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Pioneer Woman Chicken Rice Bake

Pioneer Woman chicken rice bake is a set-and-forget chicken and rice casserole baked until the rice is deeply savory and has soaked up the pan drippings. Golden roasted chicken pieces sit skin-side up over fluffy long-grain rice with a deeply browned, herb-flecked finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken parts)
  • 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken parts) Bone-in pieces with skin for best caramelization.
cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
cream of celery soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of celery soup
long-grain white rice, uncooked
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked Uncooked long-grain rice absorbs the soup mixture during baking.
water or chicken broth
  • 1.5 cup water or chicken broth Use chicken broth for a richer savory flavor.
onion soup mix
  • 1 envelope (1 oz) onion soup mix Provides seasoning and color in the rice.
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste; season chicken generously.
pepper
  • 0.25 tsp pepper To taste.
garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder To taste.
paprika
  • 0.5 tsp paprika To taste; adds color to the chicken.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a large 9x13 baking dish.
  2. Whisk together cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, long-grain white rice, and water or chicken broth in the prepared dish until combined, so the rice is evenly moistened.
  3. Sprinkle half the onion soup mix into the rice and stir, until the rice looks evenly speckled.
  4. Season chicken pieces generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, then nestle them skin-side up into the rice so the chicken sits on top.
  5. Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix over the chicken for a deep, savory color as it bakes.
  6. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour, until the rice is beginning to soften around the chicken.
  7. Remove foil and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is golden and the rice has absorbed all liquid (no watery pooling visible).

Notes

For the best caramelized skin, keep the chicken skin-side up throughout baking and avoid stirring after it goes in the oven. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days in a covered container. Freezing is yes—freeze portions up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat until hot. For a lighter version, swap all three cream soups for reduced-fat versions (or use low-fat cream soup) while keeping the same bake time.