Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni takes one of your favorite childhood meals and makes it from scratch! We love this dish so much, and I really think that you will too. It is also fast and easy to make, so you won’t have to spend a lot of time standing over the stove.
Homemade Chicken Rice-A-Roni
Are you in a dinner rut? Tired of reaching for boxed foods with 100 ingredients you can’t pronounce? Me too. I typically lean on Soups, Pasta, Casseroles, roasts, and mashed potatoes, all of it. It must of been my youth spent in the frozen tundra also known as Northern Minnesota. Fall/Winter foods = comfort foods for me.
Buy our favorite pasta by clicking on the image below!
Another of my comfort foods from my childhood is Rice-a-Roni, in almost all varieties.
I’m not sure why it has never occurred to me to make it at home before tonight! I’ve revamped the Spanish Rice version, but never my favorite chicken or beef.
Look no further, folks. Here it is.
I was pretty surprised how similar this was to the boxed version. It got 4/5 kid stars, which is a winner in this house!
Why you’ll love this dish…
- Homemade with real ingredients, but all the flavor!
- Crowd-pleasing taste.
- Perfect to make ahead to pack for lunches!
- You can add in all the vegetables you want.
Have some Wild Rice Pilaf sometime too!
Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Oil
- Chicken breast
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Butter
- Long-grain rice
- Spaghetti
- Mushrooms
- Onion powder
- Fresh parsley
- Chicken Flavor Better Than Bouillon
- Dry white wine
- Broccoli
Try all of my Easy Casserole Recipes here!
How to make Homemade Chicken Rice-A-Roni
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
1
Brown Chicken
Season the chicken and preheat your oil in a skillet. Brown the chicken. Remove from the pan once two sides are browned.
2
Rice + Pasta
Add the butter to the pan and then add the rice and broken-up pasta. Toast until the pasta is golden brown.
3
Combine & Simmer
Add the chicken back to the pan and add the rest of the liquids and seasonings. Let simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
4
Add vegetables
Add your fresh vegetables during the last 5 minutes or cooking, or steam them to your desired level of doneness and add in once everything is cooked. Either way.
5
Enjoy
Enjoy hot! This is a hearty, delicious dish that’s perfect for leftovers or a quick dinner. We hope you love it!
Try some Chicken Dumpling Soup!
FAQ
Serve this with…
More great recipes featuring rice to enjoy!
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Wild Rice
- Beef and Wild Rice Stuffed Zucchini
- Minnesota Wild Rice Hotdish Soup
Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni
Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni makes your favorite boxed meal into something wholesome and homemade!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 cups diced chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Rice mixture
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 cup good quality spaghetti, broken into small pieces
- 1 cup diced mushrooms
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons Chicken flavor Better Than Bouillon
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
Instructions
- Preheat oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Quickly brown it, and then remove from the pan. It is okay if the chicken is still partially pink in the middle at this point.
- Melt butter in the saute pan over medium heat. Add rice and pasta, and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is browned.
- Add the mushrooms during the last 3-4 minutes of the rice/pasta cooking time, and cook those along with the rice/pasta.
- Add the onion, garlic powder, parsley, salt, water, bouillon, and wine.
- Add the chicken back into the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add broccoli during last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Serve hot.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 253Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 557mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 25g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
Fern
Tuesday 7th of June 2016
Very tasty recipe. I was just going to grill some chicken and make some homemade Rice-A-Roni but I found this and decided to just put it all together. (Late night at work). We both enjoyed this very much. It's a great quick dinner. Oh, I didn't put the broccoli in as I didn't have any, but I served green beans on the side.
Fern
Tuesday 7th of June 2016
Also, I had just bought some Better Than Bouillion as I was looking for something that didn't have MSG in it. Fantastic product.
Foodies Network » Homemade Chicken Rice a Roni
Wednesday 29th of October 2014
[…] Homemade Chicken Rice a Roni […]
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling
Monday 13th of October 2014
I love the idea of homemade Rice-a-Roni....I'm sure it's delicious! I can't stand those dinner ruts but this looks like a good way out of it!
Nicole Johnson
Monday 13th of October 2014
Thanks, Cathy! Dinner ruts are the worst. I'm pretty much always fighting them off. ;)
Wendy
Wednesday 6th of August 2014
I winged the recipe a little bit, but I was wondering about two of the ingredients. You list the crimini mushrooms twice, but only mention them once in the directions. In addition, you never said where to put in the bullion. My guess was at the water and wine step.
Nicole
Wednesday 6th of August 2014
Yikes! Sorry about that. You guessed right on the bouillon, and the crimini listed twice was a typo. I fixed both issues, and thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to point that out! I really appreciate it. Maybe if I hit the big time ;) I can hire an editor. :)
Becky
Thursday 12th of June 2014
When do you add the chicken back in to complete the cooking process?
Nicole
Thursday 12th of June 2014
Becky - Thank you so much for commenting! I edited the recipe. I'm so sorry I forgot that step. The chicken goes back into the pan at the same time as the water/wine, so it simmers for the last 10 minutes of cook time along with the rice and pasta. I'm going to email this to you as well, just to make sure you get it.
~Nicole