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Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken and Wild Rice. I turned my family’s favorite dinner into an easy and delicious slow cooker recipe that makes weeknight cooking easy and delicious! Wild rice is cooked together with vegetables, chicken, and herbs. Serve each plate of chicken and wild rice with a drizzle of brown garlic sage butter. This slow-cooked chicken dinner is a hearty, but healthy dinner. It can be made in the crockpot, instant pot, or in just one skillet! So easy to prepare and always enjoyed by everyone.
It has been bitter cold here the last week. It feels more like November 30th than the last day of October. The bitter cold has left me wanting the comfort of slow-cooked dinners. Dinners that make the house smell wonderful all day long and give off cozy vibes. You know, the ones that make you even more excited for dinner that night.
These are the dinner I’m craving right now, and the ones I’ve been cooking most! I’ve been using the crockpot every other day over the last couple of weeks. I’ve been loving every recipe thus far.
But this chicken was a real highlight.
I created the recipe with my mom in mind. During the fall she often makes a cozy chicken and rice dinner. If she was really feeling fancy and had time on a Sunday she’d even roast up a whole chicken. And if it wasn’t chicken it was her pot roast, but chicken was much more the norm.
If my mom was cooking the whole dinner that night, her side of choice was always rice. She used to buy those boxes of Uncle Ben’s rice blends that cook up in just minutes on the stove. I can’t remember which was our favorite, but I feel like it was chicken and herb flavor. Just looked it up, maybe it was this one.
Either way, my mom loved it and it paired perfectly with her simple chicken. To me, this is my comfort food. We ate this meal so much and I always remember it making the house smell so good on a Sunday or Monday night.
I took that idea and all those flavors and turned the two-pan dinner into an even tastier one-and-done crockpot dinner.
The details
This is easy no matter which method you choose. Toss the rice with olive oil, vegetables, and herbs in the bowl of your crockpot. Then pour over chicken broth. Use good chicken broth, this is one of the flavors of the rice.
And then the chicken. I like to toss it with seasonings: dried thyme, rosemary, paprika, and cayenne, then add it right to the crockpot with the rice.
Toss in a handful of smashed garlic cloves. Now everything slow cooks together creating the most wonderful smell all throughout the house.
When the chicken has cooked, pull the pieces out along with the garlic and set them aside on a baking sheet. Add butter and sage, and broil the chicken to get it crisp before serving.
Serve the garlic herbed chicken over the fluffy rice and vegetables, then drizzle any butter left on the pan over top.
I absolutely could not love this recipe more and I know it’s a recipe that I’ll be coming back to time and time again. Perfect dinner to make for family and friends in the next few cozy months ahead!
Looking for other crockpot meals? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon.
Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken and Wild Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken and Wild Rice
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 643 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend (mix wild and brown rice)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 8 leaves fresh sage
- 1 parmesan rind (optional)
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the wild rice, onion, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and dried parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss. Pour over the chicken broth.2. In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, rosemary, paprika, cayenne, and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the crockpot. Add the garlic cloves. If you have one, add a parmesan rind. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. 3. Before serving, preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken and garlic from the crockpot and place on a baking sheet. Arrange the butter and sage around the chicken and garlic, then broil 1-3 minutes, until crisp. Peel away the garlic skin, then chop, and mix with the butter on the sheet pan. Toss the chicken in the butter.4. To serve, fluff the rice with a fork and serve the chicken, rice, and veggies together. If there is any butter left on the pan, drizzle it over the chicken.
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the wild rice, onion, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and dried parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss. Pour over the chicken broth.2. In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, rosemary, paprika, cayenne, and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the instant pot. Add the garlic cloves. If you have one, add a parmesan rind. Cover and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.3. Once done cooking, release the steam. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken and garlic from the instant pot and place on a baking sheet. Arrange the butter and sage around the chicken and garlic, then broil 1-3 minutes, until crisp. Peel away the garlic skin, then chop, and mix with the butter on the sheet pan. Toss the chicken in the butter.4. To serve, fluff the rice with a fork and serve the chicken, rice, and veggies together. If there is any butter left on the pan, drizzle it over the chicken.
Skillet
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In a large oven-safe skillet, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, the chicken, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Set the skillet over high heat. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the butter, garlic, and sage. Allow the butter to brown around the chicken. Remove everything from the skillet to a plate. Chop the garlic.3. To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the wild rice, onion, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and dried parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes, then pour over the broth. Bring to a boil.4. Slide the chicken, garlic, and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked. 5. To serve, fluff the rice with a fork and serve the chicken, rice, and veggies together.
So fascinating to see the variability of reviews from this recipe. And sad to see the personal nature of some of the attacks. I’m really grateful that you put yourself out there Tieghan, you made the kitchen approachable for me.
On to the recipe:
I used the crockpot on high for 2.5 hours. I didn’t have, and don’t love rosemary, so replaced it with dried basil. I pulled the chicken out after 1.5 hours so it was done but not too done. I used the Parmesan rind.
My wild rice cooked perfectly. The brown rice took a little longer than the wild rice, but did soften up at the very end.
I cut the chicken on the bias and added slices over the rice mixture and then drizzled the butter mixture over the top of the slices. It turned out really well – we each had seconds.
I felt there was nice depth of flavor, the subtle heat from the cayenne gave a soft tangy flavor. The chicken flavor was delicious and so was the rice.
When I make it again, I may try searing the chicken first, but honestly, the drizzle did it’s job. I didn’t find the chicken dry and the flavor of the chicken was especially nice.
