30 Soothing Chicken and Rice Recipes

It's Time for Comfort Food

By
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
A freelance journalist and avid home cook, Cathy Jacobs has more than 10 years of food writing experience, with a focus on curating approachable menus and recipe collections.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/8/21
No-Peek Chicken

​The Spruce / Nita West

What could be more comforting for dinner or lunch than chicken and rice together? And who deserves comfort more than you? When you've had a long day, and are in need of some warm comfort in the form of food, we've got you covered with our best chicken and rice dishes. Browse our essential recipes for comfort food casseroles, stove-top suppers, quick-cooking soups, freeze-ahead meals, and delicious chicken dinners with global flavors. All are wonderfully comforting and easy to cook at home whenever you crave their goodness.

  • 01 of 30

    No-Peek Chicken

    No-Peek Chicken Recipe

    The Spruce / Nita West

    Sunday dinner doesn't get much easier than no-peek chicken. This budget-conscious recipe uses easy ingredients, including a store-bought wild rice mix, canned condensed soups, and browned chicken pieces, to create a one-dish meal you will be proud to serve. The name comes from the fact that you don't have to check on the chicken even once, while it cooks to perfection in the oven.

  • 02 of 30

    Polo Ba Morgh (Chicken With Saffron Rice)

    Polo Ba Morgh (Chicken With Saffron Rice) Recipe

    The Spruce / Anita Schecter

    Polo ba morgh is a classic Iranian dish served at weddings and festive celebrations, as well as, casual dinner parties. It is a deeply flavorful melange of tender chicken (morgh) cooked in a tangy tomato sauce, steamed saffron rice (polo), and tiny, sour, ruby-red barberries (or dried cranberries if more readily available). Make it for special-occasion meals, garnished with toasted almonds, or pistachios.

  • 03 of 30

    Crock Pot Chicken and Rice in Mushroom Sauce

    Crock Pot Chicken and Rice in Mushroom Sauce Recipe

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Convenient ingredients make this crock pot chicken and rice a budget-friendly dinner winner. The slow cooker does all the work of transforming boneless chicken breasts, uncooked rice, canned soups, onion soup mix, milk, and Parmesan cheese into a saucy and delicious family supper.

  • 04 of 30

    Hainanese Chicken Rice

    Hainanese Chicken Rice

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    Hainanese chicken rice is one of Singapore's national dishes. It traces its roots to Chinese immigrants from Hainan province, where the cuisine is typically lighter and more gently-seasoned than on the Chinese mainland. This famous dish is a harmonious balance of four distinct, delicious elements—mild, poached chicken, rice cooked in chicken broth, the broth served as a side soup, and dipping sauce.

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  • 05 of 30

    Chicken Fried Rice

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

    Once you experience how easy it is to make chicken fried rice at home, you will never want to order takeout again. You need just 20 minutes to cook it on the stove for a dinner that will make kids cheer. The recipe includes suggestions for veggies to include, but feel free to use any hanging out in your crisper or freezer.

  • 06 of 30

    Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup

    Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    The Instant Pot may be the best thing to happen to chicken soup in years. You'll save tons of time by using its pressure cooker to create an intensely-flavorful, homemade chicken broth, which you can fill with chewy rice, cooked chicken breast meat, and healthy vegetables. Use dried thyme and rosemary, or any other pantry seasonings you like, to make it your own.

  • 07 of 30

    Chicken with Rice and Chorizo

    Chicken with Rice and Chorizo Recipe

    Laura Agra / Katie Workman / themom100.com

    Freezer-friendly meals are a busy parent's best friend. This easy, family-pleasing casserole with inexpensive, savory chicken thighs and nutty brown rice adds spicy chorizo sausage, roasted red peppers, and frozen artichoke hearts, for tons of added flavor. The sauce includes a little white wine but you could substitute an equal quantity of white wine vinegar or extra chicken broth.

  • 08 of 30

    Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

    Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl (Oyakodon) Recipe

    The Spruce

    Oyakodon is Japanese comfort food at its best and is a staple menu item at diners in Japan. A don (or donburi) is a rice bowl in Japanese, and oyakodon is a simple, tummy-warming, one-bowl meal of chicken and rice that you can whip up in 20 minutes on chilly winter weeknights. It is made by simmering chicken, lightly-beaten eggs, and onions in a dashi-flavored stock and ladling these over hot and fluffy rice.

