Recently I scrolled past a TikTok sharing a man’s POV of arriving home from work to see his wife had dinner ready and waiting in the crock pot. He promptly dropped to the floor and tried crawling back out the door.
I about fell out of my chair (many of the commenters did not, which I understand!) As a recipe creator though, I got a kick out of it because crock pot recipes CAN be kind of gloopy, boring, and bland with no texture or color.
Luckily Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is not one of those recipes!
This nourishing, brothy, slow cooked soup recipe tastes like something you’d get at a local deli or cafe. It’s filled with colorful, healthy veggies, bold herbs and seasonings, tender chicken, and plump wild rice. This dish is as easy as it is 3-bowl worthy!
Watch How to Make It!
Simple Cozy Comfort Food
Not only is this chicken wild rice soup one of my favorite cool-weather recipes, but it’s also one of my favorite recipes to take to someone in need of a comforting meal. Whether they’re sick, just had a new baby, or any other reason in between—it’s true what they say: chicken soup feeds the soul!
That said, I’ll usually ask the recipient if they want the soup already slow cooked and delivered warm, OR as a meal kit so they can toss it into their own crock pot, OR as a freezer pack so they can make the soup when it suits them best. This recipe is super versatile and a crowd favorite. The flavor and eating experience is just so cozy!
Ingredients Needed
I love that I always have the ingredients for Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken breasts: trust me when I tell you that chicken breasts only need to slow cook for 4 hours on low to become juicy and tender. Any longer and you’ll end up with tough, dry, chicken.
- Vegetables: onion or shallot, carrots, and celery provide a boost of nutrition.
- Garlic: can’t have chicken soup without it!
- Dried herbs and seasonings: salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried ground sage, dried rosemary, and bay leaves give this soup lots of cozy flavor.
- Butter: this soup is low in fat, so a couple pats of butter add flavor and a little richness.
- Chicken stock or broth: you can use chicken stock or chicken broth interchangeably in this recipe. Homemade Instant Pot Chicken Stock would be great!!
- Wild rice-brown rice blend: this recipe uses a wild rice brown rice blend vs straight brown rice or straight wild rice. I’ll share the brand I recommend using below.
Can You Freeze Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?
Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is one of my favorite recipes to freeze before cooking. Add all the ingredients except the broth into a Ziplock freezer bag then freeze flat. 24 hours before slow cooking, thaw the bag in the refrigerator then pour into the crock pot. Add broth and push “on”—easy!
FYI: the USDA advises you don’t cook frozen chicken in slow cookers, which is why I thaw the freezer pack before adding to the crock pot.
Another tip: I’ve had readers freeze the meal kit with chicken bullion, so all they have to do is add water when they pour the ingredients into the slow cooker, which I think is so brilliant!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Add the ingredients to the crock pot. Told you this was easy! ;)Â Add all the ingredients into a 6 quart crock pot then stir, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
Step 2: Shred the chicken. Remove the cooked chicken from the crock pot with tongs, then shred and stir back into the soup.
Like I mentioned, I think a common misconception is that chicken breasts need to be slow cooked for many hours but that is totally not the case. It should shred with the tap of a fork after just 4 hours in the slow cooker!
My Favorite Rice to Use
The brown rice-wild rice blend I recommend for the perfect bowl of Crock Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is Lundberg Wild Blend rice. It slow cooks in the same amount of time as the chicken so everything is perfectly cooked and done at the same time.
That said, if you use a different brand of rice it could take longer to cook. If that’s the case, store the shredded chicken in the refrigerator until the rice is ready then stir it in just before serving.
How to Store Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
This soup re-heats fabulously. Let it cool until the soup is nearly room temperature then scoop into airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. You might need to add an extra splash of chicken stock or broth when reheating.
I find that cooked > frozen > thawed > reheated rice doesn’t hold up well, so I don’t recommend freezing this soup recipe once it’s been cooked.
