This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This single serving chicken and rice casserole is rich, creamy, and made from scratch. With tender chicken, mushrooms, and a homemade sauce, it’s a comforting one-dish meal you’ll want to make often.
Featured Comment
“I have made this dish quite a few times. It is one of the most delicious dishes I have tried. So easy to make.”
– Nicola
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Homemade Flavor Without Canned Soup: Made entirely from scratch using fresh ingredients, no condensed soups or pre-boxed mixes, just real chicken, real onions, real broth for rich, natural taste.
- Single Serving Size: Designed to feed one person, so you get fully fresh portions without leftovers.
- Creamy and Comforting: Tender chicken, creamy sauce, and perfectly cooked rice combine into a warm, satisfying one-dish meal.
- Easy to Scale Up: Double everything, bake in a larger dish, and enjoy the same flavor and texture for two or more servings.
I love this easy chicken and rice casserole because it’s made completely from scratch with simple ingredients that highlight real flavor.
Skipping canned soup makes such a difference, and the result is a creamy, classic comfort food that feels homemade in every bite. It’s the kind of meal I turn to when I want something warm and satisfying without a lot of fuss.
Consider serving your small chicken casserole with sautéed green beans, a small Italian chopped salad, small batch French bread rolls, and a glass of crisp white wine for a complete meal.
Ingredients
If you have ingredients leftover from this small chicken and rice casserole recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder for ways to use them.
- Chicken: Use a boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast. Thighs are juicier, but breasts work just as well – choose what you prefer. Extra chicken? Make our baked chicken thighs, chicken tikka masala for one, small batch chicken nuggets, or Tuscan chicken for one.
- Seasoning: A blend of salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning gives this dish great flavor. Italian seasoning typically includes basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemaryif you’re out, use any combination of these.
- Mushrooms: Sliced cremini or button mushrooms add depth. Not a fan? Leave them out. Leftover mushrooms? Use them in a small mushroom casserole or risotto for one.
- Chicken Broth: I prefer low-sodium chicken broth for better control over seasoning. Vegetable broth works too. Leftover broth? Use it in lasagna soup for one, a single serving of Spanish rice, or a small green bean casserole.
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt is a good substitute if you want a lighter option.
- Heavy Cream: Adds richness to the sauce. For a lighter version, use whole milk or half-and-half, but the sauce won’t be as thick. Leftover cream? Try it in fettuccine Alfredo for one or mini French silk pie.
- Rice: Medium or long-grain white rice works best. Basmati is a great alternative with no change in cooking time.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Chicken And Rice Casserole
These photos and instructions show you how to make this small chicken casserole with rice. For exact ingredient amounts and full instructions, see the recipe below.
- Preheat and Brown the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown it on both sides for 1-2 minutes. The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked, just browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the Onions and Garlic: Add a little more olive oil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onions until translucent, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Cook the Mushrooms: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. I don’t like to add extra oil—this helps them brown and release moisture. Stir occasionally and cook for 2 minutes.
- Make the Sauce: Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Remove the pan from heat, then mix in the sour cream, heavy cream, remaining salt, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- Assemble the Casserole: Add the uncooked rice to a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Combine: Pour the cream mixture over the rice and stir gently. Place the chicken on top in a single layer.
- Bake: Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, if there’s still too much liquid, bake uncovered for a few more minutes until it evaporates.
How To Make Chicken and Rice Casserole on the Stovetop
No oven? You can make this on the stovetop using a 10-inch skillet or sauté pan with a lid. Keep the heat low and let it simmer gently until the rice and chicken are fully cooked.
Expert Tips
- Adjusting Salt: The amount of salt needed depends on your broth. Taste the casserole before serving and adjust as needed.
- Time-Saving Tip: Save time by using 4-5 ounces of pre-cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken or leftovers. After Thanksgiving, swap in leftover turkey for an easy variation.
- Add Vegetables: For a boost of greens, mix in 1/4 cup of steamed or blanched chopped broccoli before baking. This turns it into a delicious chicken and broccoli casserole.
- No Instant Rice: This recipe won’t work with Instant Rice or Minute Rice, as the liquid and cooking time won’t be right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
Yes! Double the ingredients and use either:
Two 5×5-inch baking dishes
One 8×1½-inch round baking pan
One 6×8-inch baking dish
One 9×5-inch rectangular baking dish
If using a larger dish, the baking time stays the same since the mixture will spread out evenly.
Brown rice takes longer to cook and may need additional liquid and baking time. For best results, stick with white rice.
Yes. If using cooked chicken, skip the browning step and stir the chicken into the rice before baking.
