Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Cook: 50 min.

Makes

10 servings (2-1/2 quarts)

Updated: Jun. 15, 2023
This soothing chicken rice soup hits the spot on chilly fall and winter days. I frequently simmer up big batches during the cooler months.—Kevin Bruckerhoff, Columbia, Missouri
Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 3 quarts water
  • 4 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
  • 3 medium carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice

Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven, place water, chicken, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken is tender, 25-30 minutes.
  2. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones; discard skin and bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from broth; add chicken and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables and rice are tender, 25-30 minutes.

Chicken and Rice Soup Tips

Can you make chicken and rice soup in an Instant Pot?

Absolutely. Our Pressure-Cooker Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup allows you to cook this recipe 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. What's more, it only takes 5 minutes to pressure cook.

Can you make chicken and rice soup in a slow cooker?

Yes, slow cooker soups are one of our favorite dishes to make as you can simply set it and forget it. Our Slow-Cooker Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup is great to have simmering in the background while you go about your other tasks for the day.

What is the best rice for this soup?

We recommend using any type of long grain rice for this recipe. Try white, brown, basmati or jasmine—your chicken and rice soup will taste delish!

Can I freeze chicken rice soup?

Yes, you can freeze chicken and rice soup for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind that when freezing most soup recipes, the add-ins like veggies and rice can soften after thawing. Follow these soup freezing tips to make sure your chicken and rice soup remains as good as day one.

Can I use leftover cooked chicken?

Yes! Leftover chicken certainly speeds up the cooking time for chicken and rice soup. Try our recipe for Quick Chicken & Wild Rice Soup for step-by-step instructions. Have more leftover chicken? Put your leftovers to good use with one of these leftover chicken recipes.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 128 calories, 1g fat (0 saturated fat), 51mg cholesterol, 543mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 1g fiber), 21g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1/2 starch.