Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole• The Fresh Cooky

Name: Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 6 ounces Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix (Lundberg, Near East or similar; made according to package directions); 2 cups cooked chicken (or leftover turkey (rotisserie chicken works too) diced into bite size pieces); ¼ cup butter (4 tablespoons); ⅓ cup onion (chopped); ⅓ cup celery (chopped); ⅓ cup flour (replace with gluten free purpose flour if GF); 1 cup chicken broth (or stock, replace with turkey or vegetable broth if desired); 1 cup half and half (use heavy cream, milk or plant-based milk); 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt; fresh ground black pepper; 4 ounce pimentos (diced, jarred); ⅓ cup fresh parsley (chopped); ¼ cup slivered almonds (chopped); Crispy Fried Onions (optional, but yummy!)

This easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is a comforting weeknight dinner prepared in under an hour. Made without canned soup, it’s a lighter version of the classic casserole that’s still so creamy. Perfect for using up leftover or rotisserie chicken or turkey, with gluten-free and vegetarian options.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One reader raved: “I made this with leftover turkey. FANTASTIC!”

Chicken and wild rice casserole with crispy topping in a white baking dish.

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This Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is my version of a recipe I found in an old church cookbook—a treasure trove of simple, comforting recipes like this one. Originally called Wild Rice Supreme, it’s a classic casserole that I’ve made into my own version with lots of recipe testing.

Make this casserole with ease using rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or turkey. Even easy swaps like gluten-free flour or plant-based milk make it an adaptable dinner for almost any diet.

With a mix of long grain and wild rice, chicken, and a homemade sauce (no canned soup here!), it’s a version that’s a bit lighter than the classic. Be sure also to try a few of our other favorite casseroles: Lemon Poppyseed Chicken, Cracker Barrel Chicken and Rice, Turkey Divan, and this Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole.

Why You Should Make this Recipe

An easy dinner ready in under an hour. With just 20 minutes of hands-on prep time, it’s a meal that can made even on the busiest of nights.
Healthier version of the classic Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. I omitted the canned condensed soup and made my own easily from scratch.
Perfect meal prep recipe for a busy week. This wild rice casserole with chicken is great for reheating for lunch or dinner throughout the week. Add it to your meal prep list!

What is Wild Rice?

It’s not a rice, but a grass! Wild rice is the seed of a species of aquatic grass that grows primarily in the Great Lakes region of North America. It was once a dietary staple of the Native Americans living in this region, and these days, most of the wild rice available in the supermarket is specially cultivated in Minnesota and California.

If you haven’t tried wild rice before, it’s time to get on it. A firm, chewy, nutty-tasting, higher-in-protein grain that is delicious in salads, like this Harvest Wild Rice Salad, or in casseroles like the one I am showing you today.

Ingredients

Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix: I prefer Lundberg or Near East brands (made according to package directions)
Cooked Chicken or turkey breast: Shredded or cubed into bite-sized pieces. You may also use rotisserie chicken, or leftovers work well too!
Butter or Oil: Needed to bring flavor to your aromatics below
Onion & Celery: Classic in any casserole
Flour: This is the key ingredient to thickening the homemade condensed soup. You can also replace with gluten-free purpose flour.
Chicken broth or stock: Adds richness to the sauce for that signature flavor. You can replace with vegetable broth if desired
Half and half: Or use whole milk, heavy cream or your favorite plant-based milk for extra creaminess.
Pimientos: You can typically find pimientos in the canned vegetable aisle or the section with jarred olives, pickles, and other condiments. They are usually sold in small glass jars or cans and labeled as “diced pimientos” or “pimentos.”
Fresh parsley: This adds great flavor and brightness to the casserole.
Almonds: A classic topping for this yummy casserole. I used slivered almonds, but you may also use sliced almonds.
Crispy Fried Onions: Optional, but yummy for a crunchy topping!

Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.

Chicken Wild Rice casserole ingredients, labeled.

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Kathleen’s Tip: No roasted chicken or turkey? Try using cooked breakfast sausage, ground turkey, ground pork or ground hamburger instead! Ooo, wild rice casserole with hamburger! Takes me back to my childhood.

How to Make Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Prepare long grain and wild rice according to the box directions and in the meantime begin prepping your ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205 °C) and grease or butter a 2-quart casserole dish; this is my favorite casserole dish!

Melt butter in a large saucepan or skillet or medium heat; add chopped onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and cook for one minute.
Pour in half-and-half and stir,
And chicken broth, stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken, stirring to coat.

