Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken and Spanish Rice recipe is a comforting, hands-off meal perfect for busy days. Tender chicken breasts are slow-cooked in buttery, savory ranch-seasoned chicken broth, then combined with yellow Spanish rice for a hearty, flavorful dish that feeds a crowd with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter
- 3-4 chicken breasts
- 32 oz chicken stock or broth
- 1 oz ranch seasoning
Rice
- 16 oz yellow Spanish rice
- Water, as needed
Instructions
- Prepare the Slow Cooker: Grease the inside of the Crock Pot with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Add Butter and Chicken: Place the butter and chicken breasts into the Crock Pot, ensuring the butter will melt around the chicken during cooking.
- Season the Chicken: Sprinkle the ranch seasoning evenly over the top of the chicken breasts to infuse flavor as they cook.
- Pour Chicken Stock: Pour the 32 oz of chicken stock over the chicken and butter in the Crock Pot, covering the chicken and helping to create a savory cooking liquid.
- Slow Cook Chicken: Close the lid and cook on low heat for seven hours, allowing the chicken to become tender enough to shred.
- Shred the Chicken: After seven hours, remove the lid and shred the chicken breasts directly in the Crock Pot using two forks.
- Add Rice: Add the yellow Spanish rice to the Crock Pot and stir to combine with the shredded chicken. Make sure the rice is submerged in the liquid; add water if needed according to the rice package instructions.
- Cook Rice: Cover and cook on low for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and tender. Check the rice after 30 minutes and add a little water if it appears dry or undercooked, then continue cooking as needed.
Notes
- Some slow cookers run hotter; check the chicken after five hours on low or three hours on high to see if it’s ready to shred earlier.
- Different rice varieties require different amounts of liquid; always check the package instructions and test rice doneness during cooking.
- Adding extra water incrementally during the rice cooking stage helps prevent drying out or uneven cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
