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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.
Couple things I found. Made in the crockpot, chicken was dry and rice was soggy. But I think I screwed it up. I cut my chicken breasts. I think if left while they wouldn’t have over cooked. And they were on top not really nestled into the liquid. I bought Uncle Ben’s rice blend, which i think is instant brown rice. So couple things I’ll do for next time, chicken thighs or leave breasts whole and snuggle in the liquid. Buy different rice blend. What kind do you recommend???? The flavor was great and it was easy, so will attempt again! Thanks!!!
Hey Theresa,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback!! Thighs would definitely be great to use here and then I like the Lundberg brand of wild rice. I hope this helps for next time! xT
If I make this with chicken tenders, should I add them later so they don’t overcook? I am making this tonight for dinner, and that’s what I have available. 😅
Hi Courtney,
Yes, that would probably be best for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
It was just ok. Rice was mushy and chicken came out dry. I also only used 2 cups of stock per other reviews.
Hi Stephanie,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xTieghan
This was delicious! I reduced the servings to 4 and used a little less broth because I didn’t want to open another can. Used the skillet instructions and left out the mushrooms because my husband hates them. The rice came out perfect.
Hey Susan,
Perfect!! So glad you enjoyed this dish! Thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! xT
Good flavors but my rice was not cooked all the way and lots of broth was leftover.
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear about the rice, what kind did you use? Please let me know how I can help! xx
I followed the recipe to a T and it was terrible! First half baked harvest recipe that we didn’t like. The chicken had an odd flavor and the rice was mushy 😭
Hi Melissa,
So sorry to hear that this recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
Was too soupy. My rice was still hard when the time was up in the crock pot
Hi Rylie,
So sorry to hear you had some issues with this recipe. What kind of rice did you use? Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! xx
Made this tonight with coconut milk! Excellent and a family favorite.
Hey Joanna,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xT
So delicious and comforting on a cold night! I reduced the broth based on some other comments, but I think next time I’ll use the recommended amount and increase the rice and veggies just a bit. We aren’t huge fans of thyme at our house, so I may halve that as well. This will definitely be in regular rotation this winter!
Hey Ashley,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making this dish! I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) xx
Hi! Do you think I could substitute the wild rice for all brown rice? Would the rice get soggy?
Hey Katie,
All brown rice should be great for you to use, you can follow the recipe as written. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xT
I see boneless chicken is recommended. What about the skin?
Hey Kristen,
Totally your preference, skin on or skinless will both work here! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
So delicious! Even my toddlers loved it. Thank you so much for sharing and getting us to try new flavors. You are truly amazing.
Hey Amanda,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
Did you use breasts or thighs? For some reason, I think thighs cook faster with the slow cooker. Would like to hear feedback on the cut of chicken and timing on low. Thanks!
I used boneless/skinless of both cuts and they were both fine. I just checked them with a thermometer to be careful I didn’t overbake them.
Taste was delicious but instant pot was totally soupy. Followed everything to a t. Would lessen water or do a timed release.
Hi Stacey,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your review, so sorry it was soupy for you! xx
Hey Brian,
I used chicken breasts for this recipe, but thighs would also work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
We made this for guests this week and it was incredibly delicious. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. After the meal, there were still several cups of delicious broth with a few chunks of veggies in it, left in the bottom of the crockpot. I couldn’t stand to see it go to waste, so I turned it into a very delicious cream of mushroom soup. I sautéed some more mushrooms and deglazed with a little red wine, added a bit more chicken broth, and some half-and-half. As if that wasn’t good enough, I had some leftover herbed Pepperidge farm stuffing mix, and I sprinkled that over each bowl just when serving. It was the best mushroom soup I’ve ever eaten.
Hey Victoria,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
Turned out great! Used 2 cups of chicken broth after reading reviews. Would make again! Used slow cooker on low.
Hey Stephanie,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx