No Peek Chicken Rice Casserole
Updated
Updated
No-Peek Chicken and Rice Casserole features moist chicken tenders baked atop a bed of fluffy rice, in a flavorful creamy sauce. With just 10 minutes of prep, this one-pan dish is a quick and easy dinner the whole family will love!
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I love any recipe that requires minimal effort on my part and is also so delicious – this no peek chicken and rice recipe definitely fits the bill. Preparing this casserole is as simple as combining the ingredients in a casserole dish, covering it with foil, and baking.
The “no peek” in the name comes from the fact that once you cover it with foil and pop it in the oven…well, you don’t touch it – not even to peek inside. Dinner really doesn’t get easier than that.
To turn it into even more of a complete meal, you can stir some frozen veggies right into the mixture or just serve it with your favorite roasted or steamed veggies.
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Long grain white rice. The dry white rice soaks up the sauce as it bakes and becomes so flavorful. Long grain brown or wild rice can be used instead of white rice, but you’ll need to cook the casserole a bit longer. Just make sure you use long grain rice. Short-grain rice will be way overcooked in this dish and turn to mush. Note: wild rice will be chewier.
- Condensed Cream of Soup. Any “cream of soup” can be used. We like the combination of cream of chicken and cream of celery, but you can swap either or both of those for cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli, etc.
- Chicken broth. Vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth for a richer flavor.
- Stir in some veggies. Add in some fresh raw chopped broccoli florets or peas for an all-in-one meal. A 10 ounce bag of frozen veggies works great, too (no need to thaw first.)
- Can’t live without cheese? After the casserole is done cooking, peel back the foil and add 1 to 2 cups shredded cheese (such as cheddar or Monterey Jack), then cook for just a few more minutes until it melts.
- As soon as the foil goes on, do not peek! Make sure the foil is wrapped very tightly around the entire casserole. Trapping in the steam is essential for cooking the chicken and keeping it moist and tender.
No-Peek Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenders, (see note)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 & 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 10.5 ounce can low-sodium cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 ounce can low-sodium cream of celery soup
- 1 & 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ounce packet dry onion soup mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Place the chicken strips in the bottom of the casserole dish in a single layer. Season with the garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, and pepper.
- In a mixing bowl, add in the uncooked white rice, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, and chicken broth. Stir everything to combine until incorporated. Pour mixture over the chicken in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over the top.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through at 165F. While it’s baking, no peeking! The steam is essential for keeping the chicken moist.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and enjoy with the chicken.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
Serving Suggestions
If you add veggies as mentioned in the variations, this casserole truly stands on its own as a meal. If I don’t add veggies to the casserole itself, I like to serve it with a side of green veggies, like roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, or roasted carrots. A simple side salad or Caesar salad are great, too.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Make ahead. You can assemble, cover, and refrigerate this casserole 1 day in advance (sprinkling on the onion soup mix right before baking.) Allow it to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to putting in the oven and also add an additional 10 minutes onto the baking time.
- Freeze unbaked casserole. Assemble, wrap tightly in plastic and again in foil, removing any excess air. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then allow it to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to putting in the oven and also add an additional 10 minutes onto the baking time.
- Freeze baked casserole. Allow to cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic and again in foil, removing any excess air. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then allow it to sit out at room temperature before reheating.
- Fridge. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cover the pan tightly or transfer to an airtight container.
- Reheat. Individual servings can easily be reheated in the microwave. To reheat the whole pan, cover and bake at 350F until warmed through. Add a dash of water or chicken broth to keep the rice from drying out.
More Easy Chicken Casseroles:
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole
- Nacho Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken Pot Pie Cobbler
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Hi Amy! Do the chicken tenders go into the pan first with the rice mixture on top? Or the rice mixture first with the chicken on top?
Thanks.
Hi Karen! Chicken tenders go in the bottom of the casserole dish in a single layer. They get seasoned, then the soup mixture covers them. Asking sincerely, where are you reading the recipe? Because the recipe card specifically instructs to do it this way. Just wondering where the confusion is.
Hi Amy! The video of this recipe shows the rice mixture going into the pan first – then the chicken tenders on top of the rice.
Thank you for your clarification.
Love it and so easy!!TY
We love this it’s one of my go too recipes. Easy and delicious!
I just made tgis for supper tonight and i snuck a taste mmhmmm it sure is delish!
I really like this recipe. I mix everything but the chicken in a bowl so everything gets all the flavors. I also used minute rice. It does get a little over done, but I really like it. I’d rather have over done than under done.
How would I go about making this recipe for a smaller family? We’re a family of 1 adult and 2 picky eaters so we don’t need 6 servings.
Hi Marie – Just cut the entire recipe in half.
Easy to make and very good. I used 3 whole chicken breasts, seasoned them with garlic and herb Grill Mates. Didn’t have onion soup mix so I used Knorr vegetable soup mix. Baked it for an hour 20 minutes. Rice was slightly under done. Would probably add a little more stock next time.
This recipe has been on my bucket list forever and I finally made it – whole family cleaned their plates, even the picky eaters. Kicking myself for not making it sooner. Thanks for an easy delicious meal!
This was good! Feeds a crowd but also freezes well. Great if you are entertaining as it would be good on a buffet table.
So easy and so delicious!
I love this one pan meal. I loved the flavors. My tenderloins were on the small size so a little tough cooking for an hour. I think I’ll try the vegetables next time too.
So easy and delish – new family favorite for dinner rotation, thank you!