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Crock Pot Chicken Rice Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Rice Soup is a simple and delicious comforting soup that is perfect for a cold winter night. Filled with simple and wholesome ingredients, this easy soup is hearty AND healthy.

Crock Pot Chicken Rice Soup in a speckled cream colored bowl with fresh chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

I'm not sure there are any real healing powers in chicken soup, but this Crock Pot Chicken Rice Soup it is definitely comforting! This Slow Cooker Chicken Rice Soup is not only incredibly easy but definitely checks the "comfort food" box. Bonus: I made ours with chicken bone broth that I had in the freezer, which gave it a boost of nutrients!

Looking for other chicken soup recipes? Check out my Creamy Tortilla Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup, and Creamy Chicken Potato Soup!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Easy - this is a slow cooker recipe that you literally dump all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do its magic all day long.
  • Simply Ingredients - there are no fancy or hard to find ingredients in this recipe!
  • Hearty and Healthy - this chicken rice soup is not only hearty and filling, but it's healthy and full of flavor. The addition of brown rice ensures you stay full for hours after eating it!

Ingredients

Ingredients in Chicken Rice soup including carrots, celery, onion, chicken thighs, garlic, brown rice, chicken broth, dried thyme, and a bay leaf.

Chicken Thighs - I love using chicken thighs in slow cooker recipes because they are economical and stay super tender even after cooking all day long.

Vegetables - this recipe uses classic chicken soup vegetables including carrots, celery, and onion.

Chicken Broth

Brown Rice - brown rice is able to tolerate cooking all day, compared to white rice which would get a little too mushy. It is also rich in dietary fiber and is also high in magnesium.

Garlic - I love adding a ton of garlic for not only the flavor, but the health benefits. Garlic has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which supports your immune system. That's important during cold and flu season!

Dried Herbs - I also add dried thyme and a bay leaf to this soup for extra flavor.

Refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients.

Variations

Chicken Breasts - if you're not a fan of chicken thighs, you can use chicken breasts or chicken tenders instead of chicken thighs. In addition, you can use bone-in and skin-on chicken if you like, just be sure to remove it when shredding the chicken at the end.

Bone Broth - As mentioned, I often use chicken bone broth in this which makes it super rich and nourishing. If you're interested in making your own chicken bone broth, check out my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth! You can also use low sodium chicken broth if you are concerned about your sodium intake.

White Rice - if you don't have brown rice, you can use long grain white rice instead. However, I would change the cooking method a little. Cook the rice separately and add it at the end, and cut back on the broth by 1 to 2 cups, OR just add the white rice about an hour before the cooking time is up.

More Vegetables - if you're craving an even more vegetable-filled soup, you can add more! Diced zucchini, sweet potatoes, chopped kale, peas, and chopped spinach would all work.

Lemon - add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end for a bright and zippy lemony flavor!

Different Herbs - I often add poultry seasoning to my chicken noodle soup, which would also work well in this soup.

Stovetop Method - you can also make this on the stove if you prefer. Refer to the recipe card notes for instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

Photo 1. Chop up the onion, carrots, and celery into small bite-sized pieces.

Photo 2. Add the chopped vegetables, chicken, dried thyme, garlic, bay leaf, brown rice, and chicken broth to a slow cooker. Season with salt and black pepper.

Photo 3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Photo 4. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker.

Photo 5. Shred the chicken with two forks.

Photo 6. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy! I highly suggest serving it with oyster or saltine crackers.

Expert Tips

Storage - leftover soup should cooled be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Freeze - Let the soup cool and then transfer to a freezer safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheat - you can reheat this soup in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add more broth (water works, too), as sometimes the rice will soak up the broth once it has been chilled.

Crock Pot Chicken Rice Soup in a speckled cream bowl with a soup spoon on the plate next to it.

Recipe FAQs

Is this crockpot chicken rice soup gluten free?

Yes, all of the ingredients in this soup are gluten-free, making this entire soup gluten friendly.

What is the best way to reheat this soup?

You can simply place it in a microwave safe bowl to reheat, and heat for 90-120 seconds or place it on the stovetop in a small pot or saucepan and reheat over medium-low heat.

Can I add uncooked rice to my slow cooker?

Yes! That's exactly what you do in this recipe and, using brown rice, it cooks beautifully .

Helpful Tools for Crock Pot Chicken Rice Soup

 

Other Slow Cooker Recipes to Consider

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.

Crock Pot Chicken Rice Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Rice Soup

An easy and simple recipe for the slow cooker for chicken and rice soup that is perfect for a chilly evening at home.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 481kcal

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 small white onion diced
  • 3 medium carrots diced
  • 3 stalks celery diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • fresh parsley, chopped, for topping

Instructions

  • In your slow cooker, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken thighs, brown rice, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.
  • Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until rice is tender.
  • Remove the chicken thighs and shred with two forks. Return to the crock pot and stir in to combine.
  • Serve topped with fresh parsley along with saltine crackers or fresh bread.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Stovetop Method: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook another minute. Add the chicken, rice, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 45 minutes, until the rice is softened and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the soup and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the soup, stir to combine, and serve. 
Storage: store leftover in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1649mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6328IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @greensnchocolate to let me know!
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