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  • 09 of 30

    Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken and Rice

    Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken and Rice

    JGI / Jamie Grill / Getty Images

    Enjoy the flavors of your favorite restaurant Buffalo chicken wings in a filling, one-dish dinner casserole. It's made in the slow cooker with cubed chicken breast meat, brown rice, celery, and onions, covered over in a luscious, tongue-tingling sauce made from jarred Buffalo wing hot sauce, canned condensed soup, and chicken broth. Serve topped with blue cheese crumbles for a pub-style dinner.

  • 10 of 30

    Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole

    Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken and microwave rice packets to make this weeknight essential casserole even simpler to prepare. Kids will love digging their forks into the cheesy chicken bake, and busy parents will appreciate that it cooks up easily in one dish, making clean-up a breeze, too.

  • 11 of 30

    Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

    Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    The Instant Pot makes it easy to prepare a wholesome, family-friendly chicken and rice supper in less time than you would need to order and wait for a pizza. This quick-cooking recipe uses a blend of dried Italian herbs to add flavor to boneless, skinless chicken breasts and includes crunchy, colorful vegetables for extra flavor and nutrition.

  • 12 of 30

    Chicken Risotto With Long-Grain Rice

    Chicken Risotto With Long-Grain Rice Recipe

    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

    You don't need to go out and buy special arborio rice for this sneaky chicken risotto that swaps in long-grain rice. Just stir the rice frequently as it cooks, which will break up the starches in the grains, producing the creamy texture you crave in a risotto. Serve it for an elegant main course at dinner, perhaps with a glass of dry white wine.

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  • 13 of 30

    Onigiri (Chicken Rice Balls)

    Onigiri (Chicken Rice Balls) Recipe

    The Spruce / Molly Watson

    Rolling up delicious onigiri is a fun cooking activity to do with kids. These cute little chicken and rice balls make a wholesome after-school snack, a yummy lunch, or a supremely easy dinner when you serve them with a side salad. Fix them in a snap, by boiling chicken leg meat in an easy, Asian-style marinade, before mixing it with cooked, short-grain rice, and pressing it into balls.

  • 14 of 30

    Chaufa Rice

    Chaufa Rice Recipe

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

    Chaufa is a tasty Chinese-Peruvian fried rice dish that may become your new favorite fried rice. You need fewer than 10 ingredients and just 20 minutes to cook it up on busy weeknights. Simply chop everything ahead of time, and stir-fry quickly in a pan for a filling, one-dish meal.

  • 15 of 30

    Low-Calorie Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bake

    Low-Calorie Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bake Recipe

    Image Studios / Uppercut Images / Getty Images

    Warm, filling, and creamy, yet low in calories, this chicken, cauliflower, and rice bake may be just the comfort food you've been craving. Brown rice brings the nutrients, lean, boneless chicken breast meat keeps the fat and calories low, and the rich and thick sauce is made from scratch, so you control what goes into it.

  • 16 of 30

    Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Casserole

    Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

    The Spruce

    You need only a few minutes to assemble this delicious chicken and rice casserole that finishes cooking in your crock pot. Just load up the appliance with ingredients in the morning, and come home to a complete family dinner in one dish. Condensed soups help to make it an easy, convenient, inexpensive, fuss-free meal.

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  • 17 of 30

    Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers

    Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers

    The Spruce / Karen Hibbard

    A creamy, curried chicken and rice mixture takes every day stuffed peppers to new heights. They bake to perfection in only 30 minutes for a yummy, lower-calorie alternative to the classic beef and rice stuffed peppers. The recipe includes chopped jarred pimentos, but feel free to substitute slivered almonds if you like.

  • 18 of 30

    Bukharan Chicken and Rice Plov

    Bukharan Chicken and Rice Plov With Vegetables

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    Plov is a beloved dish of the Bukharan Jews of Central Asia. It is a delicious and fragrant rice pilaf loaded with succulent chicken morsels, tender rice grains, and plenty of aromatic flavors. You will find it served at weddings (and even funerals) in its native region, but it also makes a wonderful, humble stove-top dinner that will please even picky eaters in your household.

  • 19 of 30

    Chicken Divan With Broccoli and Rice

    Chicken Divan With Broccoli and Rice Recipe

    The Spruce

    Most kids love the flavors of chicken, cheese, and broccoli together. They all combine in this divinely delicious (and sneakily healthy) family casserole. It makes great use of leftover chicken and cooked rice and bakes in just 30 minutes, making it a no-brainer for busy weeknights.

