Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
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This Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup is simple, comforting, and wonderfully fuss-free-made with tender chicken, vegetables, and rice in a rich, savory broth. It's the kind of cozy, dependable soup that feels especially welcome during the winter months.
If you love classic, comforting soups, you may also enjoy my Chicken and Potato Chowder, or this quick Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, too.
Recipe Overview
- Comforting & classic: A simple chicken and rice soup with familiar, cozy flavors
- Easy to make: Works beautifully in the crock pot or on the stovetop
- Wholesome ingredients: Chicken, vegetables, rice, and herbs-nothing complicated
- Great for meal prep: Makes a generous pot and reheats well
- Winter-perfect: Nourishing, warming, and ideal for cold-weather cooking
What I Love About This Soup
This Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup is simple, comforting, and wonderfully fuss-free-exactly the kind of meal that feels right on a cold winter day. Made with everyday ingredients like chicken, vegetables, broth, and rice, it's wholesome, satisfying, and easy to let simmer while you go about your day.
The slow cooker version develops a rich, cozy flavor with very little effort, while the stovetop method offers a quicker option when soup cravings strike. Either way, this is a dependable, nourishing pot of soup you'll come back to all season long.
A few more reasons I love this soup!
- Pure comfort: Growing up, my mom didn't rely much on convenience foods, but canned soup did make an occasional appearance-and when it was my turn to choose, it was always chicken and rice. That simple, familiar flavor still feels deeply comforting.
- Easy and unfussy: No complicated steps, no hard-to-find ingredients-just honest, wholesome cooking.
- Flexible cooking methods: This soup works beautifully in the crock pot or on the stovetop.
- Winter-perfect ingredients: Chicken, rice, vegetables, and herbs come together in a way that feels nourishing and grounding during colder months.
Looking for more soup recipes? Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup, or Chicken Matzo Ball Soup-are all longtime favorites for easy dinners and nourishing bowls on cold days.
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Ingredients
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- Butter or olive oil: For sautéing the vegetables and building a flavorful base
- Onion: Adds gentle sweetness and depth
- Celery: A classic soup aromatic with subtle savoriness
- Carrots: Bring color, sweetness, and balance
- Garlic (minced): Just enough to warm and round out the broth
- Chicken thighs or breasts (boneless, skinless): Thighs add richness; breasts stay lean and tender
- Chicken broth: Use a good-quality broth for the best flavor
- Dried Italian seasoning: A simple blend that pairs beautifully with chicken and rice
- White rice: Long-grain, basmati, or jasmine all work well
- Fresh herbs (optional): Thyme, rosemary, sage, or parsley add brightness and freshness
- Lemon juice (optional): A small squeeze at the end lifts and balances the soup
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This soup comes together easily in the slow cooker with minimal hands-on time. Simply sauté the vegetables, add everything to the crock pot, and let it cook until the chicken is tender and the flavors are fully developed. Shred the chicken, stir it back into the soup, and finish with fresh herbs or lemon if desired.
- Step 1: In the crockpot bowl, combine the butter, chicken, onions, shallots, celery, and carrots.
- Step 2: Pour the broth over the vegetables, add fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours.
- Step 3: Twenty minutes before the soup is done, remove the chicken thighs and shred them with two forks.
- Step 4: Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the rice. Let it cook 15 minutes more or until the rice is fluffy but not too soft. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley before serving.
Hint: leave a useful hint here, like let the grill run for 4-5 minutes to burn off any remnants, then clean it. I like to use this bristle-free barbecue brush (affiliate link) for cleaning the grill.
Stovetop Method:
If you'd prefer a quicker version, this soup is just as delicious made on the stovetop:
- In a large soup pot, sauté the onion, celery, and carrots in butter or olive oil over medium-high heat until softened.
- Add the chicken, garlic, broth, Italian seasoning, and rice. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
- Remove the chicken, shred it, then return it to the pot.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with fresh herbs or lemon juice if using.