Crock Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup truly is one of our family’s favorite meals. My kids and husband find it filling and comforting, and I love that it’s so, so easy to put together and (slow) cook. I usually serve with a side salad, or garlic butter bread and we’re off to the races. I hope you and yours love this easy, crock pot soup recipe as much as we do – enjoy!
More Cozy Chicken Soup Recipes
- CrockPot White Chicken Chili
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Gluten Free Homestyle Chicken and Noodles
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Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Description
Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a quick and healthy crock pot recipe that's perfect for busy nights. Add all the ingredients in the crock pot then push on!
Ingredients
- 1lb chicken breasts
- 1 small onion or large shallot, minced
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced (~1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ground sage
- small pinch dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
- 1 large or 2 small bay leaves
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup wild rice-brown rice blend (I recommend Lundberg Farms)
Directions
- Add all ingredients into a 6-quart crock pot then cook on LOW for 4 hours or until chicken breasts are cooked through. Rice should be done around the same time. Shred chicken then stir back into soup and serve (soup will thicken slightly as it cools.)
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
Notes
- Depending on the type of rice you use, it may not be cooked through at 4 hours. If that's the case, shred chicken then keep in the refrigerator until rice is tender, then stir into soup and let warm for 5 minutes before serving.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
can you make a big batch of this and freeze it for later meals and still taste as good?
Hi Viki! I haven’t tried freezing this soup cooked, but do freeze all the ingredients in a Ziplock bag together, thaw overnight in the fridge, then dump into the crock pot and cook like regular. Works great!
I made this tonight–it’s soooo good and perfect for a rainy, cool day. Thank you!!
This soup was SO delicious and so easy! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
*I made a couple of changes – I used my own brand of items and I was in a time crunch so I did 3 hours on HIGH and it worked out great!
* Also- the next day we had some leftovers but it was a little thick, so we added 2 cups of chicken broth, heated it up again and it was great! :)
This soup was SO delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I was under a time crunch to I did 3 1/2 hours on HIGH and it worked out great! Also, the next day we had some leftover but it needed some more broth. I simply added two cups of chicken broth, let it heat for a bit and it was good!
So super excited about this recipe! Sounds easy and it’s gluten free. I bought the same rice as you used and I have the same crock pot you mentioned earlier in comments… chicken is done and delicious but the rice is still crunchy and carrots are still pretty hard. I’ve taken the chicken out and am continuing to cook veggies and rice. It’s been 30 min on low and both are still not cook. I saw another comment where someone put it on the stove to finish cooking these. Do you suggest this?
UPDATE… I ended up leaving the rice and veggies in for an additional 2 hours on low and the soup is delicious! I will probably pre-cook the rice next time… using less broth. Or use a different kind of rice. Thank for you for the recipe!
It’s so odd – I’d say for 90% of the people who comment, the recipe comes out as written, but the other 10% has the same issue you do and I can’t figure it out! The ONLY thing I can think of is that maybe your vegetables were chopped larger than mine? Either way I’m so glad it finally came together for you!
Just wondering if you have ever doubled the recipe and how long you cooked it?
Thank you!
Hi Sabina! I’ve never tried doubling the recipe but would probably cook for 6-7 hours vs 4.
We loved this crockpot chicken and wild rice soup. Will be making it again, just printed it off. ?
I threw this in the crock pot yesterday and I have to tell you…one of the best dishes I’ve had in a long time. It was filling and flavorful… thanks so much !
So glad to hear it! Thanks for your feedback!
This has no flavor! Had my crockpot on high for 4 hours and vegetables r not done yet. Won’t make again!
