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Pioneer Woman Chicken Rice Bake

Pioneer Woman chicken rice bake is a set-and-forget one dish casserole where golden chicken pieces nestle into rice that absorbs the pan drippings. Bake until the chicken skin is caramelized and the rice is fluffy and deeply savory from the three creamy soups.
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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: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Whole chicken
  • 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces About 3-4 lb bone-in chicken parts; skin-on helps caramelize.
Cream soups
  • 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
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
  • 1.5 cup water or chicken broth Use broth for deeper flavor.
Onion soup mix
  • 1 envelope (1 oz) onion soup mix
Seasonings
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
  • 0.25 garlic powder to taste
  • 0.25 paprika to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prepare
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a large 9x13 baking dish.
  2. Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, uncooked long-grain white rice, and water (or chicken broth) directly in the prepared dish until combined.
Season and layer
  1. Sprinkle half of the onion soup mix into the rice and stir to distribute.
  2. Season the chicken pieces generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika; nestle the chicken skin-side up into the rice.
  3. Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix over the chicken.
Bake
  1. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour, until the rice is nearly tender.
  2. Remove the foil and bake another 25-30 minutes at 350°F until the chicken is golden and the rice has absorbed all liquid.

Notes

For best absorption and crispy-looking top chicken, keep the foil sealed for the first hour so the rice steams fully. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days; reheat in a 350°F oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the rice and creamy soups can soften after thawing. For a lower-fat option, use reduced-fat cream soups (or one light soup plus two regular) to reduce richness while keeping the same casserole structure.