RELATED: Easy Dinner Ideas For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve made this easy single serving chicken and rice casserole or any recipe from One Dish Kitchen, let me know what you think! Rate the recipe and share your experience in the comments below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Chicken and Rice Casserole For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken thigh or chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt -divided
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil -divided
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- ¼ cup sliced mushrooms
- ⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ cup long-grain white rice
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with ⅛ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper. Add to the pan and brown on both sides for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Note: The chicken does not need to be fully cooked, just browned.
- Add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook the onions for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: No additional oil is added so the mushrooms brown and release moisture.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Remove from heat, then mix in the sour cream, heavy cream, remaining salt, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- Pour the rice into a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Pour the cream mixture over the rice and stir gently. Place the browned chicken on top in a single layer.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil—if there's still too much liquid, bake uncovered for a few more minutes until it evaporates.
- Serve hot.
Notes
-
- Adjusting Salt: The amount of salt needed depends on your broth. Taste the casserole before serving and adjust as needed.
- Time-Saving Tip: Save time by using 4-5 ounces of pre-cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken or leftovers. After Thanksgiving, swap in leftover turkey for an easy variation.
- Add Vegetables: For a boost of greens, mix in 1/4 cup of steamed or blanched chopped broccoli before baking. This turns it into a delicious chicken and broccoli casserole.
- No Instant Rice: This recipe won’t work with Instant Rice or Minute Rice, as the liquid and cooking time won’t be right.
Two 5×5-inch baking dishes
One 8×1½-inch round baking pan
One 6×8-inch baking dish
One 9×5-inch rectangular baking dish If using a larger dish, the baking time stays the same since the mixture will spread out evenly.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi Joanie,
Just made the chicken casserole. I doubled it and it came out quite tasty – I have leftovers and want to know the best way to make the leftovers creamier.
Love your recipes – I’ve made many!
Thank you
Donna
Donna, I’m so happy you enjoyed the chicken casserole. To make the leftovers creamier, I would stir in a small amount of milk or cream before reheating.
I made this tonight for supper and it is absolutely spectacular. It is SO much better than the classic mushroom soup version many of us know.
It’s also extremely economical as week . I used only 4oz of a 9oz chicken breast and the other 5oz I will use tomorrow to make a Buffalo Chicken sandwich.
Well done Joanie! This is a definite keeper!
Hi Joanie, I still haven’t gotten round to this particular recipe yet, but is on my planner for tomorrow night..
If I could just ask& I know it may seem inconsequential, but are your cooking instructions all done in a “fan assisted” oven?
The reason I ask is.. my oven is a regular one(no fan) but also I have been trying out some of your recipes using my Air Fryer which acts like a fan oven.. So I do have an air fry conversion chart but it lists Original recipe temp& time, with (fan or no fan) then tells what setting etc for air fry mode.. Previously I did some of your dishes in my Ninja, but on the “Bake” setting.. and they came out great.. But I really want to do this one on airfry mode as I haven’t done a rice one this way..
Sorry for the long winded question.. but I’m notorious for taking ages to get to the point.. I guess I could have just asked Does your oven have a fan!!!! Oh well..🤭..
Thanks so much..😊🏴
Hi Lorna! No, our oven does not have a fan-assist feature.
Thanks so much for that Joanie.. It’ll help me out a lot😊🏴
I made this for dinner tonight but substituted broccoli for the mushrooms and used lemon-flavored olive oil because that is what I had on hand. It had a bright, delicious, mouth-watering taste, and I can’t wait to eat the remainder of it tomorrow. Thank you for THE PERFECT chicken and rice casserole.
Would this work with brown rice? Thanks!
Brown rice will require more liquid and a longer cooking time. You will have to adjust the recipe accordingly.
My rice wasn’t fully cooked. Could I have not have mixed it completely? I think I had the foil on right. Otherwise, the flavors were delicious!!
If the rice wasn’t fully cooked, the casserole needed to be kept in the oven for a few minutes more.
I made this tonight & it was just delish. Made no changes. Next time I’ll add some veggies though. I had planned to have half for lunch tomorrow but I ate the whole thing! Thanks for an easy yummy recipe!
I just made this. It is one of the best of your recipes. To others that make this don’t leave out the tiny bit of Italian seasoning. It really takes it over the top. Thank you for your many recipes. I enjoy them so much.
Can this be assembled and frozen without baking first? I like to make 2-3 small dishes for one, eat one and freeze the others
I don’t recommend freezing the assembled casserole because of the heavy cream and sour cream in the sauce. Instead, I’d suggest cooking the chicken ahead of time and freezing it, you can double or triple the ingredient amounts depending on how many casseroles you’d like to make. When you are ready to enjoy the meal, thaw the already cooked chicken and make the sauce since the sauce cooks quickly, add rice and bake.
Thank you for this recipe. It sounds fabulous. As I’m a low carber like another Commenter, I think I will use half rice and half grated cauliflower. I can’t wait to try this as I love chicken and rice casserole–my mother used to add a smidgen of wine once in awhile also.