I followed your recipe to a T, in spite of the fact that I had my doubts on the rice, chicken, and vegetables all being cooked but not overcooked at generally the same time. (Should have listened to my gut feeling.) I even went out and bought the specific brand name items. I also have a programmable crockpot and I had it set for 4 hours on low. At 4 hours, the rice was COMPLETELY disintegrated, the chicken was cooked perfectly, and the vegetables were completely raw. The only way I was able to “fix” it to the point of making it edible was to make a roux on the stovetop (re: lots of added carbs and calories), mix it into the crockpot, and then cook on high for another 2 hours. Was not happy with this recipe at all. =(
I’m so sorry to hear that, Lili! I haven’t received similar feedback so thinking it might just be a difference in how our crock pots cook? Regardless I am truly sorry for the waste of time and ingredients!
Hello so i doubled the recipe first time out of the gate so please take my comment worth grain of salt (lol), but I’m missing flavor…and wasn’t skimpy with the seasonings and my veggies took forever to cook! I will adjust and make it again…super easy!!
wondering why you can’t use frozen (if it’s thawed)
Hi Shirley! You can use thawed, previously frozen chicken breasts. I just meant don’t add frozen breasts into the crock pot – thaw them first.
This looks fantastic! Question for you: Do you think I could make the crock pot version, and add the milk/flour at the end, similar to your stovetop version? If so, how long do you think I should let it cook after adding the milk & flour? I want a creamier soup but want something I can just leave in the crockpot all day.
Hi Tracy! You could add 2 Tablespoons flour whisked into 1/2 cup milk at the end then cook on high for 30 more minutes to achieve a more creamy soup. (I haven’t tested this flour/milk ratio for this particular recipe but have done something similar for another crock pot soup recipe!)
This recipe is very tasty, but I used the same brand of rice you recommended and after 5 hours it was still pretty crunchy. When you say “low” is that an 8 hour setting? 10 hour? I used the 8 hour setting but am wondering if I should try the 6 hour setting instead next time…
I’m sorry to hear that, Katie! I’m not familiar with crock pots with low + different timing settings – my crock pots have only ever had low, high, or warm settings, but it sounds like the 6 hour setting on your crock pot might be the way to go!
I just made this soup yesterday and it exceeded my expectations! For some reason I have a difficult time making non-tomato based soups (weird, right?!), so I was ecstatic when this one smelt like comfort and tasted amazing. I just warmed up leftovers for lunch while having a stressful day at work….and it transported me away from all of it, if only for a few minutes. This is my new go-to!
I’m so glad to hear it, Casey! We eat a ton of tomato-based soups too so I know what you mean! :)
This looks delicious!! I really want to make it, but I’m concerned that the chicken won’t be up to safely standards if I only cook it for 4 hours on low. Whenever I make chicken soup in the slow cooker, I cook it on HIGH for 3.5 hours. How is it possible that the chicken is fully cooked in only 4 hours on low? Is there any way I can increase the cooking time without ruining the rice?! Thanks!
Hi Alison! I have made this recipe at least two dozen times and the chicken is always cooked through after 4 hours on low. That said, crock pots can differ so if you know yours takes a little bit longer to cook foods then you might want to increase the cooking time!
Hi Alison! I have made this before and my chicken has always been done at the four hour mark. if your chicken breasts are large, you could cut them in half before cooking. This is a really good soup!
I have lots of wild rice in my cabinet! Could I use all wild rice for this recipe?
Hi Karen! I haven’t tested the recipe with wild rice, but I’m sure it could be done. Just make sure to remove your chicken at the 4 hour mark then keep cooking until the wild rice is done.
Could this be cooked in a pressure cooker? If so, how.
35 minutes in my pressure cooker, and it was perfect!
This is amazing! I made this yesterday and am eating again for lunch today. So much flavor and great texture!
I’m so glad you love it, Sara, thanks so much for leaving feedback! :)
I couldn’t find wild rice at my market so I bought Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice. Can I just use that in the soup? On the cooking directions it says to cook it but it has a seasoning packet with it. Should I use the seasoning or just add the rice?
Hi Jackie! I’m not familiar with that box mix so just to be safe I’d probably cook it separate then add at the end. To compensate for not adding the rice to the slow cooker, I’d reduce the broth to 4-1/2 cups.