Oven baked chicken and brown rice casserole. This healthy, delicious and easy to make dinner serves up to 6 people. It's perfect for the whole family!
Folks this oven baked chicken and brown rice casserole is a family favorite here. I think you're going to just love it too.
It makes a great easy weeknight dinner.
I know that casseroles are really popular. My turkey rice casserole is one of my most searched for recipes.
So this one is another one to add to your easy meal list.
I mean what's not to love about a chicken rice casserole that takes just 10 minutes of prep time?
Then you put it into the oven for an hour to bake and get on with other things?
In these times when everything seems to be going up in price casseroles are a great choice for a family dinner.
This casserole is packed with delicious tender chicken, mushrooms, garlic, healthy brown rice and peas.
It serves up to 6 people and it's the perfect comfort food!
In this healthy chicken and rice casserole you don't even have to cook the rice beforehand.
Here we use uncooked brown rice. As it cooks alongside the chicken in the oven it absorbs all the tasty chicken juices and flavours.
I use brown rice here not only because it belongs to the family of healthy whole grains but also because white rice would turn out all mushy.
Brown rice is perfect. It takes longer to cook and once it's ready has a lovely slightly earthy, nutty flavour, and a chewy texture.
Using brown rice means this is a healthy chicken casserole. It fills you up for much longer than ordinary processed white rice.
This hearty meal also makes a great healthy freezer meal. Easily reheated for busy weeknights!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Button Mushrooms
- Garlic Cloves
- Brown Rice
- Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Freshly Grated Salt And Black Pepper
- Chicken Stock
- Frozen Peas
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Chicken And Brown Rice Casserole
Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below. But here is a quick step by step guide of how to make chicken and rice casserole:
Step 1 & 2
- Preheat oven.
- Sauté onion.
Step 2 cont.
- Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté together.
Step 3
- Add sauted onion, mushrooms, garlic and brown rice to casserole dish.
Step 4 & 5
- Place chicken breasts in casserole dish and season well with salt and pepper.
- Pour the hot chicken stock over.
Step 6
- Cover casserole dish with tin foil / aluminum foil. Bake for about 1 hour.
Step 7
- Once chicken and rice are cooked remove from oven and stir in frozen peas.
- Replace the foil on top and allow casserole to sit until peas are cooked.
Step 8
- Serve chicken on bed of rice with the peas. Serve with additional vegetables if required. See FAQ's for suggestions.
Substitutions
- Olive Oil - you can substitute with any kind of oil you choose.
- Onion
- Button Mushrooms
- Garlic Cloves - you could use garlic powder instead.
- Brown Rice - I use easy cook long-grain brown rice. Only use brown rice. Do not use white rice. Cooking time may vary with other types of regular brown rice.
- Skinless Chicken Breasts - you can use skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Freshly Grated Salt And Black Pepper
- Chicken Stock - use a good quality chicken stock / chicken broth or you could use a vegetable stock instead.
- Frozen Peas
Equipment
For This Chicken And Brown Rice Recipe You May Need….
The following links and any links in the recipe card below are affiliate links.
This means that if you click on it and then buy that product, I’ll get a small commission (at no extra cost to you of course).
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This is the large oven-proof baking dish I use.
It's a great low cost but good quality baking and roasting dish.
It's perfect for lasagne, side dishes and desserts. It's dishwasher, freezer and oven safe too.
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FAQ's
Is This Chicken And Brown Rice Casserole Healthy?
Yes. This chicken and brown rice recipe is healthy because it's high in fibre and protein and has a good helping of vitamins and minerals too.
Do I Cook Rice Before Adding To Casserole?
In this case no. Use uncooked rice. The rice will cook in the oven alongside the chicken.
What To Serve With Chicken And Rice Casserole?
If you need to serve other vegetables then steamed vegetables like fresh broccoli or green beans would go well.
Can I Freeze This Casserole Dish?
Yes. Allow it to cool completely first then portion into individual containers. Simply reheat in the microwave or in your oven.
Other Popular Casserole Recipes You Might Also Like
📋 Oven Baked Chicken And Brown Rice Casserole Recipe
The following links and any links in the recipe card below are affiliate links.
This means that if you click on it and then buy that product I’ll get a small commission (at no extra cost to you of course).
If you do click through then thanks for being a part of Neil’s Healthy Meals!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 200 g button mushrooms sliced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 275 g uncooked brown rice
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 kg
- Freshly grated salt and pepper
- 750 ml hot chicken stock
- 150 g frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C Fan
- Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and sauté for 2 - 3 minutes until softened then add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for a further 2 - 3 minutes until mushrooms are browned.
- Empty the contents of the saucepan into a large oven-proof baking dish, add the rice and mix well together.
- Place the chicken breasts on the rice and season well with the salt and pepper.
- Pour the chicken stock all-round the dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Once cooked remove from the oven, stir in the frozen peas, and replace the foil on top allowing the casserole to sit for about 5 minutes.
- Serve each chicken breast on a bed of the rice, onion, mushroom, and pea mixture.
Nutrition
Nutrition Label
Nutritional information provided below is calculated using paid for online tools and the exact ingredients and quantities used above.
Rate The Recipe
If you’ve made this oven baked chicken and brown rice casserole recipe, or any other recipes on Neil's Healthy Meals, then please let me know.
I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂
Chef Mimi
This looks wonderful! I only use brown rice if Iโm going to eat it. If itโs for a photograph, sometimes I need what pure white, but itโs pretty much worthless food in my book!
Neil
Thanks Mimi. Agreed that sometimes white rice looks much better in a photograph. But you can't beat all the healthy goodness of brown rice.
David @ Spiced
I love a good chicken and rice casserole! Easy meals like this are definitely good ones to keep up your sleeve when you need a quick dinner. I also love how you cook the rice in the oven with the casserole itself. Ooo...this would be excellent with field peas when they ripen! Great recipe, Neil!
Neil
I think I've got lazier with my cooking over the years David. I'll pretty much do anything to make a delicious quick and easy meal. So the fact that the rice cooks in the oven with the chicken is a win win situation! And yes field peas would be so nice and fresh tasting added to this at the end. Lovely!
Charlie DeSando
Neil, this is a very nice dish, but I think frozen green peas are the greatest invention in cooking. Love them, they add so much to a dish.
Neil
Thanks Charlie. As I said to David in my previous comment, anything to make a meal easier and adding frozen peas at the end means they cook in the casserole and you get your portion of veg too!
Linger, Kristy Murray
I love everything about this recipe, especially the peas. I wish my husband liked them, he actually is not a fan. Go figure? But he'll just have to deal with it when I make your dish. What an added treat that you use uncooked rice. So simple yet it looks and sounds so fantastic. I can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Neil
Wow. I've never known of anyone not to like peas Kristy! Still I suppose you can add in other kinds of vegetables instead. Glad you like my recipe and thanks for taking the time to comment and rate it!
Sherry M
chicken and mushrooms and brown rice! yes a winner. love all that.
Neil
Thanks Sherry!
Sherry M
comment vamoosed!? just saying i love these flavours together!
Neil
I think it was just waiting to be approved.
Michelle
Loving this one-pan dinner! If I don't have to cook rice, that saves me an additional step! Perfect for crazy busy weekdays ๐
Neil
Absolutely! Thank you Michelle. More time for doing other things. That's why I love this recipe too! ๐
Jean Painter
How would the cooking time vary if you use regular long grain brown rice instead of Easy Cook?
Neil
Easy cook brown rice takes about 25 minutes. Regular / normal can take about 45 minutes.