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Tender Chicken Wild Rice Casserole with mushrooms
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole with tender, flavorful chicken nestled in a bed of wild rice and mushrooms.
If you’re longing for a memorable dish that’s filling, uniquely flavored and delicious, look no further! This Chicken Wild Rice Casserole is absolutely terrific and perfectly satisfying.
The casserole has a nice nutty bite from the wild rice and a deep rich flavor from the mushrooms, wine and broth. If you love wild rice and comfort food, this casserole is for you!
What kind of rice can you use in this chicken wild rice casserole?
Our chicken wild rice casserole is easily adapted to your favorite rice, or rice blend. You can even use all white or brown rice for this recipe, but I highly encourage you to use at least some wild rice to get that unforgettable nutty flavor.
Wild Rice is usually sold in the rice section of the grocery store, but it’s really a whole grain aquatic grass!
I like to purchase a wild rice blend from the bulk bins at my local store. It keeps for a long time and has a wonderful combination of long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wild rice, and black Japonica brown rice.
According to Healthline, wild rice has an impressive amount of several key nutrients, including protein, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.
Wild rice also contains more protein than other types of rice, but has the same amount of fiber as brown rice. Add a little wild rice to all your favorite rice dishes!
Be sure to follow the directions for the wild rice, or rice blend you are using for this dish. Some may require a longer cooking time or more moisture.
An old vintage recipe reimagined
The idea for our chicken wild rice casserole came from an old recipe I used to make with a boxed rice mix and canned mushroom soup.
As you probably know, people are trying to move away from pre-packaged foods as much as possible. I’m not saying that canned soup and boxed rice mixes are bad. I try to make homemade from scratch, whenever possible, if only to cut down on the sodium and eliminate preservatives. We love whole foods!
Back in the day I used to make a box rice mix like Rice-A-Roni or Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice and pour it into a casserole dish. I topped the rice with chicken then poured a mixture of canned soup and white wine over the top.
That dump and go casserole is easy to make and was on regular rotation at our house, especially when the kids were little. I wanted to transform that old casserole into a homemade version, and I did!
You can still use shortcuts like canned soup in place of the white sauce, or rotisserie chicken in place of the breasts or thighs. But when you can, try this recipe as written. I promise you won’t be sorry. The homemade white sauce gives this dish a risotto-like quality with a nice creamy texture.
This chicken wild rice casserole will fill your belly and make your house smell like the most amazing chicken dish ever. I’m over the moon for this casserole and hope you will be too! This is Sunday supper at it’s finest 🙂
The best kind of mushrooms to use in this recipe
Honestly, you can use any kind of mushrooms you want, except canned. You can use Baby Bella mushrooms, white, button or brown. Pick whatever mushrooms look terrific at your store.
How to properly clean mushrooms
To prepare the mushrooms for cooking use a wet paper towel and wipe off any dirt. Try not to get the entire mushroom wet as they’re already loaded with water. They don’t need to be soaked. Trim any tough ends off the stems and slice into thick pieces.
When cooking the mushrooms spread them out into a single layer if possible, and cook undisturbed until well browned on one side. Stir and flip the mushrooms and continue cooking until the moisture is released and then evaporates.
This cooking method will keep the mushrooms from watering down your casserole and enhances their delicious earthy flavor. Click HERE to read a good article about how to properly clean mushrooms.
Can you add more chicken breasts or use other pieces in this wild rice casserole?
Yes you can! I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts all the time, but bone-in, skinless pieces work well here too. If you have more people coming to dinner you can simply increase the amount of chicken in the recipe. Whatever will fit into your oven-proof skillet or casserole will be fine.
Thanks for PINNING!
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
- 1 onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- salt
- pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 10 ounces mushrooms tough stems removed, sliced
- 1 ½ cups wild rice blend
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (16 ounces)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large ovenproof skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned on one side, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a plate and cover, browned side up; set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter to the now empty skillet along with the onions and celery. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are crisp tender. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, undisturbed, until the mushrooms are well browned on one side. Stir and turn the mushrooms and continue cooking until the moisture is released and evaporated, and the mushrooms are well browned.
