Mississippi Chicken with Rice Casserole
Mississippi Chicken with Rice Casserole is a delicious twist on the famous Mississippi Pot Roast — but using chicken. It has all the familiar flavors you love-tangy pepperoncinis, buttery ranch, and savory au jus served with creamy rice and all baked in one casserole dish.
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We love Mississippi anything in our house! The flavors are just so delicious! If you also love that savory, tangy combination, you’ve got to try Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken (great in sandwiches!) , Slow Cooker Mississippi Meatballs over rice, quick and easy Sheet Pan Mississippi Burger Sliders and of course the OG, Mississippi Pot Roast. The one that started it all!
You’ll want to add this oven baked chicken and rice to your Mississippi repertoire.
Why You’ll Love It
- One-dish dinner – Protein, rice, and flavor all in one pan.
- Easy prep – Just mix, layer, and bake.
- Family-friendly – Creamy, savory, and comforting with a little zip from the pepperoncini.
- Customizable – Add cheese, crispy topping, or veggies if you’d like.
What You’ll Need
Find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!
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- 9×13 Baking Dish
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs – I will cut the breasts in half horizontally if they’re big
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
- 1 packet au jus gravy mix, low sodium
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
- 5–6 pepperoncini peppers
- 1–2 tablespoons pepperoncini juice (optional, for extra tang)Keep in mind the more juice and peppers you use, they spicier the dish will be
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup– this makes the rice so creamy! Look for the no salt added soup
- 1 ½ cups uncooked long grain white rice– I prefer the long grain to the instant rice. I find the instant rice breaks down and gets mushy if cooked to long. See below for alternations tot the recipe using Minute Rice.
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
How To Make It
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Make the rice base:
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, uncooked long grain rice, and half of the ranch and au jus seasoning packets. Spread this mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.
Add the chicken:
Place the chicken on top of the rice mixture. If the chicken breasts are large, slice in half horizontally.
Top it off:
Sprinkle the remaining ranch and au jus seasoning evenly over the chicken. Add the butter slices and pepperoncini peppers on top. Drizzle with pepperoncini juice, if using.
Cover and bake:
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 60–70 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature). My casserole takes 60 minutes, but all ovens are different. Start checking it at 60 minutes for doneness.
Uncover and rest:
Remove from oven and let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps the rice finish absorbing the liquid. Fluff the rice with a fork, serve and enjoy!
How Can I Reduce the Salt?
Use no salt added cream of chicken soup, low sodium chicken broth and low sodium au jus.
To minimize the sodium even more, only use half of each flavoring packet (au jus and ranch), sprinkling 1/4 of each packet in the rice and on top of the chicken instead of 1/2 of each packet.
Can I Use Instant Rice?
Yes, replace the long grain rice with instant rice (Minute Rice). Increase the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake the casserole, covered tightly in foil, for 40-45 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the rice is tender. All other measurements will remain the same.
- Tip: Use thin-cut chicken breasts or thighs so they’re done at the same time as the rice.
- For extra moisture, you can add a splash of broth (¼ cup) if the rice seems dry during the last 15 minutes.
Can I Use Brown Rice?
Yes! If using long grain brown rice, increase the chicken broth to 2¼ to 2½ cups. All other measurements remain the same. Cover the dish tightly in foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and fluffy.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave with a splash of broth or water to keep it moist.
- Freeze in individual portions for meal prep — just thaw and reheat!
Help! My Rice Didn’t Cook
If your rice came out crunchy in a chicken and rice casserole, don’t worry—it’s a common issue! Here are the most likely reasons and how to fix them:
- The dish wasn’t tightly covered – Steam is what cooks the rice in a casserole. Always cover the dish tightly with foil before baking to trap the steam inside. If the foil is loose, the liquid evaporates and leaves the rice undercooked.
- Oven temperature differences – Every oven runs a little differently. Begin checking the doneness of the chicken and rice at around 1 hour. If the rice is still firm or the chicken isn’t fully cooked, keep baking in 10–15 minute increments until everything is tender.
- Wrong type of rice – Long grain rice and instant rice behave very differently. If the recipe calls for long grain rice, it will need more time. If you use instant rice, start checking for doneness at about 40 minutes to prevent overcooking—once tender, instant rice can turn mushy if baked too long.
- Not enough bake time – Sometimes the casserole just needs more time. A few extra minutes in the oven can make all the difference in getting perfectly fluffy rice.
Quick Fix for Undercooked Rice
Pulled your casserole out of the oven only to find the rice is still a little crunchy? Don’t panic—here’s how to save it:
- Add more liquid – Pour in ½ to 1 cup of warm chicken broth or water, then re-cover tightly with foil. The extra liquid will create more steam to soften the rice.
- Bake a little longer – Return the casserole to the oven and continue baking in 10–15 minute increments, checking the rice for tenderness each time.
- Microwave individual servings – If you’re short on time, scoop portions into microwave-safe bowls, add a splash of broth, cover, and heat in 2–3 minute bursts until the rice is tender.
Try These Next
- Southwest Chicken Casserole
- Crock Pot Dill Pickle Shredded Chicken Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Three Packet Pot Roast
- Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
- Chicken Fajita Casserole
- Chicken Tot Pie
This baked Mississippi Chicken with Rice Casserole takes everything you love about the classic Mississippi flavors and turns them into a cozy, crowd-pleasing casserole. It’s creamy, buttery, tangy, and totally comforting — the kind of meal that has everyone coming back for seconds.
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Mississippi Chicken with Rice Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, uncooked long grain rice, and half of the ranch and au jus seasoning packets. Spread this mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- Place the chicken on top of the rice mixture. If the chicken breasts are large, slice in half horizontally.
- Sprinkle the remaining ranch and au jus seasoning evenly over the chicken. Add the butter slices and pepperoncini peppers on top. Drizzle with pepperoncini juice, if using.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 60–70 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature). My casserole takes 60 minutes, but all ovens are different. Start checking it at 60 minutes for doneness.
- Remove from oven and let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps the rice finish absorbing the liquid. Fluff the rice with a fork, serve and enjoy!
We loved this dinner!
So happy to hear!