Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup is an easy chicken soup recipe. All of the raw ingredients go in the slow cooker and a delicious soup awaits for dinner.
Chicken Soup of any kind is so comforting, why is that? It really is good for the body and soul, especially when you are feeling a little under the weather. Studies have shown that Chicken Soup has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe irritating cold symptoms like coughs, sore throats, and runny noses. The other ingredients in the soup – carrots, celery, onions – also have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Dr. Oz posted an interesting article that gives more details about this called “You Wanted to Know: Chicken Soup.”
What I love most about this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup is the blend of seasonings. They give this soup just the right amount of flavor to complement the chicken and rice. Be sure to use seasonings that are still fresh. If they have been sitting in the pantry for over 6 months, they will not taste as vibrant. If I have a seasoning that is losing it’s flavor, I grind it a little between my fingers before adding it to the soup. This will bring out more of the taste and smell.
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Isn’t it romantic to use parlsey, sage, rosemary, and thyme all in one recipe? These seasonings complement each other so well. In case you haven’t guessed, I’m a big Simon and Garfunkel fan. My parents listened to their music when I was growing up and I still listen to it today. I love the song Scarborough Fair. It was released on an album with the title, “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. Scarborough is a town in England and in Medieval times there was a Fair there that lasted for 45 days! Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme represented virtues that are important to the lyrics of the song. Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage. You can read more about it on songfacts.com. If you love this blend of seasonings as much as I do, you’ve got to try them in our Cranberry Sausage Stuffing. It is so good!
After learning this, I feel even better knowing the benefits of this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup! So many good things come from the chicken broth itself, and who doesn’t need comfort, strength, love, and courage? I hope all of this comes to you and more when you enjoy this delicious soup!
More Slow Cooker Soups to Try
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup: This is one of the easiest soups you will ever make. A flavor-filled soup the entire family will love!
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup: There are so many different vegetables in this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup. It is very healthy and hearty.
- Slow Cooker Cheese Tortellini Soup: This Cheese Tortellini Soup is a flavorful, easy slow cooker meal. Tortellini, sausage, and spinach in a creamy tomato soup and slow cooked to perfection.
- Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli Soup: Our version of the Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup tastes just like the original. It is an Italian seasoned soup easily made in the slow cooker.
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup: Many agree that this Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat is actually better than the original! It has a creamy both base and is loaded with sausage and potatoes.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup is an easy chicken soup recipe. All of the raw ingredients go in the slow cooker and a delicious soup awaits for dinner.
- 3 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut in half
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp rosemary
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp butter, optional
- 9 cups chicken broth
- Place all ingredients in order in a slow cooker, except rice.
- Cook on low for 4 hours. The rice absorbs the liquid and gets white and puffy. If you prefer the brown rice to maintain a more firm shape and texture, add it after 2 hours of cooking.
- Thirty minutes before serving, remove the chicken from slow cooker and shred or cut into cubes.
- Return chicken to the slow cooker, cook for thirty more minutes, and serve.
- We've had some complaints about the rice being too mushy in the soup. The rice does absorb the liquid and becomes soft. You can see this in the recipe photo. I think it takes on the texture of a cooked pasta, which I think is good. The chicken, broth, vegetables, and spices in this soup are all delicious and cook beautifully in the slow cooker. If you are concerned about the rice, omit it from the slow cooker and stir in 2 to 3 cups cooked rice (brown, white, or wild) to the soup before you serve it.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe Tips
- Use fresh seasonings, as mentioned above. Feel free to add more or less depending on your taste. I tend to use a little more because I love the taste of the seasonings in the soup – especially the sage and rosemary!
- The rice does absorb the liquid of the soup and become soft, almost like a pasta. If you prefer the rice to be firm and don’t want to babysit it in the slow cooker, stir 2-3 cups cooked rice (brown, white, or wild) into the soup just before serving.
- If you are watching fat content, you can totally skip the butter. The butter gives a little more richness to the broth, but it is not necessary. The soup will taste just as good without it.
- This soup thickens when it cools. I love leftovers of this soup because the flavors really come out after it sits for a day or two, but it will be a thicker soup than when you eat it straight from the Slow Cooker. If you prefer a thinner soup, just add some water to it when re-heating to give it the consistency you desire.
- Serve this soup with a crusty bread or dinner roll. It is especially good with our Breadtwists!
