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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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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.
This post was originally published on October 31, 2022
Made this last night without reading the comments – cooked in crockpot on High, took us more like 4 hours to get the rice cooked, at 3 hours it was still looking liek soup. At 3 hours tho we took the chicken out so it wouldnt over cook. The rice was definitely mushy but still flavorful in the end! I think next time I will just do the skillet method in the dutch oven an probably use bone-in thigh or breast to help keep it moist! I love Chicken and Wild Rice too much to give up on this recipe!!
Hey Merry,
Happy Friday!!🌻 I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it and sharing your review:) xT
I made according to the recipe. Well, I only had 1.5 lbs of chicken, and not enough tine so I set the crockpot on high for 2 hours. The rice was flavorful and yummy, but the chicken was dry. Maybe if I were better at estimating crockpot time for meat, but alas! So, I personally would have been better off pan frying the chicken. That would have been much better! Flavor was great.
Hey Kendra,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad to you enjoyed the flavors:) xx
Made this last night and it was fantastic! Will be using this frequently over the next few cold months. Used instant pot directions and everything turned out wonderfully. Wasn’t soupy like some have commented—was nice and creamy. I did not use wild rice mixture—just regular jasmine rice, but followed measurements and everything was great. And that sage garlic butter at the end—yum!!!
Hey Heather,
Happy Friday!!🌻 I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it and sharing your review:) xT
So excited to make this tonight! Do you think it would work to cook this according to crockpot directions in a dutch oven? Maybe 325 for 3 hours?
Hey Rebekah,
Sure, I don’t see why not, you could also just follow the skillet instructions using the dutch oven:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I made this in the dutch oven, browning first chicken thighs and breasts and then the veggies. When I put everything in the oven, it cooked very quickly (maybe 30 mins?) and was wonderful. It was the perfect fall comfort dish!
I did double the mushrooms after reading a review that recommended that, and was so glad I did!
I think you could decrease the rice a little bit — we had a lot more rice than chicken leftover.
Thanks for this winner!
Hey Rebekah,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
After reading over other comments, I decided to make this in my dutch oven and change up a few things. It came out delicious!!! It took me about an hour and a half, but well worth it. I don’t think this recipe is well suited for a crock pot because in addition to rice mush, you’ll lose the flavors of the seared chicken and sautéed veggies.
– Use chicken thighs, not chicken breasts, they’ll get too dry.
– After searing the chicken, don’t put it back in with the rice until the whole dutch oven is ready to go into the oven to prevent overcooking.
– Skipped the carrots and doubled the mushrooms. I did this because I didn’t feel like peeling carrots, but was happily surprised with the swap, I’ll do it again next time. I didn’t miss the carrots and the 1 cup of mushrooms the recipe calls for isn’t much, they’ll get lost in the rice, so doubling that was perfect.
– In step 3, I sautéed the onions/celery/mushrooms for about 5 mins to cook them a bit before adding in the rice and broth.
– For anyone struggling to get the rice cooked, just check out the instructions on your own rice. Mine called for 35 mins, so I left it covered on the stove for the recommended 15 mins, then left uncovered in the oven for 20 and it was perfect.
I think this answers my question to Tiegan — just asked if i could do this in dutch oven 🙂
@Rebekah yes it was fabulous in the dutch oven! I’d follow the skillet instructions though, cooking for 3 hours will probably create the mushy rice that others had problems with 🙂
Hey Charlotte,
Happy Thursday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing what worked well for you, I bet this will be helpful for others! So glad to hear it was a hit! xT
Made this last night in the skillet. Came out great! I was originally going to do the crockpot method, but decided not to after reading on it. Doing it in the skillet is probably the best way to do it, no way to mess it up really.
This hit the spot for me! Great, simple flavors. Perfect for a cozy autumn meal. Will absolutely make again.
Hey Sarah,
Fantastic!! I love that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
This was delicious and a BIG hit at our house. We went with the skillet method and followed the recipe exactly with great results. Thank you for another winner, Tieghan!!
Hey Gretchen,
happy Thursday!! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xT
Made this dish in the crockpot tonight and it turned out perfectly! I cooked it on high for 3 hours and substituted all brown rice for the wild rice. I also added some grated parmesan on top when I served it. I will definitely be making this dish again in the near future!
Hey Kathryn,
Fantastic!! I love that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
Please revise the slow cooker instructions or remove that as an option altogether. This was my first HBH fail after loving every single recipe I’ve ever tried. I did this in the slow cooker and when I tell you the rice was mush, I’m talking oatmeal level mush. The chicken was spiced well but a little dry, and could have skipped the broil step. Maybe because the rice just mushed, but the rice and veggies had no flavor to them and I found myself pouring on salt to try to taste any kind of flavor in the dish.
I’m so disappointed it sounded so good! (11/9/22)
Hi Shelby,
I’m so sorry to hear you had some issues. I’m not going to remove the slow cooker instructions because others have had great success with it. I honestly don’t know why there is so much trouble with but it’s working for others. My only guess is variations in rice and slow cookers. Sorry for the trouble! xx
Wow, that’s some of the mushiest rice I’ve ever made!! And dry chicken. This is not going on the make again list. I’ve made quite a few HBH recipes and never had a fail like this before. If you’re a first timer to HBH, don’t start with this one!!
Hey there,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it did not turn out for you! xT
When you take the chicken and garlic out to broil, do you keep the rice cooking in the crockpot? If so, for how long?
Hey Carolyn,
The chicken is just under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, so the rice should be fine sitting on warm. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hello! What a delicious recipe! Based on other reviews I did do some changes…(I did mine in a crock pot)…I put in 2 &1/2 cups broth with 1/2 cup white wine, I also put more carrots and more mushrooms than called for in the recipe. I did use the parmesan rind which was delicious! I cooked on high for 2 hours and on low for about 2 hours. The chicken, garlic, sage & butter under the broiler makes it oh so good; just watch the sage as it burns quickly! My only real change that I will do next time is NO cayenne and NO paprika…it really overpowered the other rich yummy savory flavors. Sooo good, thank you for sharing 🙂
Hey Pam,
Amazing!! I truly appreciate you making this dish and sharing what worked well for you, hopefully this will be helpful for others! So glad to hear it was enjoyed:) xT
Based on some of the comments, I made this in my crockpot on high. It took just about two hours to get the rice perfectly done. I mixed two packages of Costco chicken thighs into the rice and veggie mixture and ultimately didn’t take them out to put in the oven. I couldn’t find just wild rice at my grocery store so I used two boxes of boxed long grain and wild rice. I tossed shredded parmesan cheese on top before serving. My family enjoyed it! I will probably try again on the stove to get the crisp chicken and garlic with butter.
Hey Yecora,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing what worked well for you! I’m glad to hear it was mostly enjoyed! xx
Honestly, not a fan. I also had problems with the rice not being “fluffy” and the chicken being dry.
Hi Nicole,
So sorry to hear this! I’m sad to say I really don’t know why this is working for some but not for others. Sorry for the trouble and thanks for trying the recipe! xx
I was so bummed, I had high hopes for this recipe. chicken was dry and rice was mush. Oh well, looking forward to more recipes!
Hi Karalyn,
Thanks so much for making this dish, I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you! Please let me know if I can help in anyway! Sorry for the trouble! xx