  • 20 of 30

    Mexican Chicken and Rice

    Mexican Chicken and Rice Recipe

    Alex Ortega / Getty Images

    Mexican flavors add a tasty twist to this South-of-the-border-inspired chicken dinner using budget-friendly chicken thighs. Feel free to add some drained, canned black beans to stretch the protein for a filling and nutritious everyday meal. If you end up with leftovers, try chopping up the chicken for stuffing into warmed tortillas with ripe avocado slices for a unique Taco Tuesday feast.

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  • 21 of 30

    Chicken and Rice Salad

    Chicken and Rice Salad Recipe

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Use up leftover cooked chicken and rice in your fridge to whip up this lively chicken salad. It makes an excellent grab-and-go weekday lunch or even a lighter dinner, served atop a bed of lettuce leaves or stuffed into a pita sandwich.

  • 22 of 30

    Sizzling Rice Soup

    Sizzling Rice Soup

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

    Impress your family and friends with this special chicken, shrimp, and rice soup that literally snaps, crackles, and pops when you put it on the table. You've seen it in restaurants—now make it at home, with this easy recipe that shares the secret to producing the magical, sizzling rice effect.

  • 23 of 30

    Spicy Chicken and Shrimp With Rice

    Spicy Chicken and Shrimp With Rice Recipe

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Chicken and shrimp are a fabulous flavor combination that tastes great in many different preparations. This easy stove-top recipe with chicken, shrimp, rice, and vegetables is a great way to enjoy these gifts of the land and sea together and will please spice-lovers with the inclusion of jalapenos and crushed red pepper flakes.

  • 24 of 30

    Crock Pot Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Jambalaya

    Crockpot Jambalaya

    Lynne Mitchell / Getty Images

    Cook up a New Orleans-style crockpot jambalaya for your next tailgating event. The slow cooker makes easy work of this quintessential one-pot Creole recipe with chicken, shrimp, smoked sausage, rice, canned crushed tomatoes, chopped fresh veggies, and dried pantry spices. The cooked rice and shrimp are added near the end of cooking for the perfect textures in your bowl.

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  • 25 of 30

    Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice With Chicken)

    Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice With Chicken) Recipe

    Mixa / Getty Images

    Takikomi gohan is a soothing Japanese dish of steamed chicken, seasonal vegetables, and fluffy, steamed short-grain rice. The rice is seasoned simply with soy sauce, rice wine, sake, and salt, for a traditional-tasting dish that is the perfect bowlful on a cold or rainy day.

  • 26 of 30

    Thai Chicken and Rice Soup

    Thai Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

    KSChong / Getty Images

    Get your Thai flavor fix with this luscious, complex-tasting soup. Leftover cooked chicken and rice makes it easy to assemble in 20 minutes, and lime juice, coconut milk, and Asian-style vegetables add a special Thai taste.

  • 27 of 30

    Chicken Gumbo With Rice

    Chicken Gumbo With Rice Recipe

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    There is something so heart-warming about a hot bowl of chicken gumbo on cold winter evenings or whenever your body and spirit need a lift. Treat your family (or just your inner child) to this satisfying stew that jazzes up the traditional chicken and sausage gumbo with adorable little rice characters that will put a smile on your face.

  • 28 of 30

    Southwestern Chicken and Rice Bake

    Southwestern Chicken and Rice Bake Recipe

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    This easy, tasty Southwestern chicken and rice casserole freezes well for make-ahead dinners or taking to a potluck. It is a cinch to assemble with diced cooked chicken, cooked rice, canned black beans, tomatoes, corn, and a homemade, creamy sauce. Top it with shredded cheddar, and serve with fluffy biscuits or cornbread.

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  • 29 of 30

    Florida-Style Arroz Con Pollo

    Florida-Style Arroz Con Pollo Recipe

    Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images

    Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) is a classic Latin American dish that is popular in Florida, too. This easy cast-iron skillet recipe seasons chicken parts with paprika and saffron; and simmers them with red bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, rice, peas, and prepared hot pepper sauce for a spicy, smoky, satisfying dish.

  • 30 of 30

    Pineapple Chicken Thai Fried Rice

    Pineapple Chicken Thai Fried Rice Recipe

    Joy Atkinson / Getty Images

    Festive Thai chicken fried rice is a wonderful special occasion or potluck dish that takes little time to assemble and cook. It brings together savory chicken, sweet pineapple chunks, crunchy nuts, and soft raisins, all flavored with a delicious, Thai-style sauce you can make with readily available, store-bought ingredients.