This slow cooker creamy chicken and rice soup is incredibly simple to make. Made with carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, chicken, rice, variety of spices, and finished off with cream. Pair this with grilled cheese or crusty bread for dinner on a cold evening!
It's pretty much subconscious at this point- when the weather gets colder and the leaves start falling off the trees, I start craving bowl after bowl of soup. I don't mean to sound so happy about this, but haaaaaaapy dance!
So let's bust out the slow cooker and make this soup that has everything you could probably ever want. This is one recipe that you will want to make immediately.
Here's Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
- Made in the slow cooker
- Hearty, wholesome & flavorful
- Leftovers for lunches for the week
- Uses pantry ingredients
- Minimal work & minimal clean up
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Ingredients
- Chicken: You can use any cut of chicken you prefer. I usually have boneless skinless chicken breasts so that's what I used- you want 1-1.5 pounds total.
- Spices: This recipe uses classic chicken soup spices, most likely all you have in your pantry like salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, and dried thyme. I also include white pepper to give it a boost of flavor.
- Vegetables: We're using classic soup vegetables like onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. You can add or omit vegetables, it's up to you!
- Rice: I'm using long grain white rice but you can use wild rice, basmati or brown rice. The cooking times can vary per rice, but they still work.
- Chicken Broth: You can use vegetable or chicken broth, either will work. Make sure they are low-sodium, otherwise reduce the salt by 1 teaspoon and taste at the end. It's always easier to add salt later.
- Water: This is just to add a bit more liquid without having to open up another carton of chicken broth. You can use chick broth if you'd like.
- Milk: Milk helps add the creaminess texture to the soup.
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream helps create an extra creamy soup.
- Roux: If you're not familiar with a roux, pronounced "roo", it's a way to thicken things like gravy, sauce, macaroni and cheese or soup! Making a roux is very simple with equal parts butter and flour, letting it cook down and then adding the liquid (in this case, the heavy cream.)
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Let's Make Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup!
- Place the chicken into a 5-quart or larger slow cooker, like this one. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, oregano, thyme, white pepper, and bay leaves. Then, add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and rice.
- Give it a stir, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker. Shred the chicken in to small pieces, then place them back into the slow cooker.
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Let the mixer simmer, whisking often, until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. You know it's down if you dip a spoon in it and the wipe your finger on the back of the spoon and the mixture stays in place.
- Add the milk mixture into the slow cooker and give it a stir. Place the cover back on and allow it to cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve warm- garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.
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Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Substitutions & Variations
- You can easily use rotisserie or leftover chicken shredded or chopped. Stir it in at the same time as you add the roux to the slow cooker.
- If you prefer chicken thighs, use them! This recipe is very forgiving. You'll follow the same instructions when using chicken thighs as you do chicken breasts.
- This recipe can easily be made dairy free by swapping the butter with vegan butter, the milk and heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream alternative.
- Your favorite type of rice can be used in this recipe, like basmati or brown rice. Keep in mind that the cook time may vary slightly so just check it during the cooking process.
More Soup Recipes To Try
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Homemade Alphabet Vegetable Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Description
This slow cooker creamy chicken and rice soup is incredibly simple to make. Made with carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, chicken, rice, variety of spices, and finished off with cream. Pair this with grilled cheese or crusty bread for dinner on a cold evening!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup sliced or chopped celery, 3-4 stalks
- 1 cup carrots, diced (about 3 large)
- 8 ounce mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Place the chicken into a 5-quart or larger slow cooker, . Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, oregano, thyme, white pepper, and bay leaves. Then, add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, rice, water, and chicken broth.
- Give it a stir, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker. Shred the chicken in to small pieces, then place them back into the slow cooker.
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Let the mixer simmer, whisking often, until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. You know it's down if you dip a spoon in it and the wipe your finger on the back of the spoon and the mixture stays in place.
- Add the milk mixture into the slow cooker and give it a stir. Place the cover back on and allow it to cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve warm- garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the soup to cool completely prior to freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Milk: Any type of milk works but whole milk will make it the creamiest.
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream helps make this recipe creamy. This recipe can easily be made dairy free by swapping the butter with vegan butter, the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream alternative.
- Vegetables: Feel free to use any type of vegetables that you prefer or have sitting in the refrigerator.
- Rice: Your favorite type of rice can be used in this recipe, like basmati or brown rice. Keep in mind that the cook time may vary slightly so just check it during the cooking process.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 959mg | Potassium: 776mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4104IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg
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Angela says
My family loves this recipe so much that I have made it 4 times in the last month. It's the best recipe for these bitter and cold days in the northeast!
Mike says
Single dad here. Made this for my kids (5, 8, 10) and each loved it. I thought I would have some for leftovers and it was gone. I will be making this again!
Kirsten says
Would I be able to alter the recipe to cook on the stove. I though I had chicken breast, but I only have a whole chicken.
Could I cook the chicken, shred it, and add it to a pot with the rest of the ingredients and cook until done? Should I cook the rice separately? Just curious on your thoughts!
Christina says
Hi Kirsten,
You have a few options. 1) You can either de-bone the chicken and place the cuts into the slow cooker as the recipe states (keep the bones and make some delicious chicken stock for soup, etc.!), 2) Cook the whole chicken separately and shred, cook the soup in the slower cooker and add the shredded chicken ~30 minutes prior to it finishing, 3) Cook the chicken separately and shred, make the soup in a large pot -- cook the vegetables first, then add in the rice and let it simmer over medium heat.
Hope that helps!
Leah says
Made this the other night since it has been unexpectedly cooler here and the family loved it. I will be making this again!
Pamela Brown says
I am assuming the 4 cups chicken stock should be included in step #1?
Christina says
Hi Pamela! I apologize for that, yes, it would be included in the first step. I just switched recipe plugins so I've been going back to each to make sure things copied over correctly. I just updated the recipe. I hope you enjoy!
Mike says
Ok I’m cooking this and I’m doing low for 6-8 hours so if we don’t eat till 4 hours later after the 6-8 hours cooking do I wait till the 30 before we actually eat? Or earlier and switch to warm for the 4 hours? As not to over cook!✌️
Thank you
Christina says
Yup! Just do it about 30 minutes before you're ready to eat. However, there are times where I have done it prior and let it sit on warm and it was just as delicious!
Trisha says
was delicious and now i have leftovers for the week. yum!
julie says
100% a go to recipe for the fall and winter. we loved this last week when we got a break in the heat!
June says
Made this for dinner last night and it was a hit for everyone. A new family favorite. Will make again!
Katherine says
The recipe tastes really good (a little on the salty side, but that is preference). I knocked a star off because I followed the recipe exactly and mine came out with the consistency of paste. Even with adding more liquid at the end (I added probably 2-3 more cups of water), it is still very thick, to the point it could be eaten with a fork. I like the taste, but the texture I got it nothing like the photos.