• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Its Thyme 2 Cook

  • Recipe & Faith Index
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Resources
You are here: Home / Main Dish Recipes / Chicken Wild Rice Bake

Chicken Wild Rice Bake

February 11, 2023 by cathyscooking@gmail.com Leave a Comment

casserole with chicken and wild rice

Chicken Wild Rice bake is a hearty and savory one-dish main course.

Casserole, hot dish, or “bake,” whatever you call it, this concoction is a cut above. To be honest, I often find these dishes on the bland side. But this sauce is a savory cream of chicken soup-sour cream mixture with a dash of crushed red pepper that says, “wake up, I’m not a church basement recipe!”

Then there’s the chewy, earthy goodness of protein-rich wild rice. Of course, there’s plenty of chicken too. But I think it’s the toasted sliced almonds stirred into the casserole and the Panko breadcrumb-Parmesan topping that really elevate this recipe. Yup, it’s good eaten and makes a lovely stash of freezer leftovers (if there are leftovers, that is.)

Subscribe to ItsThyme2Cook

casserole with chicken and wild rice and a side salad

Chicken Wild Rice Bake Tips and Tweaks

I took several liberties with the Lunds & Byerlys recipe. The first change was partly out of necessity and partly by accident. Here’s the recap of my meddling:

Soup Base

Byerly’s Wild Rice Soup was the base for the original recipe. But I had to punt because they were out of stock. I remembered having a can of cream of mushroom soup in the pantry and decided to pair that with sour cream instead. But I accidentally opened a can of cream of chicken soup and then decided to use it. I actually think this provided more savoriness.

Chicken & Veggies

The original recipe calls for cutting the chicken and the bell pepper into strips and the shallot into slices. I prefer bite-sized pieces of chicken and veggies that can mingle better with the rest of the ingredients.

casserole with chicken and wild rice
Adding the topping to the Chicken Wild Rice Bake

Seasonings

I believe the 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper is too bold. I cut it in half. Even though I like a touch of heat, this isn’t a dish that should have a “heat forward” personality. You can omit the crushed red pepper if you prefer.

The Byerlys recipe also recommended adding Poultry Seasoning to the rice while it cooks. I didn’t find this combination appealing, so I omitted it.

casserole with chicken and wild rice

Love Casseroles?

Check out a few of these additional family-favorite recipes.

Jalapeño Havarti Chicken Casserole
Rotini pasta, shredded chicken, corn, diced tomatoes, and jalapeños wrapped in a creamy Havarti and Cheddar cheese sauce, topped with panko bread crumbs.
Check out this recipe
Cajun Shrimp Mac and Cheese
Macaroni with creamy cheese sauce, diced cheddar cheese, and sauteed Cajun shrimp, topped with buttery toasted bread crumbs.
Check out this recipe
Doritos Casserole with Chicken
An easy casserole loaded with shredded chicken, corn, loads of cheese and creamy sauce, topped with crunchy Doritos.
Check out this recipe

Chicken Wild Rice Bake

Hearty wild rice, chicken, red bell pepper and shallot in a creamy sauce with a panko-almond-Parmesan topping
4.15 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 7
Author: Adapted from Lunds & Byerlys Chicken Wild Rice Bake

Ingredients

  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 6 tablespoons butter divided
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallot, chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 1/2 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounce
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds toasted, divided
  • 1/2 cup Japanese-style panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley

Instructions

  • Using a strainer, rinse wild rice under running water. In a saucepan, bring wild rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45-55 minutes (or until cooked.) Drain any excess liquid.
  • In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Sauté shallots and red bell pepper for 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
  • Add chicken to the skillet; season with salt and pepper (if skillet is dry add a little more butter or olive oil.) Cook until no longer pink in the center (8-10 minutes).
  • Return shallot mixture to skillet; stir in soup, sour cream, crushed red pepper, and wild rice. Bring to a simmer; stir in ½ cup of almonds. Spray a 9X12 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; add chicken-rice mixture.
  • Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, stir in panko, Parmesan, parsley, and the remaining ¼ cup of almonds. Sprinkle mixture over casserole.
  • Bake in 350 F oven until bubbly and topping is golden brown (25-30 minutes.)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Filed Under: Main Dish Recipes Tagged With: bake, casserole, chicken, easy meal, easy recipe, family meal, hot dish, kid friendly, meals for kids, wild rice

Previous Post: « Pork and Fennel Salad
Next Post: Turkey Taco Stuffed Peppers »

Reader Interactions

I Would Love to Hear From YouCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

More Inspiration

Walnut and Jam Shortbread

Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Shortbread

Southwestern Skirt Steak and Cheese Grits

Roasted Chard and Pepper with Feta

Pumpkin Risotto with Pancetta

Easy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

Traditional Minestrone with a Twist

Squash with Brown Rice and Turkey Sausage

Grilled Shrimp Corn and Avocado Salad

Chocolate Pecan Tart with Caramel Sauce

Annie’s Potluck Beans

Easy Grilled Fajita Kabobs

Ham and Pea Soup

Easter Resurrection Revives Life

Gnocchi with Sausage, Spinach & Peppers

Turkey Taco Stuffed Peppers

More Food & Faith

Copyright © 2025 Its Thyme 2 Cook on the Foodie Pro Theme

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required