Add onions and celery to melted butter. — Saute onions and celery in butter.

Adding flour to pan with butter and aromatics for roux. — Saute onions and celery in butter.

Toss in chopped almonds, pimientos, and fresh parsley.
Add the pre-cooked long-grain and wild rice mix, then stir to combine.
Pour into a buttered or greased 2-quart casserole dish and smooth.
If desired, top with crispy fried onions. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Add pimentos, slivered almonds, parsley to mixture.

Stirring in cooked wild rice mixture. — Add pimentos, slivered almonds, parsley to mixture.

Kathleen’s Tip: This recipe easily doubles. Use a 9×13 casserole dish and bake longer if it’s not bubbly and crisp on top.

Wild Rice Casserole with chicken or turkey in a dish topped with crispy onions.

Substitutions

One of the most frequent questions I receive is, “Can I make a dish vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free?” I am happy to report that this is an easy one to convert.

GLUTEN FREE: So easy to make this swap —make sure the rice blend you purchase is GF, then simply swap out the all-purpose flour for a good 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour <– my favorite brand!
VEGAN/VEGETARIAN: This is a bit trickier, but still doable!
- Omit chicken/turkey and add in a plant-based protein if desired; cubed tofu or even cubed portobella mushrooms would work.
- Swap chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- Use a plant-based butter blend or olive oil to saute veggies
- Make sure the wild rice mix is Vegan (Lundberg brand is)
- Replace half and half with ½ coconut cream and ½ oat milk or other plant-based milk

Expert Tips

Add carrots to the vegetable mix. Try including chopped carrots with your onion and celery to create a classic mirepoix.
If you’re not a fan of pimentos, dice a red, orange, or yellow pepper and saute with the onion mixture. Or use roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes!
Other wild rice options are easy to find at the store. This recipe was initially made using Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice mix, or substitute it with your favorite; if it’s within a few ounces of the other one, it shouldn’t change a thing. You can also use already prepared wild rice (up to 1 cup).
If you want an even lighter casserole, use whole milk instead of half and half.
Swap out the almonds for another nut. Try chopped walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans — or omit them altogether.
If your sauce is too thick when you stir the rice in, thin it out with more chicken stock until the correct consistency.

Holding the casserole dish (white) filled with crispy topped chicken wild rice casserole.

Storage

This chicken and wild recipe is the perfect make-ahead and freezer-friendly meal or side dish.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

This Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is perfect for prepping ahead! Simply assemble the entire casserole, cover it tightly, and store it in the fridge for up to one week. When you’re ready to bake, remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven. Uncover and bake as directed—it’s that simple!

Freezing Instructions:

Freezing Uncooked: Prepare the casserole as instructed, but don’t bake it. Let it cool completely before freezing. Wrap the dish twice in plastic wrap, then again with aluminum foil to ensure it stays fresh. When you’re ready to cook, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then remove it 30 minutes before baking while the oven preheats. Bake as directed (and don’t forget to remove the plastic wrap!).

Freezing Cooked: If you’ve already baked the chicken and wild rice casserole, let it cool completely before freezing. Wrap it the same way (plastic wrap and foil) and label it. This method is great for having a ready-to-heat dinner for busy nights.

Reheating Instructions:

To reheat, preheat your oven to 300°F. Place the casserole (covered) in the oven for 30-40 minutes. If frozen, it will take a bit longer—check at 40 minutes and continue baking as needed. For a thawed casserole, start checking for doneness around 30 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, uncover the dish to re-crisp the top for that perfect texture.

Adding crispy onions to the top of the wild rice casserole.

FAQs

Can you Add Uncooked Rice to a Casserole?

The short answer is no, rice needs a lot of liquid and requires the steam from a covered dish, this casserole would take hours to bake if you placed uncooked rice in the dish. However, if you have some leftover, already-cooked Wild Rice, feel free to add up to a cup of it to the final dish.

How do I keep chicken wild rice casserole from being dry?

Make sure you add enough liquid; if your sauce looks thick prior to baking, simply add more stock.

Can I add cheese to the casserole?

Yes, of course! It would be delicious with cheddar, Swiss, or even Gruyere.

I sure hope you enjoyed this delicious chicken and wild rice casserole. It’s an easy recipe for comfort food! It’s not just for the holidays either; it’s delicious to use leftovers or for a busy weeknight meal.

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