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Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup filled with tender vegetables, juicy chicken, and flavorful rice in nourishing and delicious chicken broth. Simple and comforting, it makes a great weeknight dinner and is loved by the whole family.

Large pot filled with chicken and rice soup loaded with carrots and celery.

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

Chicken rice soup is a wholesome and cozy comfort food perfect for rainy days, sick days, or anytime you need an easy, healthy, and delicious weeknight dinner for your family.

Filled with onions, carrots, and celery, customize this yummy soup with different veggies like cauliflower, kale, and leeks, fun garnishes (like cheese!), or by adding whatever leftover scraps are wasting away in your refrigerator.

If your family loves chicken noodle soup, they will devour this delicious chicken and rice soup, guaranteed.

Large pot filled with chicken and rice soup loaded with carrots and celery.

How to Make Chicken and Rice Soup

  1. Add the chicken to a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Do not overcook the chicken, especially if you are using chicken breasts.
  2. Sauté the onions, celery, and carrots, and add the aromatics. Also known as the mirepoix, it’s best to cook these vegetables over medium to medium-low heat for a longer period of time, at least 10 minutes. Once softened, add the aromatics and seasonings like garlic, dried herbs, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves.
  3. Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside to cool. Carefully strain the leftover chicken broth into the same pot as the vegetables and bring to a low boil.
  4. Shred the chicken.
  5. Once boiling, add the rice. Return to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Cook for approximately 30 minutes before adding the shredded chicken to the pot. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
  6. Season to taste and serve garnished with fresh herbs or shredded cheese, if desired.
White serving bowl fllled with chicken, rice, and veggie souop seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What chicken should I use to make soup?

You may use any cut of chicken to make your homemade chicken broth, and thus, soup. I like using a mix of boneless skinless chicken breasts plus chicken thighs for the best flavor. Chicken breasts are lean but prone to drying out, while chicken thighs (dark meat) are more flavorful and less likely to dry out as they contain more fat. You may also use store-bought, low-sodium chicken broth with leftover shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken. Learn more about making homemade chicken stock and poaching chicken: How to Make Chicken Stock and How to Poach Chicken.

What is the best rice to use in chicken and rice soup?

I love using long-grain white rice like basmati or jasmine rice. Brown rice is another great option, keeping in mind that the total cooking time will be 10-15 minutes longer for the brown rice to soften fully.

Can I make the broth ahead of time?

Yes. You may make the broth up to 3 days in advance. Keep the shredded chicken and the broth stored in separate air-tight containers in the refrigerator.

How long does it take for raw chicken to cook in soup? 

Raw chicken pieces take approximately 25 minutes to fully cook (or poach) in a pot of simmering broth.

Can I make chicken and rice soup with leftover cooked rice?

Yes. Simply add the leftover rice 5-10 minutes before serving. Since the rice is already cooked, it just needs to be reheated.

Can you Freeze Chicken and Rice Soup?

Yes. Once cool, transfer the desired portion amounts (I like freezing in 1-2 cup portions) to freezer-friendly containers or double-bag in freezer-friendly zip-lock bags and place in the freezer.

  • To reheat, allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight, or place it in a large bowl filled with room temperature water until it is no longer solid and it can be easily removed from the bag. Transfer to a pot and cook until heated through. 
  • Keep frozen for up to 4-6 months.

If you don’t plan to freeze the leftovers, please enjoy them within 5 days, thoroughly reheating each time.

White serving bowl fllled with chicken, rice, and veggie souop seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning.

More Chicken Soup Recipes,

If you try making this Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.

Large pot filled with chicken and rice soup loaded with carrots and celery.
White serving bowl fllled with chicken, rice, and veggie souop seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning.
4.83 from 47 votes

Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe


Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa
The whole family will love this yummy stovetop Chicken and Rice Soup filled with tender vegetables, juicy chicken, and white (or brown) rice. Easily adaptable and 100% Gluten-Free.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 12-16 cups cold water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 5 ribs celery, chopped
  • 5 large carrots, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 1.5 cups uncooked rice, washed (see notes)
  • Fresh parsley or fresh thyme, to garnish

Instructions 

  • Prepare the homemade chicken broth. Add the chicken thighs and chicken breasts to a large stockpot. Cover with approximately 12-16 cups (3-4 quarts) of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
  • Cook the aromatics (mirepoix). As the chicken simmers and cooks, chop and prepare the veggies (onions, celery, and carrots). Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the carrots and celery, mix thoroughly, and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes.
    (Note: if the vegetables start to brown or burn, reduce heat to medium-low).
  • In the last minute, stir in the garlic and season with parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the bay leaves to the pot.
  • Strain the broth. After the broth has finished simmering, remove it from the heat. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot using kitchen tongs and set it aside on a large cutting board to cool. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer directly into the same pot as the cooking vegetables.
  • Shred the chicken. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and set it aside.
  • Bring to a boil and add the rice. Bring soup to a low boil over high heat. Add the fresh lemon juice and rice, mix thoroughly, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Add the shredded chicken to the pot and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Season and serve. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, and garnish with fresh minced pa rsley, if desired.

Notes

You may use any chicken to make homemade chicken broth, however, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs will give the best flavor and are the least likely to dry out. Avoid over-cooking your chicken (especially chicken breasts) as they will dry out (35 minutes maximum).
The broth may be made ahead of time – up to 3 days. Keep stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
If preferred, you may also use store-bought, low-sodium chicken broth with leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
What type of rice is best for this recipe?
This recipe works with just about any rice. Things to consider:
  • Wild rice will take longer to cook (closer to 90 minutes). You can cut this time in half by soaking overnight.
  • Short-grain glutinous rice will thicken your soup significantly (check out my congee recipe or Filipino chicken and rice porridge to see what I mean).
  • Brown rice will take 10-15 minutes longer than white rice to get nice and tender.
  • I used white jasmine rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 453mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1577IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

Jessica Randhawa

Chef | Food Photographer

Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon, sharing 14 years of experience and over 1,200 original recipes, kitchen tips, and practical cooking advice. Inspired by her world travels, Jessicaโ€™s approachable recipes have been featured in outlets like Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and CNET. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

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Recipe Rating




4.83 from 47 votes (45 ratings without comment)

5 Comments

  1. Erica says:

    Where is the actually recipe to use? I can not seem to locate the measuring amount for the ingredients.

  2. Donna says:

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. Iโ€™ve made several. This is one of the best. The lemon juice is such a nice ingredient. Great flavor! Thank you!!

    1. Jessica Randhawa says:

      Thank you for the excellent feedback and rating, Donna ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Amey says:

    5 stars
    The best Chicken Soup I have made in my life. I got sick of my old recipe and started making a
    Chicken Tuscan Soup I found in pinterest. Then I decided a couple weeks ago to look at a new recipe. I have not boiled the chicken and used that as the chicken stock. I just used the amount of water suggested and some Better than Boullion. I am So happy with this soup … The butter in there adds a nice creamy butter flavor. The Lemon juice as well!! Fantastic. I also use Pastina over and rice or noodle. I discovered pastina years ago. I like it because it does not soak up all the broth. Overall this flavoring is the best. To make it quicker for me I use the Rotissere Chicken from the store. My Husband never cared much for my other chicken soup.. This one we Ate It all up and didn’t share any!! that tells you how much we loved it!! I am giving some away to a Neighbor who just had her 3rd Baby and the other 2 are 3 And 2… Nothing better than some home made chicken soup to share with littles ones and Mommy and Daddy!! Thank you for this recipe!!