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Shirleen says
Disappointed, followed recipe exactly. Rice was just mush, not much flavour and too thick????
Susan says
Shirleen, with ANY soup/stew that calls for rice or pasta, I cook it separately and NEVER had it into the soup/stew. I even store the leftovers separately. I’ll reheat enough of the soup/stew and rice/pasta for that meal. I don’t like the mushy, puffy texture of rice/pasta when it’s been sitting in broth too long. I’m going to try this but I’ll leave out the rice.
Jessica says
Tasted good but rice was mushy and soaked up every ounce of liquid. Probably would been better IMO if I added cooked rice at the end.
Echo says
The rice does soak up the liquid as it cooks. Every slow cooker cooks differently, next time you can try cooking the rice for less time. I will make a note on the recipe. Thank you for letting me know!
Shirley says
Followed the recipe exactly, but found the soup to be far too peppery, or perhaps it was the sage, because of the it was so thick added more broth,was disappointed as this was the first time I have every made chicken soup.
Echo says
I’m sorry you didn’t like the seasonings in this soup. The broth of this soup does thicken as it cools and adding more was the right thing to do.
Chrissy says
(I read the reviews and kept them in mind while making).
Making this for dinner tonight. I used chicken breast tenders so they will cook faster than breasts. Hopefully, it will be done closer to the 4 hr mark and the rice will not be too mushy. I used white rice because it’s what I have on hand. If it is not seasoned enough I will just add more seasoning. Everyone has different tastes but I think this is a wonderful start for the soup. If it’s too thick i will add more water or broth. I feeling good about this! THANK YOU!
Jennifer Ridgel says
How was it?
Carol says
This is my recipe and I love it!! The only thing different is I add a couple of potatoes, cubed, if I have on hand and I usually add a can of diced tomatoes, undrained, for color.Perfect soup and thanks for posting, it will be dinner tomorrow night!!!
Bonnie says
I just made this and it really hit the spot since both me and my husband have a cold. Started it on high at 2, and around 6 added the rice. Another 45 minutes and the rice was done to perfection. I added a few sprigs of fresh rosemary from the garden and it was amazing. Perfect amount of spices.
Erica says
So glad this worked out for you! Great idea adding the rice later on. We will have to add this to the recipe, thanks!
Anna says
After reading some of the comments I’ve decided to add the rice maybe during the last 2 hours. Do you think that would work?
Erica says
Yes, that would probably be just fine. If you try it let us know how it turns out!
Anna says
Do you think that it would work if I added the rice during the last 2 hours?
Erica says
Yes, that should probably be just fine. 🙂
Shawna says
We had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I added the cooked rice near the end and it didn’t get mushy. My kids actually had seconds and said it tasted great!
Danielle says
Recipe says 6 hours cook time but instructions say cook on low 4 hours. Could you clarify, please. Thanks! 🙂
Echo says
Thank you for catching that! I’ll correct it. You can cook on low for 4-6 hours. The chicken will be cooked after 4 hours, the rice may take longer depending on how you like it cooked. If you want it to be softer, you will want to cook it longer.
Terry says
I cooked it on low for 4 hours and the carrots were not at all cooked through… are you sure it shouldn’t be cook on high 4 hours?
Echo says
Thank you for your question, Terry. I am going to revisit this recipe. I use an older crock pot when I make this soup and it may be cooking on the hot side. I’m going to try it in a newer crock pot to see if I need to make some adjustments.
Carleigh says
I’m confused on the amount of rice to put in – the ingredient list says 1 cup but then it also later says 2-3 cups? If I am putting my rice directly in the crockpot to cook, which amount do I use?
Please help! I am cooking this as we speak!
Echo says
Carleigh, if you are cooking the rice with the soup, you add 1 cup uncooked brown rice. If you add the rice already cooked, you will add 2-3 cups depending on how much rice you want in the soup. Please let me know how it turned out for you.
Iman says
Trying this tomorrow. I’ll be adding my rice 45 min before that rest is complete. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Randy says
I don’t know why there are so many complaints about the rice. I followed the directions exactly. Put the rice in at the beginning and cooked on low for 6 hours. Rice was perfect consistency. Enjoyable recipe!
Echo says
Hi Randy, Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m so glad this recipe was a success for you!
