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Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf. I turned everyone’s favorite dinner into an easy and delicious slow cooker recipe using pantry staples like wild rice, autumn herbs, and chicken breasts. This slow cooked chicken dinner is a hearty, but healthy meal to come home to after a busy day. The best part? It’s the easiest dinner to prepare!
If there was ever a Gerard family classic dinner, it’s chicken and rice. You guys have heard me say this before, but my dad used to make my brothers and I chicken and rice at least a couple of nights a week while growing up. It was a staple dinner, mostly because it was one that we would all happily eat.
To this day, chicken and rice is one of my ultimate comfort foods. So it’s always fun for me to come up with new ways to serve it. Especially during the cooler fall months when all I crave is warming comfort food.
I’m sure you guys have noticed. I don’t think a day’s gone bye in the last few weeks that I’ve not made something cozy and delicious. And I am A-OK with that. Everyone has their thing. Mine is definitely fall comfort food, and I am clearly embracing it. I may even have had two slow cookers and an instant pot working their magic on Monday. Always testing something new over here…
Anyway, every fall I get the urge to make a slow roasted chicken and rice dinner. It’s a classic, it’s well loved, and it’s good. This year though, I really wanted to come up with an easy way to get that slow roasted flavor, but in the slow cooker, and complete with wild rice and veggies, because I love an “all in one meal”.
I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but in the end, I was so pleasantly surprised. This recipe is SO GOOD.
And it’s kind of healthy too. Plus it makes your house smell incredible. And did I mention it’s delicious? Oh, and simple!
Yes, you just have to make it.
Here are the details.
Start out by combining the rice and veggies in your slow cooker. I love using wild rice, it’s one of my favorite pairings with “roasted” chicken.
Next, season the chicken with fresh thyme and sage. Then pan sear it in a screaming hot cast iron skillet. Yes, I am telling you to take the extra effort to dirty a skillet by searing the chicken first. Trust me, I wouldn’t tell you to do this if I didn’t think it was needed. But searing the chicken locks in so much flavor. It’s really just something you have to do. I know it’s super, super annoying, but in the end it will be worth it. And it really only takes an extra ten minutes to sear the chicken. Not a big deal.
Add the seared chicken right to the slow cooker with the rice. Now add the shallots to that hot skillet and toss them around in the chicken drippings to give them a little color. Then add the shallots (and all those good pan drippings) to the slow cooker.
Cover, and cook low and slow for a few hours. Then come home to a perfectly cooked dinner where all you need to do is serve. Nothing else, just grab your plates and some silverware and enjoy.
Simple as that. And yes, I’m also including Instant Pot instructions, but I do prefer this in the slow cooker.
I absolutely could not love this recipe more…even if it is lacking in color, and the photos are not my favorite. It’s one of those recipes that I’ll be coming back to time and time again, because it’s easy, it’s pretty healthy, and everyone enjoys it.
I love making this dish on Sundays, for a nice family dinner. It reminds me of being a kid again and that’s always a welcomed memory!
This recipe works great for any night of the week though. You can throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning, come home and dinner is done. Could not be easier or more delicious. Feeling like you guys will love this one!
If you make this chicken and rice pilaf, please 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 also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 587 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)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup wild mushrooms, torn
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken breast and or thighs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- kosher salt and pepper
- 4 shallots, halved
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the wild rice, 3 cups chicken broth, lemon juice, parsley, carrots, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything up to combine.2. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, sage, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Toss in the shallots and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove the chicken and shallots from the skillet and place directly into the slow cooker, skin side up, along with any juices left in the skillet. Add the rosemary.4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. If the rice is hard, add and addition 1/2 cup broth and cook another 30 minutes on high.5. To serve, fluff the rice with a fork and serve the chicken, rice, and veggies together.
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the wild rice, 3 cups chicken broth, lemon juice, parsley, carrots, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything up to combine.2. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, sage, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Toss in the shallots and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove the chicken and shallots from the skillet and place directly into the instant pot, skin side up, along with any juices left in the skillet. Add the rosemary. 4. Cover, select the manual setting, and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Once done cooking, use the quick release function and release the steam.5. To serve, fluff the rice with a fork and serve the chicken, rice, and veggies together.
Notes
*I slow cooked this for 6 hours on low with great results. My rice is soft, but not overly mushy. Because we are slow cooking, the rice will be softer.
Any advice if I’m using boneless chicken thighs in my instant pot? I already have them on hand and would like to try those instead of bone in.