- Add the vegetables back to the skillet with the mushrooms along with the dry wild rice blend. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the chicken broth and white wine to the skillet. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (NOTE - you may want add 10 minutes if using a different kind of rice blend that requires longer cooking - check the cooking directions for your variety. The rice should still be a little soupy and starting to soften)
- While the rice is cooking, make the white sauce. In a small saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, onion powder and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk, slowly, whisking to combine. Cook until the sauce is thickened.
- Once done, remove the rice from the heat. Pour the white sauce over the top of the rice and stir lightly to combine. Place the chicken in the skillet (browned side up) on top of the rice and push down lightly leaving the tops uncovered. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until chicken registers 160°F (for breasts) on an instant read thermometer, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Substitute chicken tenders or thighs if desired, or use skinless bone-in pieces. Bake the chicken until cooked through or 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer for breasts.
- You can also cut the chicken into smaller pieces or chunks and stir into the rice before baking. Substitute fully cooked rotisserie chicken cut into bite sized pieces if desired.
- Substitute more chicken broth for the wine if desired.
- In place of the white sauce use 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup combined with a little wine, broth or milk to thin, if desired.
- I use an inexpensive Chardonnay for this recipe.
- If you feel the rice is still too chewy after 20 minutes on the stove-top, continue cooking another 5 to 10 minutes. The rice will continue to cook in the oven.
Nutrition
Here are a few more recipes you might also like:
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – this delicious soup checks all the boxes for a perfect bowl of fall comfort food. It’s creamy and hearty with a nutty bite from the wild rice and a wonderful, flavor packed broth.
Earthy, hearty and seriously comforting, this Wild Rice Mushroom Soup is just the ticket for our rainy fall days.
Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf – An easy and delicious make-ahead side dish. Loaded with a variety of mushrooms, this pilaf is deliciously filling with a nutty flavor from the wild rice blend.
Emmy B
I may have overlooked it in another comment, but can this be made in a slow cooker?
Tricia Buice
Hi Emmy. I haven’t made this in a slow cooker so I’m not sure. It may be too soupy since you won’t be baking uncovered as the recipe instructions suggest. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
TJ
Love this recipe, it turned out so well! I had to sub the béchamel with cream of mushroom soup and it was still really good.
I will sub EVOO for some of the butter next time just to make a little healthier.
Tricia Buice
Perfect substitutions TJ. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback!
Eliz
I made this with only one change. I used heavy cream instead of whole milk and topped it with silk almond milk to make 1 cup. I had to use cream up and had no whole milk. Probably thicker and more calories, but it was very good. Thank you.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Eliz! I’m glad your substitution worked well. I don’t like to waste food either. Thanks again.
Jax
This recipe came out perfect! I used Lundberg wild rice blend and cooked it longer, using 5 minute increments. The chicken was so tender and it’s a perfect amount of creaminess, doesn’t overdo it. I used a decent quality pinot grigio for the white wine. Before serving,i placed shredded sharp cheddar on the plate, the rice on top of that and chicken on top of that. Even my picky eater child who hates mushrooms loved this. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Jax! I adore this dish and am so thrilled you did too.
Jean
Flavor 5 stars! I love fresh thyme, seared mushrooms and my secret ingredient (which I’m thinking may not be for everyone) is the addition of tarragon. The slight sweetness of this herb really stands out and compliments the wild rice and mushrooms.
I’m not an expert by any stretch, but just have cooked for a fair number of years. Depending on ingredients and how you assemble them (rice is a great example for this), liquids may vary as well as time. I’ve had wild rice take well over an hour to cook and then other times I’ve partially cooked it and then let it sit overnight where, as you mention, it soaks up the remaining liquid and finishes cooking. I like doing it that way as I don’t need to hover over the stove.
In this case, I had pre-made wild rice, so I adjusted the liquids way down as I didn’t need to cook it. Instead most of the liquid I used was for the sauce. I can’t recall my exact amounts, but probably about 1 cup of broth with some vinegar (I didn’t use wine) as I warmed up the rice and pre-cooked chicken and then dumped all the veggies in. Plus I wilted spinach in this, too. I made a roux with 1 cup of buttermilk for the creamy sauce (with my thyme and tarragon mixed in).
I just wanted to share those thoughts after reading about the person with the “soupy” mess. Just takes some practice, I think, and adjusting for your own situation. And…wild rice can be a bit tricky in that full grain as opposed to a mix or cut wild rice all take different cook times.
