Turmeric Chicken and Rice Casserole
318 Comments
Updated Aug 21, 2023
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A chicken and rice casserole – with a healthy, turmeric twist! It’s just what you need for an all-in-one easy dinner that’s full of comforting flavors. Plus, it serves as a great balance of protein, carbs, and sneaky veggies. A win all around.
Turmeric Chicken And Rice Casserole – A Healthy, Weeknight Favorite
There are chicken and rice casseroles, and then there’s this turmeric chicken and rice casserole, which, I think you’ll agree is an elevated version. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner idea that nestles whole chicken breasts into the most vibrant golden rice that’s infused with warm and earthy flavors plus some sneaky grated carrot for a veggie boost.
The whole thing bakes together in the oven, and when it’s done, you simply have to fluff the rice, scoop out a chicken breast and serve it up! It’s easy and super delicious with curry-like flavors. Yes, turmeric can easily be added to a variety of recipes for anti-inflammatory boost!
What You Need For This Chicken Casserole Recipe
The name of this recipe says it all. But it’s the turmeric spin and little additions that makes this chicken and rice casserole so much better than the classic. In my opinion, it’s the perfect combo of fresh and warming flavors.
- Onion & Garlic: I like to use sweet yellow onions, but white onions will also work. You’ll also need a generous amount of garlic (of course).
- Turmeric & Ginger: The ultimate duo that gives this casserole a super healthy, antioxidant boost, and a punch of deliciously warm flavors.
- Cumin: Cumin is a great spice that pairs well with turmeric and ginger, helping to bring out the curry-like flavors.
- Coconut Milk: Make sure to grab a can (not carton) of full-fat coconut milk. The canned version helps to add moisture to the chicken and rice as it cooks.
- Basmati Rice: After a few test runs with different types of rice, I found that basmati rice tastes the best as it stays light and fluffy. But you could also use an alternate long-grain white rice, like jasmine rice. You can read more about the differences in this how to cook rice post.
- Carrot: Just one large carrot is needed for a sneaky veggie boost.
- Lime: Opt for fresh lime juice instead of the bottled version!
- Cilantro: This is used for garnish at the end, and feel free to add more per serving if you love cilantro, like I do! If you don’t love cilantro, you can swap it with parsley.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make This Chicken and Rice Casserole
A full meal that’s made in just one hour? Heck yes! All this casserole really needs is a bit of prep work, some sautéing, and a little baking. Just make sure to use a 9×13-inch baking dish to give enough room for everything to cook evenly. Lightly grease it up and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) to get started.
Cook the spiced onion mixture. Sauté the chopped onions for 3 to 4 minutes (or until translucent) in a separate skillet. Add the garlic, turmeric, salt, pepper, ginger, and cumin, and stir for another 30 seconds. Then pour in the coconut milk and gently stir until the mixture is smooth.
Add everything into the casserole pan. Transfer the creamy onion mix into the casserole pan, along with the water, rice, carrot, and lime juice. Stir it all together until combined, then add the chicken breasts on top. And to give the chicken breasts a bit more flavor, spoon the creamy liquid over them or flip them with tongs.
Bake away. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The rice should be perfectly tender and the chicken juicy and cooked through. If not, let it cook for a few more minutes!
Garnish it up! Fluff up the rice, season the chicken with extra salt and pepper, and sprinkle with lots of fresh cilantro before serving.
Storage & Meal Prep Tips
Casseroles always makes for a great meal prep recipes. You can portion it out for the week, or freeze it to enjoy a month later whenever you’re staring at a blank fridge. So here’s how to properly store it.
- To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- To freeze: You can freeze a leftover portion by storing in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe Video
More Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas
You can always count on chicken breast for a healthy meal. But avoid rubbery breasts that lack flavor with any of these reader favorite chicken breast recipes!
- One Pan Chicken and Rice (with Mediterranean flavors)
- Butter Chicken
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Coconut Curry Chicken
- Chicken Fajitas
- Best Baked Chicken Breast (or this herb baked chicken breast)
Just getting into turmeric? This chicken and rice casserole is a great start – plus it’s super delicious for a healthy dinner. If you make it, I’d love to hear what you think in a comment below!
Turmeric Chicken and Rice Casserole
Description
Video
Equipment
- Casserole Pans Here's a great set if you need one!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) full fat coconut milk
- ¾ cup water
- 1 ¼ cup long grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- roughly chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole pan.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic, turmeric, salt, pepper, ginger, and cumin, and stir for another 30 seconds. Then add the canned coconut milk and gently stir until there's no longer lumpy coconut milk bits. Transfer the mixture to the casserole pan.
- Add the water, rice, carrot, and lime juice to the casserole pan, and stir together.
- Nestle the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture (I like to coat both sides of the chicken breast in the liquid for more flavor). Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork, season the chicken with additional salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cilantro.
Lisa’s Tips
- For those who prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs, simply swap them out! Just note thighs might cook a little faster than chicken breasts, depending on how thick they are.
