Easy Comfort Recipe: Set-and-Forget Chicken & Rice

Why You’ll Love This this Set-and-Forget Chicken & Rice

This recipe is basically a cooking miracle because you literally dump everything in a pan, cover it, and walk away while dinner magically happens in the oven.

I mean, who doesn’t love a meal that requires zero stirring, zero checking, and zero chance of you accidentally burning the rice because you got distracted by your phone?

The chicken gets tender and juicy while it steams with the rice, the onion soup mix adds that savory flavor we all crave, and the cream of chicken soup creates this comforting sauce that makes everything taste like a warm hug on a plate.

Ingredients List

You only need five simple ingredients to create this comforting one-pan wonder that’ll have your kitchen smelling absolutely amazing.

• 1 (3 lb) chicken, cut up
• 1/2 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 package regular cook Uncle Ben’s long grain and wild rice blend

• 2 3/4 cups water
• Sodium heads up: Between the onion soup mix and cream of chicken soup, this dish packs quite a bit of sodium, so if you’re watching your salt intake, you might want to look for low-sodium versions of these ingredients
• Protein powerhouse: That 3-pound chicken gives you plenty of lean protein to keep everyone satisfied
• Carb comfort: The rice blend provides complex carbs and fiber, plus those wild rice grains add some extra nutritional value compared to plain white rice
• Convenience factor: Yes, we’re using processed ingredients here, but sometimes easy weeknight dinners win over perfectly clean eating, and that’s totally okay

Step by Step Directions



This foolproof one-pan meal requires zero stirring or peeking – just assemble, cover, and let the oven work its magic.

• Prep your pan: Place the rice blend in a roasting pan, spreading it evenly across the bottom.
• Add the chicken: Arrange the cut-up chicken pieces on top of the rice.
• Season it up: Sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over the chicken and rice.
• Cream it: Spoon the cream of chicken soup over the chicken and rice (don’t worry about spreading it perfectly).
• Add liquid: Pour the 2 3/4 cups of water over all the ingredients in the roaster.
• Final seasoning: Sprinkle the herb packet from the rice blend over everything in the pan.
• Seal and forget: Cover tightly with foil or lid – this is essential for proper cooking.
• Bake: Choose your timing: 325°F for 2-2½ hours OR 200°F for 4 hours.
• Resist temptation: Don’t open the pan or stir during cooking time – this is where the “forgotten” part comes in.
• Rest and serve: Let it sit for 5 minutes after removing from oven, then serve directly from the pan.

For those who frequently prepare homemade meals, investing in a professional pasta maker can elevate your cooking repertoire beyond simple one-pan dishes.

Substitutions and Variations

• Make it fancy: A splash of white wine in place of some of the water elevates this dish from weeknight dinner to something you’d serve guests, though to be frank, it’s still basically dump-and-bake cooking
• Dairy-free version: Swap the cream soup for a can of coconut milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of flour and some chicken broth – it creates that same creamy richness without the dairy

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

This comfortable one-pot wonder pairs beautifully with simple sides that won’t compete for attention.

• Green vegetables – Steamed broccoli, green beans, or roasted Brussels sprouts add that pop of color and crunch your plate needs, plus they help balance out all that creamy comfort.
• Simple salad – A basic mixed greens salad with vinaigrette cuts through the richness perfectly, and honestly, sometimes you just need something fresh and crisp alongside all that tender chicken and rice.
• Crusty bread – Because let’s be real, you’re going to want something to soak up every last drop of that creamy sauce, and a good dinner roll or slice of French bread does the job beautifully.
• Roasted carrots – Toss some baby carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast them alongside your chicken dish for the last hour of cooking, which means minimal extra effort for maximum flavor payoff.
• Corn on the cob – When it’s in season, corn just feels right with this kind of homestyle cooking, plus it’s another vegetable the kids will actually eat without a battle.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

After years of watching home cooks tackle this recipe, I’ve picked up some tricks that’ll save you from the most common pitfalls.

• Don’t peek, seriously – I know that oven door is calling your name around the 90-minute mark, but resist the urge because every time you open it, you’re letting out steam that the rice desperately needs to cook properly, and nobody wants crunchy rice surprise.
• Layer matters more than you think – Rice goes down first, then chicken pieces skin-side up so they actually brown a little instead of just steaming sadly in their own juices, which is about as appetizing as it sounds.
• Water temperature is your friend – Use hot or warm water instead of cold because it gives everything a head start, and frankly, why make your poor oven work harder than it needs to?
• Chicken thigh lovers, rejoice – This recipe works beautifully with all thighs instead of a cut-up whole chicken, and honestly, thighs are more forgiving if you accidentally overcook things because they stay juicier.
• Foil is your backup plan – If the chicken starts looking too brown before your timer goes off, just tent some foil over the top and let it finish cooking without turning into chicken jerky.
• Let it rest like you mean it – Give this dish a good 10-minute rest after it comes out of the oven so the rice can finish absorbing any remaining liquid, because patience here prevents soggy disappointment later.

Nutritional Facts

• Calories: 485 per serving
• Protein: 35g – that’s a solid chunk of your daily protein needs right there
• Carbohydrates: 42g from the rice blend, which gives you sustained energy without the crash
• Fat: 18g total, with most coming from the chicken skin (remove it if you’re watching fat intake)
• Sodium: 890mg – on the higher side thanks to the soup mix and canned soup, so go easy on added salt
• Fiber: 2g from the wild rice blend, not huge but every bit helps
• Iron: 15% of daily value, mainly from the chicken and enriched rice
• Calcium: 8% of daily value from the cream soup
• Vitamin A: 12% of daily value
• No added sugars – what you see is what you get, no hidden sweeteners lurking around

Fun “Did You Know?”

Why does this dish earn the name “Forgotten Chicken”?

I’ll tell you the charming story behind this recipe’s quirky title. It’s called “Forgotten Chicken” because once you assemble all the ingredients in your roasting pan, you literally forget about it!

You can’t peek, stir, or check on it during the entire cooking process. The magic happens when you walk away and let time do its work.

This hands-off approach means you can focus on other tasks while dinner takes care of itself. It’s the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it meal that delivers tender, flavorful results every single time.