Hey Tay,
Thank you so much for your kind message and giving this recipe a try! I am so glad it turned out well for you and thanks so much for sharing your tips and how you adjusted, hopefully this will be helpful for others! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
This recipe turned out amazing due to the fact that I read the comments beforehand. I made it using the skillet method and it was very easy and tasty.
Here are some tips:
– use chicken thighs if you don’t want dry chicken, don’t use chicken breast
– don’t put the chicken back in the skillet until you put it in the oven otherwise it will overcook – skip the step where you put it back in the skillet while the rice cooks on the stove
– follow your wild rice blend package directions for the ratio of water to rice – mine called for 2.5 cups of water for 1.5 cups of rice, don’t use the 3.5 cup water measurement listed in the ingredients otherwise the rice will not cook properly
– season generously and to your taste, I added a lot of extra garlic and other seasonings – this will prevent it from being bland
– I made a quick sour cream lemon aioli to go with the chicken and rice, it cuts the richness and adds a nice tangy flavour, gravy would also work nicely
– the skillet method is super easy and doesn’t take a lot of time, it may be quicker to use this method over the other two methods
Hey Jasmine,
Happy Sunday!! I truly appreciate you giving this a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed:) Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
Made it tonight, delicious
Hey Genevieve,
Happy Sunday!! I truly appreciate you giving this a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed:) xx
Rice turned into mush..
Hi Sara,
So sorry to hear you had some issues with the rice. Which cooking method did you use? Please let me know how I can help! xx
Absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! I don’t know how some got “bland” from this recipe but just add some salt! The Parmesan rind is brilliant and the topping of the butter sauce at the end! I cooked this in the instapot and it’s just heaven!!!! Plenty of food for leftovers as well! Well done on this quick and easy recipe!!
Hey Laura,
Happy Sunday!! I truly appreciate you giving this a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed:) xx
This recipe sounded like it would be delicious but it was very bland. The rosemary was overwhelming. The chicken was very dry (I used boneless, skinless breasts; maybe bone in thighs would be better). The whole butter/sage/garlic thing seemed like a good idea but did not execute well at all. Ended up throwing the left overs away this was so bad.
Hi there,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Wish I had read the reviews before I spent a small fortune on ingredients. This was super bland and not good. I tried to salvage it by adding cream of mushroom soup and a lot more spices. I think I will just add peas, corn and green beans and try to turn it into a chicken pot pie. The cook time is way to long. 3-4 hours on low would have been plenty long. The chicken just shredded and fell apart. I did not put the rice in the crockpot as that is just too long to cook rice. I have to remember she is not really a cook, she just makes things look pretty but not always tasty. I do not understand how her hands and arms stay so cut up and burned. I have been cooking 40yrs and never had anything happen like that. Its strange.
Sounds like you didn’t make this recipe then? You didn’t make the rice at all? And Tieghan has explained numerous times why her arms and hands are cut. And she makes amazing recipes. Why would just come here to comment to be cruel? The last part of your comment had nothing to do with recipes. And she works hard and gives us these amazing recipes for FREE.
David, she is a cook. She is no less a cook because she takes photos of her food. Just because one recipe doesn’t work for you does not mean it’s okay to be rude and judgmental. Your comments were just so unnecessary.
I made this last night and it was delicious. I used the instant pot method and it turned out perfect. It is definitely great fall/winter recipe. Will definitely add this to my menu rotation
Hey Kathy,
Happy Sunday!! I truly appreciate you giving this a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed:) xx
I made this last night, with high hopes. I used used the crock pot version and don’t recommend- the chicken was very dry and the rice was mush. I’ll retry, using the skillet version.
Hi Mary,
So sorry to hear that this recipe was not enjoyed. Please let me know if you try the skillet version and how that turns out for you! xT
I thought this would be bursting with flavor but it seemed to be missing something. It was still a good cozy dish though.
Hey Laney,
So sorry to hear you didn’t love this recipe! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with!! xx
I have cooked so many HBH recipes that have been amazing but haven’t left reviews. I wanted to for this one because I was nervous after reading several meh reviews since with a few tweaks this was AMAZING.
I had planned to do this in the instant pot but after reviews decided to do the skillet and I’m so glad I did. As another reviewer mentioned, she tweaked the cooking time to match her rice instructions. My wild rice said 45 minutes covered on low, so i did 30 mins covered on the stove (instead of the recommended 15), and then the recommended 15 uncovered in the oven. I took the chicken out after 15 on the stove and put back in for the oven and everything turned out perfect!
I sadly didn’t have the dried rosemary – we didn’t miss it but I’ll try next time!
Definitely recommend the Parmesan rind and since we had the cheese I topped with shredded fresh Parmesan and it was perfection!
Hey Sharlee,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making so many recipes!! I love to hear that this one was enjoyed, thanks for sharing your feedback and what worked well for you!! xx
Chicken turned out delish! We used the crockpot method and chicken thighs. Like other reviewers mentioned we had very mushy rice at the end. It was pretty bland. I wish it hadn’t turned out that way, but I know it wasn’t anything I did wrong. I would maybe make again but next time with a different method shown.
Hey there,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you had some issues with the rice!! Let me know if you give the skillet method a try! xx
delicious! followed the recipe to a T using the skillet in the oven, even added the cheese rind. Cooked a little longer than the recipe called for so the liquid could be absorbed by the rice. Family favorite and will make it again!
Hey Michele,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
I would not recommend the crockpot option for this recipe. After 5 hours on low, the rice was complete mush. The texture was so off putting we couldn’t eat it.
Hey Julie,
Happy Saturday! So sorry to hear that this recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if there is anything that I can help with!! xx
Made this for the first time and it’s so amazing.. for the rice I used uncle bens wild and roasted chicken. Soooo easy with the crock pot too!
Hey Lisa,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)