Easy Chicken, Artichoke, and Wild Rice Casserole
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Creamy chicken, artichoke, and wild rice casserole. Put it in the oven to bake while you are handling the evening with simple ingredients. Perfect weeknight dinner. Making a casserole without cream soups that can be put in the oven when you get home from work is a great way to have meal prep done.
- Learn how to combine chicken, artichokes, and wild rice to create a creamy, satisfying casserole that feeds a crowd with minimal prep work.
- Discover the most common mistakes home cooks make—like overcooking the rice or using the wrong sauce ratio—and exactly how to avoid them.
- Get practical tips for customizing the casserole to your preferences, making it ahead, and storing leftovers without sacrificing taste.
- Find answers to your top questions about ingredient swaps, cooking times, and how to adapt the recipe for dietary restrictions.
If you love hearty comfort food with simple ingredients, this chicken and wild rice casserole is sure to become a family favorite. The rich, nutty flavor of wild rice pairs perfectly with tender chicken, savory Parmesan cheese, earthy sage, and tangy artichoke hearts. If you don’t have all wild rice on hand, a long-grain and wild rice blend works just as well, so you can use whatever you already have in your pantry.
This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables sitting in your refrigerator. Just toss in whatever you have, along with a jar of artichoke hearts if you enjoy their delicious flavor.
Even better, cleanup is easy. You’ll only need a casserole dish and one skillet. The rice bakes right in the casserole dish, so there’s no extra pot to wash before adding the creamy sauce, chicken, cheese, and vegetables. It’s an easy, satisfying dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights or cozy family meals.
Chicken rice artichoke casserole recipe
Chicken, Artichoke, and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup wild rice
- 4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
- 4 Tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 Tablespoon butter
- 2 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 jar artichoke hearts (12-ounce) jar, chopped, reserving half the liquid.
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh cut into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Place rice, stock, water, onion, carrot, celery, sage, 4 T butter and salt and pepper in a deep (4 qt) 9 x 13 casserole dish or two smaller dishes. Cover with foil and bake for about two hours until rice is almost done
- Towards the end of the two hours, start cream sauce
- Put flour and other 4 T butter in a skillet and cook on medium heat and stir until slightly brown
- Dump in milk and sour cream all at once
- Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly
- Add garlic and parmesan and mix in
- Dump in mushrooms, artichokes, half of the liquid from the jar and chicken
- CAREFULLY remove rice from oven
- Turn oven up to 450
- Mix cream sauce mixture into rice
- Place back in the oven, uncovered and cook 30-40 minutes until chicken is done through.
Nutrition
Tips for Artichoke chicken rice casserole
Wild rice takes a long time to cook, it’s like brown rice. If you want a quicker cooking casserole, you’re welcome to use the rice you enjoy using. I thought the wild rice was so interesting and nutty in this dish. I would make it this way again.
How healthy is wild rice
But why use wild rice? It’s lower in carbs and higher in nutrients than brown or white rice. It’s better for you.
What is wild rice
Wild rice is a grass that grows in the US. It actually grows in semi-water unlike rice which is grown right in water paddies. It has a firm texture and a nutty flavor. The long black grains are beautiful also. It feels kind of exotic eating it.
I also make a wonderful chicken and wild rice soup that you can check out here. It’s part of what inspired my choices for this casserole.
I love it when I find a meal that will make several servings for us so we can eat it for a few days and don’t have to cook again. Especially when it’s hot outside. I hate cooking then. For more leftover dinner ideas or easy dinner ideas, check out these links.
Where to buy wild rice
I got this wild rice from Imperfect foods, but check your local grocery stores to see if they have it. Ours has the long grain and wild rice combo, but not plain wild rice.
I hope your family loves this as much as we did. It was so creamy and flavorful. You can use whatever veggies you have around or leave out what you don’t like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a wild rice blend instead of all wild rice?
Yes! A long-grain and wild rice blend works well if that’s what you have. Keep in mind that cooking times vary, so check the package directions and adjust the baking time if needed.
Can I use cooked chicken instead of raw chicken?
Absolutely. Stir cooked, shredded, or diced chicken into the cream sauce and reduce the final baking time to about 20 minutes, just long enough to heat everything through and brown the top.
Can I make this casserole ahead of time?
Yes. You can bake the rice and prepare the cream sauce a day in advance. Store them separately in the refrigerator, then combine and bake with the chicken when you’re ready to serve.
Can I freeze chicken, artichoke, and wild rice casserole?
Yes. Assemble the casserole and freeze it before the final bake, or freeze leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How do I store leftovers?
Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
What’s the best way to reheat leftovers?
Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or cover the casserole with foil and warm it in a 350°F oven until heated through. Add a splash of milk or chicken broth if it seems dry.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a great substitute and often stay even more tender and juicy during baking.
Can I leave out the artichoke hearts?
Of course. If you aren’t a fan of artichokes or don’t have any, simply omit them or replace them with extra mushrooms, broccoli, peas, or asparagus.
Can I use dried sage instead of fresh sage?
Yes. One teaspoon of dried sage provides plenty of flavor in place of one tablespoon of fresh sage.
Why does wild rice take so long to cook?
Wild rice is actually an aquatic grass rather than true rice. Its tough outer hull requires a much longer cooking time, but it develops a delicious chewy texture and rich, nutty flavor.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Yes. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make the roux, and be sure your chicken broth and other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
What vegetables go well in this casserole?
This recipe is very flexible. Try peas, broccoli, spinach, green beans, bell peppers, or extra carrots and celery. It’s a great way to use vegetables you already have in the refrigerator.
What can I serve with chicken and wild rice casserole?
Since this is a hearty one-dish meal, it pairs well with a simple green salad, roasted vegetables, steamed green beans, garlic bread, or homemade dinner rolls.
Why is my sauce too thin?
If the sauce seems thin before baking, let it simmer a little longer on the stove. It will also continue to thicken as it bakes with the rice.
Can I use milk with a lower fat content?
Yes, but whole milk creates the richest, creamiest sauce. Lower-fat milk will work but may produce a slightly thinner texture.
There was too much for a 9×13 pan. I put in a dutch oven for the final bake. Also, too much wild rice. I would cut back on the amount of rice in the initial bake.
Good flavor.
I’m glad you liked the flavor, I’m sorry the amounts didn’t add up correctly. THank you for checking it out!
Thanks for the recipe, I’ve been craving some wild rice and this is great. If you get the opportunity to try the hand harvested wild rice and not the black cultivated one it will cook faster.
That’s a great tip. Thank you!
Have you don’t this in the instant pot?
I haven’t tried a lot of rice dishes in the instant pot, but I’m sure it could be done. It’s really yummy, so I hope you try it and let me know how it turns out.
Can I use canned wild rice? If so, can I just put it all in the oven and bake?
I’m not sure what canned wild rice is, I’ve never heard of that, but I would assume it’s already cooked? I’m afraid it would overcook while the other ingredients were cooking. I would probably cook the onions in a skillet, then add the chicken and mushrooms and so on and make sure those were cooked, then add the canned rice and seasonings and bake it less time. Or you could just get everything cooked in your skillet, add the canned rice and let it cook a few minutes and save an extra pan and skip the oven all together. I hope you give it a try and let me know how it turns out. Thanks for checking out the recipe.