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Pioneer Woman Chicken Rice Bake

Pioneer Woman chicken rice bake is an easy chicken bake where golden chicken pieces nestle into deeply savory rice cooked in a creamy soup mixture. Bake covered to absorb all liquid, then uncover until the chicken skin caramelizes and the rice turns French onion soup–colored.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Whole chicken
  • 1 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken parts)
Cream soup mixture
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of celery soup
Rice and liquid
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
  • 1.5 cup water or chicken broth
Onion soup mix
  • 1 envelope (1 oz) onion soup mix
Seasonings
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • garlic powder to taste
  • paprika to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a large 9x13 baking dish so the casserole releases easily.
Mix the rice base
  1. Whisk together all three soups, rice, and water (or chicken broth) in the greased dish until combined.
  2. Sprinkle half the onion soup mix into the rice and stir.
Season and layer chicken
  1. Season chicken pieces generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
  2. Nestle the chicken into the rice skin-side up so the skin can brown on top.
  3. Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix over the chicken for extra savory color.
Bake
  1. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour to cook the rice through and bring the flavors together.
  2. Remove foil and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is golden and the rice has absorbed all liquid.

Notes

Pro tip: If using bone-in pieces, keep them skin-side up the entire time so you get caramelized, crispy-looking top areas. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended because the rice texture can soften after thawing. For a lighter option, use low-sodium cream soups (or one can replaced with reduced-sodium varieties) and add only to taste.