Go Back

Pioneer Woman Chicken Rice Bake

Pioneer Woman chicken rice bake is a set-and-forget oven chicken and rice casserole with golden, skin-side up chicken pieces embedded in tender rice. The deeply savory rice absorbs pan drippings for a cohesive, comforting one-dish meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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, cut into pieces
  • 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces Use 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken parts.
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
water or chicken broth
  • 1.5 cup water or chicken broth
onion soup mix
  • 1 envelope (1 oz) onion soup mix
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste.
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper To taste.
garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder To taste.
paprika
  • 0.5 tsp paprika To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and assemble
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a large 9x13 baking dish for easy release and even browning. This step sets your bake temperature before mixing.
  2. Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, long-grain white rice, and water or chicken broth in the prepared baking dish until combined. The mixture should look evenly blended with no dry rice clumps.
  3. Sprinkle half of the onion soup mix into the rice and stir. The rice will begin to look speckled with the onion seasoning.
  4. Season the chicken pieces generously with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, then nestle them skin-side up into the rice. Arrange them so the skin is mostly exposed for caramelized golden color.
  5. Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix over the chicken and rice surface. This helps create a deeply savory top layer as it bakes.
Bake and finish
  1. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour. The rice should be tender and most of the liquid should be absorbed.
  2. Remove the foil and bake at 350°F for an additional 25-30 minutes until the chicken is golden and the rice has absorbed all liquid. Look for a crisped, caramelized chicken skin and rice that no longer pools any liquid.

Notes

For best texture, use bone-in chicken parts so the fat renders into the rice and keeps the meat juicy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat in the oven at 325°F until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the rice can soften when thawed. For a lighter option, use light versions of the cream soups to reduce fat while keeping the savory casserole effect.