So, so tasty.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback and great details Jean! So glad you enjoyed this casserole. I adore wild rice and this is a favorite for sure. Thanks again.
Penny
This is a great dish! I used my Wisconsin wild rice mixed with some Uncle Bens white rice. I didn’t have celery no omitted it and it was fine. I also used half and half for the milk. Tonight I omitted the chicken and had it along a nice med rare filet! Delish! This is a very versatile rice dish with so many options, side dish, add pork chops, steak or chicken!
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Penny! I love how you’ve adapted this recipe and served it as a side dish. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Rachel
I really enjoyed this dish and wanted to share my experience in case helpful. I love anything with mushrooms so was excited to try it. I had a package of 3 chicken breasts (1.3 lbs). I only had half a white onion and 2 small shallots, so I used all of that and I think the shallot added a really nice flavor. As others mentioned I was a bit wary of the amount of butter so I cut back a bit during the veggie steps and added olive oil if my Dutch oven seemed too dry. I only had a 5 oz package of sliced shiitakes but it was enough. I also used no salt added chicken stock because it’s what I had, and 2% milk for the sauce which worked fine. I used lundberg wild rice which I always expect to be on the firmer side. After 20 minutes on the stove, the liquid was almost fully absorbed (my gas stove is really powerful even on low). I wasn’t sure if the chicken was supposed to be placed in the rice with the Browned side up or down – I put it up. Next time I think I would brown both sides before adding to the rice (but maybe I just did this step wrong and the uncooked side should have faced up in the oven?) I did 20 minutes in the oven.. rice was definitely cooked through but firm, as that’s how Wild rice is (at least this brand) but I still like it! I decided to shred the chicken and mix it back in with the rice. I also added baby spinach to the pot while still steaming and mixed it around until it wilted. Easy way to add some greens! I never measure out salt or pepper, just crank it when called for, and it tasted a tiny bit under seasoned but I added fresh parm on top which was a perfect addition. Would definitely make this again!
Tricia Buice
Thank you for the detailed comment Rachel. So glad you enjoyed it! I also love that you shredded the chicken and stirred in back into the rice. Brilliant idea that would be great with precooked rotisserie chicken, too 😉
terri
Love this dish! Can this be frozen? I’m thinking you should freeze it before baking, but have never done this with a rice casserole.
Tricia Buice
Hi Terri. I would not freeze before baking, but I haven’t tried making it that way. Rice always soaks up more liquid the longer it sits. Not sure this would turn out as good. I don’t hesitate to freeze fully baked leftovers in single portions, however. Thaw overnight then add a splash of broth, wine or water when reheating. Enjoy and thanks for the great question.
MindCzar
Winner winner chicken dinner! WOW! Great flavor. I followed recipe to the T! Used boneless skinless thighs (cut into 1” cubes) and baby Bella’s. What great flavor! This will be a regular in our weekly dinner rotation!
Tricia Buice
Thank you for the feedback. So glad you enjoyed it!
Nadine
Had this for dinner tonight. It was great!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Nadine. I LOVE this chicken dish and always have. Bravo!
Mountain Lady
I promised to repost with a rating so here it is. This is just so tasty. I cooked my rice separate, in the oven with the wine and chicken broth, and it turned out fine. I did cut my chicken into bite size pieces but it looks so pretty in the photos as whole pieces which you might like to do if your serving to guests. Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Mountain Lady
I’m so glad I found this recipe. I was looking for a recipe without canned soup. I would make a suggestion for those having trouble with the rice being crunchy. I live at 8500 ft in the Rockies. Many things cook differently here. I’ve started cooking rice in the oven. It is an extra step but well worth it rather than dinnertime arriving at the same time as undercooked ingredients. Works well with lentils too. I can’t rate this recipe as I haven’t tried it but I will repost.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Jan! Hope you enjoy this casserole.
Roxanne
Very good! I didn’t have any mushrooms, so I skipped that whole section. Then I only had red wine, I questioned my decision to use it when I first added it but it worked out fine. My rice was Royal Blend, which I had to cook for 45 minutes so it took a little longer but worth all the work. Can’t wait to make it with the ingredients as listed. I am sure it will be even better. My family ate every bit of it!
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Roxanne! How cool that this worked for you with the adjustments. Bet you’ll love it with the mushrooms. I love this hearty dish and so glad your family enjoyed it too!