Crockpot Chicken and Rice with Tomatoes and Zucchini

Crockpot Chicken and Rice with Zucchini and Tomatoes is a quick and easy weeknight dinner made in the slow cooker with loads of veggies and chicken for protein! This gluten free recipe is low dairy and low fat, and everything cooks together in the crockpot. There is no need for instant rice or pre cooking the rice! Talk about a breeze.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from a recipe my in laws like to make. We always call it simply "zucchini and rice" and it can be made with or without chicken.

Lately, I am all about the crockpot recipes (it's just too easy to set it and forget it!) and so converting chicken and rice with tomatoes and zucchini in a slow cooker recipe seemed like a great idea. And I am so glad I made it this way. Making chicken and rice in the slow cooker is super easy.

I love how the onions, garlic, and tomatoes come together to flavor the rice and chicken-- this is one tasty chicken zucchini rice casserole!

For more crockpot recipes, try:

Ingredients for easy crockpot chicken and rice

• boneless skinless chicken breasts
• canned diced tomatoes
• canned tomato sauce
• green zucchini
• onion
• garlic cloves
• chicken broth
• white rice
• parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make chicken and rice in the slow cooker

Place raw chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Slice vegetables and place over top of the chicken. Add in the dry rice.

• 

• 

• 

Over top, pour in the canned tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes, along with the chicken stock.

Add salt and pepper. Gently stir to make sure everything is well-distributed.

• 

Set crockpot to cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 3 hours.

Remove cooked chicken to a side plate or cutting board and slice or shred into bite-sized pieces. Place chicken back into the crockpot along with parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

• 

• 

Serve with an extra shake of parmesan cheese on top.

Help! my rice is mushy!

Because you are cooking this chicken and rice in a crock pot, it has the tendency to overcook if left too long.

There are a couple options to prevent this.

• Watch your crockpot. This is not a recipe that can go for hours on end. When the chicken is done cooking, and the rice is tender, it is time to stop the heat!

• Precook the rice in a separate pot and add it in at the end of the cooking process. This way you can leave the ingredients in the Crockpot longer and your rice will be perfectly cooked.

• Use brown rice. Brown rice takes longer to cook and holds its consistency for longer. There will be a slight flavor difference, but it will be delicious.

Substitutions/Variations

Make it meatless. When my MIL makes this, she doesn't add the chicken. This recipe can easily be made meatless by removing the chicken breasts from the ingredient list and substituting in veggie stock or water for the chicken stock.

Use brown rice. Like I said above, brown rice will keep its texture for longer and hopefully not be as mushy. If your family likes brown rice, feel free to use that instead of white. Wild rice would work as well, just make sure it is not with a seasoning packet, as the flavors may not mesh with the rest of the dish.

How to serve chicken and rice

The way we like to serve this chicken dish is with extra shakes of parmesan cheese and a few dashes of hot sauce!

There are 3 whole zucchinis in this one pot chicken rice dish, so there isn't a need for us to have another veggie on the side. If you would like extra vegetables in your life (let's be honest, not a bad thing), then this chicken and rice pairs great with a fresh green salad.

Storage

Store the finished chicken, rice, and veggies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It heats up easily in the microwave (but my husband has been known to eat it cold).