Description
This Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken and Wild Rice is a comforting and flavorful one-pot meal featuring tender chicken breasts or thighs cooked with a wild rice blend, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs. The dish is finished under the broiler to add a crispy, buttery sage topping, delivering an irresistible combination of textures and tastes. Perfect for busy days, it can be made in a crockpot, instant pot, or skillet, adapting to your preferred cooking style.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 8 leaves fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Proteins and Dairy
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 parmesan rind (optional)
Grains and Liquids
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend (mix of wild and brown rice)
- 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
Oils and Spices
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided: 1 tbsp for veggies, 1 tbsp for chicken)
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the base in the crockpot or instant pot: Combine the wild rice blend, chopped onion, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and dried parsley in the crockpot or instant pot bowl. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss everything to coat evenly. Pour in the low sodium chicken broth to cover the ingredients.
- Season and arrange the chicken: In a separate bowl, toss the chicken breasts or thighs with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, dried thyme, rosemary, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to evenly coat the meat with herbs and spices. Place the seasoned chicken on top of the vegetable and rice mixture in the pot. Add the smashed garlic cloves and, if available, a parmesan rind for extra depth of flavor.
- Cook the dish: For crockpot: Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours until the chicken is tender and rice is cooked through. For instant pot: Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, then quick release the steam carefully.
- Finish under the broiler: Once cooking is complete, preheat your oven broiler to high. Carefully remove the chicken and garlic cloves from the pot and place them on a baking sheet. Arrange the butter slices and fresh sage leaves around the chicken and garlic. Broil for 1-3 minutes until the butter is bubbly and the sage is crisp. Remove from broiler, peel the garlic skins, chop the softened garlic, and mix it into the melted butter. Toss the chicken in this herb butter mixture for maximum flavor.
- Serve: Fluff the cooked wild rice and vegetables with a fork in the pot or skillet. Plate the rice mixture alongside the butter-tossed chicken. Drizzle any leftover garlic sage butter from the broiler pan over the chicken before serving for richness and extra herbaceous notes.
Notes
- You can choose chicken breasts or thighs depending on preference; thighs will be more tender and juicy.
- If you do not have a parmesan rind, you can omit it without affecting the overall dish significantly.
- The recipe is versatile and can be made in a crockpot, instant pot, or oven-safe skillet method depending on your available kitchen equipment and time.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, especially when using low sodium broth to avoid oversalting.
- Broiling at the end adds a lovely crisp texture and concentrated flavor from the herb butter; don’t skip this step if possible.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6th of recipe)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