Hi Brie! Boneless thighs will still be great. You shouldn’t need to make any adjustments. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
A comforting hearty Saturday night dinner! Made it in the crockpot. So delicious!
Thank you so much Carrie! xTieghan
Recipe is not accurate for an instapot, came our soupy and horrible
Hi Maya! Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with! xTieghan
The chicken was absolutely delicious, but my rice was really overcooked. I cooked it on low for 6 hours. Do you think the shorter cook method on high would help with that issue?
Hey Gail! You can try cooking the short time at a higher temp. What brand/variety of rice are you using? Cooking times vary a lot depending on the rice. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi! If I wanted to make this recipe for 10, What would you suggest on portions?
Hi Danielle, I would recommend doubling the recipe, BUT if you double the recipe I would also recommend using 2 slow cookers. Or cook 1 portion in the slow cooker and one on the stove top. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This was amazing! Just made it tonight and really loved it! Also, smelled great in the house. Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you Molly! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
I just made this in an Instant Pot. My husband won’t eat anything with bones in it, so I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. I was wondering if it would have enough flavor, but it was still amazing! The lemon kicked it up a notch. I also used a blend of wild rice, brown rice, & lentils from the bulk section. There was just a little bit of extra sauce that moistened the chicken breasts at 30 minutes with a quick release. Thank you so much, Tieghan. I can always count on my cooking efforts turning out well when I use your recipes!
Wow that is so great to hear! Thank you for trying this, Jeanne! So glad you and your husband enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi! I made this today in the crock pot and for some reason the chicken was a bit dry. What did I do wrong? I cooked it for 6 hours at low. I used one chicken breast, bone in with skin, and two thighs, and the meat was just a bit dry. The taste was amazing but when I make it again what should I do differently??
Thanks so much
Hi Andria, why don’t you try adding the chicken around 5 hours cooking. That should fix the dryness. Alternately, using large chicken would help as well. Just be sure the chicken is cooked before eating. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Delicious!!!! Thank you! I’ve made it several times and it’s amazing! Looking forward to trying more recipes! It was worth taking out the pan!
Thank you so much Alice! xTieghan
I made this today. It came out fairly well in the slower cooker. It was a little bland but that’s my fault for not using enough salt. The one problem I had was that after 5 hours of cooking on the LOW setting, there was still way too much liquid in the pot. I switched the setting to HIGH and let the slow cooker go for another hour but there was still a lot of liquid left. The wild rice absorbed some more liquid as the pilaf sat but not by much. The rice was a bit mushy for my liking. It was more like a creamy risotto. 3 cups of broth is a bit much for this recipe especially considering the mushrooms and carrots will release liquid and the chicken will release some juices. 2 cups of broth might be better.
Hi! I am glad you still enjoyed this recipe! Please let me know if you have any questions! xTieghan
Instant pot instructions should reduce liquid some. Wild rice has a 1:2 rice to liquid ratio, but brown rice is only 1:1, so with a blend a 1:2 ratio is too high. You can also start with the sauté step in the instant pot and then add in the other ingredients. My rice was done, but the dish was soupy. Flavors were wonderful, though!
Hi Melissa! I am glad this turned out well for you! I will look into that! Thank you! xTieghan
I made it in the pressure cooker and it came out really watery, what could I have done wrong?
Hey Caitlin! So sorry you had trouble. Next time try only using 2 cups. I t sounds like your instant pot really locked in the moisture. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I just made this in the instant pot. Flavor was so good but can’t give 5 stars because there was way too much liquid still sitting in the pot. It was basically stew-like but everything was fully cooked. We strained everything out before serving. I double checked the recipe and I followed exactly… usually rice to liquid is about a 1:1 ratio so I’m assuming this is the problem… anyone else?
Hey Megan, I haven’t had any readers have issues with this being too liquidy, but I am so sorry you had this issue!! What brand/variety of rice did you use? Maybe this is the difference? Next time try using only 2 cups broth, then add more as needed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope this helps you! Thank you! xTieghan ??
I have this cooking in the slow cooker at the moment. I just snuck a quick bite because it smells amazing. I just wanted to let you know that the flavors are INCREDIBLE!! And I’m actually going to take it out of the slow cooker a little earlier to savor some of the broth at the bottom. Fantastic job! You are truly an artist!! Thank you for the great recipe 🙂
You are so sweet! Thank you so much for trying this recipe Jordan! I am so glad you loved it! xTieghan
Can we use wild rice blend or do you recommend all wild rice?
Hi Denise! A wild rice blend will be perfect! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???