Angie says
Made this last night & it turned out wonderfully. Doubled the recipe, but only used 5 large chicken breasts and 16 cups of chicken broth. Had some salted butter, and threw that in a saute pan with the onions and garlic and sweated those down for a bit before adding to the crockpot. Added some fresh springs of thyme, rosemary and sage as well, since I had them in my garden. In addition, I added a ginger root about the size of my pinky (hey, I have a cold). Started out on the Low setting on my crockpot, but a little over 2 hours in it didn’t seem to be coming along at the pace I would have liked (I think my crock pot cooks on the cool side), so bumped it up to the high setting for the last 3 hours. 2 hours prior to serving, I threw the brown rice in. It turned out perfect. One of my friends even said it was the best chicken soup she had ever had! Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
Thank you for you kind comment! So glad you liked it!!
Crystal says
I tried this recipe out last week for the first time.. so delicious!! Thank you for sharing! I’m making it again tonight, my family loved it! New staple! After reading the comments I made a couple tweaks to the original recipe.
6 bone in thighs.. first browning the skin on medium high on stove, then adding them into the cockpot then removing them the last half hour and shredding then adding back into soup to cook the last 30 mins..
4 carrots and 4 celery stocks, chopped.
Used 1tbsp fresh rosemary and 1tbsp fresh sage, with 1/2 tsp ground thyme.
Half vegetable and half chicken stock (equaling 9 cups total), not broth.
Added 1 cup long grain brown rice two hours into cooking.
And a little bit extra minced garlic 🙂
Cooked on high for 4 hrs.. I have a newer crockpot..
Great success.. thank you again!! <3
Echo says
Thank you, Crystal! I like your adaptations to this recipe, especially using bone in thighs. The meat is more tender and it gives more chicken flavor to the soup. Great idea!
Ruthie says
Loved your recipe! I too am a BIG fan of the P-S-R-T combo. I used wild rice as that is what We prefer and added it during the last two hours because we like our wild rice in the chewy side. I did start with a couple extra cups of broth because wild rice is so absorbent and we like our soup in the brothy side. Added in a couple twigs of rosemary and thyme from my herb garden an hour before serving. Was expecting leftovers- there weren’t any… Thankyou for the great recipe!
Echo says
Thank you for your comment Ruthie! Using wild rice is a great idea – and using fresh herbs always adds so much flavor. I love it!
Jacqueline says
In the crockpot as I speak followed the recipe as written gonna add cooked rice at the end of cook time ,will let you know how it turns out.
Jen says
So interesting that other had issues with mushy rice. I put the rice in right at the beginning and after 4 hours on high the rice is mostly uncooked. Maybe a rice issue or maybe my crock pot is on the cooler side. I’m going to leave it on high for another 2 hours but will need to find something else for dinner tonight.
Krystale says
Awesome recipe. Yes the rice soaks up the liquid but we like it thicker. MY only advice is make sure to use low sodium stock if your using store bought. I forgot to take that into account when adding salt to the soup and mine came out very salty. But I’m just going to add more water which will hopefully help with the salt and thickness from the rice. Love the spices and simplicity of this crockpot recipe. Thank you for sharing. FYI, my crockpot took 4 hrs on high 🙂
Becky says
I want to add frozen corn to recipe. Do you think I should add from the start or towards the end?
Echo says
Great idea! I would add it the last hour of cooking. Thanks for asking!
Sarah says
Thanks for the great recipe! Made it and loved it! I cooked on low for just over 5 hours. Shredded the chicken at 4. I should have chopped the carrots smaller as they weren’t as soft as I’d like. I sautéed 3/4 of the onion and 2 garlic cloves prior to adding to crockpot. I used basmati rice and you’re supposed to soak it prior to cooking so that helps take off starch. I didn’t have issues with the rice getting overly soft. But I like it soft too so I did add it at the beginning. Great flavour too! Will make again by I think I’ll do chicken things and breasts.
Echo says
Thank you for sharing, Sarah. I’m so glad you liked it!
Deb says
I made this soup on the weekend, boy is it good. I never comment on a recipe however for this one I thought I should give you guys a 10/10 from Australia.
Erica says
Hi Deb– thank you so much for your comment! Glad you liked this soup– a 10/10! That is a huge compliment, thank you!!
Phyllisann says
I Made this soup today, followed recipe, but added cooked rice in at the end. It was delicious. My husband loved it. Thumbs up 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Sara says
I made this soup today and added white rice at the two hour mark, by the four hour mark the rice was still completely uncooked. Wondering if the rice would’ve cooked faster if I changed the settings to high?
