in the corners where rice sat dry. Warm liquid, a tight seal, and a glass dish fix it.
Can I use instant rice instead?
You can, but I do not recommend it here. Instant rice is nearly cooked already, so by the time the raw chicken reaches a safe temperature, the rice has gone to mush. Long-grain white holds its texture through the full bake.
Do I have to cook the chicken first?
No. Raw chicken cooks through as the casserole bakes, which is the entire point of a dump and bake. Just cut it into 1-inch pieces so it cooks evenly, and confirm it reaches 165°F before serving.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Stir everything together except the topping cheese, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add a few extra minutes to the covered bake since it goes in cold, and still warm your liquid when you assemble it.
If You Like This, Try These
Chicken and Rice Casserole with Uncooked Rice
A dump-and-bake casserole where the raw rice actually cooks through, no crunchy corners.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice, uncooked (not instant)
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth, warmed
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Skip metal, it gives you crunchy corners.
- Warm the broth and milk together until steamy. Hot liquid gets the raw rice cooking right away instead of staying hard.
- In the dish, stir together the uncooked rice, cream of chicken soup, warm broth and milk, onion, garlic, peas and carrots, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the cheese. Spread into an even layer with no dry rice in the corners.
- Nestle the raw chicken pieces into the mixture so they sit just under the liquid. Dot the butter over the top.
- Cover tightly with foil, crimping the edges all the way around. Bake covered for 50 minutes without peeking.
- Uncover and check. Rice should be tender and chicken should read 165°F. If the rice is still firm, re-cover and bake 10 to 15 more minutes.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, until melted and bubbly.
- Rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving, then garnish with parsley.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving): about 430 calories. Values are an estimate only.
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