Variations
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup: Stir in a splash of cream or half-and-half at the end, like our Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup.
- Herb-Forward: Add fresh thyme or rosemary early for deeper flavor, and finish with parsley.
- Vegetable Boost: Add spinach or kale during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Lemon Chicken Rice Soup: Finish with extra lemon juice for a bright, Greek-inspired twist, as I’ve done in my Avgolemono Soup Recipe.
Serving Suggestions & Meal Prep Tips
This recipe makes a generous pot-about 6-8 servings, perfect for family dinners or leftovers.
- Serve with warm, crusty bread, crackers, or simple buttered toast. I love to serve with this 1-hour Homemade French bread, or my favorite homemade biscuits.
Meal-planning tip: If you plan to refrigerate leftovers, consider cooking the rice separately and adding it just before serving. Rice continues to absorb liquid as it chills, which can thicken the soup considerably.
Top Tips for Making Soup in the Crock Pot
- Sauté for better flavor: Taking a few minutes to sauté the onion, celery, and carrots before adding them to the slow cooker adds depth and richness to the broth.
- Add rice thoughtfully: Rice continues to absorb liquid as it cooks and rests. For a soupier texture-especially if planning leftovers-cook the rice separately and add it just before serving.
- Don't overcook the chicken: Chicken thighs stay tender longer, but even they benefit from being shredded and returned to the soup near the end of cooking.
- Finish with freshness: A handful of fresh herbs or a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving brightens the entire pot.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Chicken breasts work well and stay lean, though thighs tend to be more forgiving and remain tender during longer cooking times.
Rice can soften significantly if cooked too long or stored in the soup. For best texture-especially for leftovers-cook the rice separately and stir it in just before serving.
Yes. The soup keeps well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. If meal prepping, store the rice separately and combine when reheating.
The soup base freezes well, but the rice may become soft after thawing. For best results, freeze the soup without rice and add freshly cooked rice when reheating.
Absolutely. A full stovetop method is included in the post and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
Looking for more chicken soup recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this chicken and rice soup:
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Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker or
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced small
- 3 celery diced small
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1 pound chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 8 cups chicken broth two 32 oz. cartons
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup white rice long grain, basmatti or jasmine
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh herbs like fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, or parsley
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach optional but delicious
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- In the bowl of your crockpot, mix the butter, chicken, onions, shallots, celery, and carrots. Pour over the broth. Add the dried herbs and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. Remove the chicken and shred.
- Return the chicken to the crockpot and stir in the rice, spinach, parsley, and lemon juice. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is fluffy. Alternatively, you can cook the rice separately and add it to the soup before serving.
- Ladle the soup and rice into bowls and top with additional fresh herbs if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Stovetop Method: In a large soup pot, saute onion, celery, and carrots over medium-high heat until soft. Add the chicken, garlic, broth, seasonings, and rice, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot-season with salt and pepper before serving.
- Chicken Options: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs offer the most tender result, but chicken breasts may also be used.
- Rice Tip: If you plan to store leftovers, consider cooking the rice separately and adding it to each bowl before serving to prevent it from absorbing too much broth.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, or parsley add wonderful flavor but are optional. Add them near the end for the brightest taste.
- Lemon Finish: A small squeeze of lemon juice just before serving helps balance the richness of the broth.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
You mention shallots and spinach in the recipe directions but they are not listed in the ingredients. How much should be used?
Hi Jacqueline, I use one small shallot for a touch of delicate sweetness, but it is completely optional. For the spinach, which is also optional, I use 2-3 cups of fresh spinach. I prefer baby spinach in this soup. Thank you for your question!
Thank you and I will make this recipe this week
If there ever was a comforting bowl of soup, for me, it’s this one. Chicken and Rice has long been favorite and this recipe contains everything I love about the soup. And it couldn’t be easier. It’s a fuss-free solution on days when you don’t feel like cooking but are craving something warm!