Lauren lewis says
Loved this recipe! My rice was def mushy, but you warned us! May I site you in a post I’m doing for http://www.the-playground-chronicles.com?
Echo says
Yes, of course! We appreciate you asking!
Randi says
We didn’t have issues with mushy rice. Our rice and vegetables were completely uncooked! So, now we’re having to find something else for dinner at 6:00 in the evening… We’ve changed the setting to high, will let it continue to cook, and maybe eat it tomorrow.
Brittany says
Would this recipe work with some sort of pasta noodle too?
Echo says
Absolutely! It would work great with pasta. Stir the pasta into the soup 1 hour before serving. It will cook and be ready the same time the rest of the soup is ready. Thanks for asking!
Rebecca says
I want to make this as a freezer prep meal to save for later. Should I make it in the crock pot first then throw it in the freezer, or throw all uncooked ingredients into a freezer bag, freeze, then pull it out at a later date to put into the crock pot to cook??
Favorite Family Recipes says
Hmmm we have never made it that way before. I am guessing you could throw it all in uncooked. I think if it were me, I would add all the ingredients EXCEPT the rice into the freezer and then when ready to cook, thaw, and put the rice in last. Does that make sense? Hope this helps!
Stacy F says
If I’m going to use white rice, how should I adapt the recipe?
Favorite Family Recipes says
You can add cooked white rice at the very end. You can also add uncooked the white rice an hour or two so before serving.
Laura says
Can I add potatoes to this recipe and it still taste great? I’m craving a chicken and potato soup but saw this and fell right in love!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Sure! When you should add the potatoes would depend on how big you cut them. I am sure it would still be great. Give it s try and let us know how it turns out!
Karen Hillman says
I MADE THIS TONIGHT FOR TOMORROW FOR DINNER IN MY 6 QT CROCKPOT AND WITH ALL THE INGREDIENTS; EXCEPT FOR THYME IT FILLED MY CROCK TO THE TOP. I ADDED MY WHITE RICE AT THE VERY END OF COOKING AND IT TURNED OUT PERFECT. IT NEEDED A TAD BIT MORE SALT BUT THAT’S IT. NO BUTTER OR MARGARINE ADDED. SIMPLY DELICIOUS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE, I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE THIS AGAIN.
Karen Hillman says
I ALSO USED KNORRS TOMATO BOUILLON W/CHICKEN FLAVOR…..9 TSP TO 9 CUPS OF WATER, INSTEAD OF CHICKEN BROTH/STOCK.
Denise says
I put the rice in at the very beginning but found it way too firm so I cooked it one and a half hours longer. Still too firm. I followed the recipe exactly. I will have to cook it longer yet in a stock pot. The flavour was good though.
Favorite Family Recipes says
I think rice is really hard to cook in the slow cooker. Slow cookers cook at different temperatures and it’s hard to judge. We’ve had comments like yours saying the rice doesn’t cook and others say it overcooks. I think the safest bet with this recipe, unless you have used your slow cooker for rice in the past and know it will cook it, is to mix in already cooked rice at the end. I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out in time.
Stephanie Guilherme says
My rice also came out firm. I put it back on for a while. My son is eating it. Smells great. I will try it once it cooks a little while longer
Deborah says
I made this tonight and I’m guessing, crockpots are different. I followed the recipe to the letter, but when I got home, the carrots were still a little hard and the rice was not cooked at all. I put it on high for another 2 hours, since I have to leave to go to Bible Study. I’m hoping when I return, it will be ready.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Let us know how it turned out! Hope it turned out well for you!
claudia says
I am making this recipe today. I hope it all comes out nicely. dumb me went by the picture and added the rice with all ingredients. dumped and wasted all my chicken broth dummy once again! removed all rice i could and put ingredients back in crockpot to cook. reseasoned and all. i made a terrible mess! Thank you for the recipe. I will give review once done!
Jane Sewell says
I’m wondering if the problem folks are having with the rice is that they’re using minutes rice instead of long cooking rice as some say it’s mushy and some say it’s perfect. Haven’t tried this yet but definitely going to…love soups for the fall and winter months.
Mari Dempsey says
We just made this on the stovetop, 1 1/2 x the recipe to feed our hungry crew and to have leftovers. Cooked the rice separately. It was delicious–loved the herbs!