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Pioneer Woman Chicken Rice Bake

Pioneer Woman chicken rice bake is an easy one-dish chicken and rice casserole baked until the rice is deeply savory and the chicken skin turns golden and crisp. Chicken pieces are nestled skin-side up so they caramelize above fluffy rice while the pan drippings flavor every bite.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and rice base
  • 1 count whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken parts)
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of celery soup
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
  • 1.5 cup water or chicken broth
  • 1 envelope (1 oz) onion soup mix
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
  • 0.25 garlic powder to taste
  • 0.25 paprika to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a large 9x13 baking dish.
  2. Whisk together the three soups, the rice, and the water or chicken broth in the prepared dish until combined.
  3. Sprinkle half of the onion soup mix into the rice and stir.
  4. Season the chicken pieces generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika; nestle them skin-side up into the rice.
  5. Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix over the chicken.
  6. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350°F, until the rice looks set around the edges (visual cue: bubbling through the surface near the dish sides).
  7. Remove the foil and bake 25-30 minutes at 350°F until the chicken is golden and the rice has absorbed all liquid (visual cue: crispy browned chicken skin and a rice surface with no visible pooling).

Notes

For best texture, keep the chicken skin facing up so it browns and crisps while the rice absorbs the creamy pan juices. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days; reheat in the oven at 325°F until hot. Freezing is okay for up to 2 months—thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream soups (or substitute a portion with plain Greek yogurt stirred into warm soup base) while keeping the bake timing the same.