Nutrition
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I just made this tonight at the same time I made Lisa’s Cajun Sheet Pan recipe. So easy to combine this and meal prep it. I’ve made it 3 times before and it is just comforting and yummy. So excited to have it in the fridge for lunch. I’m allergic to coconut so I just use regular cream and it comes out great with that.
Sounds like you’re on a roll, Andrea! Well done!
This recipe is so easy to make and quick to throw together. It tastes fantastic and you feel GOOD after eating it — win win in my book. It will be in my meal rotation for sure.
Hi Bella – Happy to hear you’re loving this turmeric chicken and rice casserole!
This recipe is so easy to make and quick to throw together. It tastes fantastic and you feel GOOD after eating it — win win in my book. It will be in my meal rotation for sure. 😊
Hi Bella – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this turmeric chicken and rice casserole!
Can you make it with brown rice
Hi Becky – I haven’t tested this recipe with brown rice yet. But others have mentioned that it works just fine! I would just be aware that brown rice might need a little longer to cook, so keep an eye on it.
I love this recipe like crazy but know my body cannot handle rice for the time being, so I have tried the with cauliflower instead and it taste great too. Of course not as yummy as rice but it nice to have this dish still!
I’m glad you enjoyed it with the cauliflower swap. More veggies is always a great idea!
Oh my goodness, I need your help! I’ve made this recipe 5 times, and each time the rice is never done!. I have to keep putting it back in, and the chicken ends up dried out. This is one of my favorite recipes, so easy and the taste is divine with the coconut milk. Arrrrgggg! What am I doing wrong???
Amazing flavour and easy to cook. In my first attempt I choose a big casserole which lead to a uncooked chicken on the inside and parts of the rice quite hard, but then the following time I chose another one and it was a complete success.
I’m glad your second time around was a success, Maria!
This Chicken and Rice Casserole with turmeric was excellent. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this chicken casserole, Pam!
Just by chance came across your website and this fabulous turmeric chicken and rice casserole ❤️it was a big hit with all of us , so tasty 😋 followed your recipe and can’t wait to cook again
Thank you
Signed up for your news letters too
Amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed this turmeric chicken and rice casserole, Jayne.
This is absolutely one of my favorite meals. The rice always comes out perfect, even if I take the chicken out a little early due to being done faster. I also brine the chicken in saltwater and garlic. The family loves it!
Wonderful! I’m glad this turmeric chicken and rice casserole hits the spot every time, Rachel.
Oh my goodness, this recipe was so good! I did have to change it a bit to accommodate what was in my kitchen. So I did the recipe just as it is written but used chicken bone broth instead of water and leftover cooked rotisserie chicken instead of raw breasts. Also used lemon instead of lime. I stirred the chopped rotisserie chicken in when I fluffed the rice after cooking. So yummy! I am thinking of other veggies I can add in, like zucchini or cauliflower or asparagus. So many possibilities!
Thrilled to hear you were able to tweak this recipe to your liking, Linda! Definitely let us know how it turns out next time you use vegetables inside.
This was soo good! So glad I finally got the chance to try it (it’s been on my list for awhile). Thinking of maybe adding spinach and raisins next time. Do you think it could also work if you substituted the turmeric for curry powder/or garam masala?
Happy you loved the recipe, Marianne! You could definitely sub with the curry powder. The garam masala would be a great addition, but on it’s own, it would change the flavor a bit.
Loved this delicious dish! Tasty and lots left over for another night.
This dish is a favorite in our household. It’s healthy, filling, and packed with flavor (without being too spicy). It also makes excellent leftovers!
Hi Nicole – Happy to hear you love these turmeric chicken and rice casserole!
Have made this several times and it’s always delicious, in fact it’s one of our favorite dinners. I like to add a 1/2-1 teaspoon curry with the rest of the spices, and a generous amount of fresh spinach to the bottom of the pan. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Julie – Happy to hear you enjoyed this turmeric chicken casserole!
Sounds delicious, I’m going to make it tonight. Thank you
This was sooo tasty!! Family LOVED it! Definitely making this again. We used brown rice instead of long grain because we didn’t have any. Two thumbs way up.
Hi Carolyn – Glad this turned out great and the whole family enjoyed it!
If I wanted to make this ahead of time as a freezer meal could I prepare it up to the point of baking but freeze it instead? Then pull it out the night before to unthaw before baking?
Or how would you recommend doing that?
I’ve reviewed this previously, but have to rave some more. I’ve made this many times specifically to bring to someone recovering from surgery. I’m always asked for the recipe. This is so good and easy to make. Add a partially cooked veggie with the chicken and it’s a complete meal.
This recipe is a favorite at my house. When I made it this past week I was out of carrots so I substituted broccoli. I liked the added green veggie but missed the carrot sweetness.
Hi Crissa – I’m glad this chicken and rice casserole has become a household favorite!
Hi Lisa,
Could boneless skinless chicken thighs be used? If so what is any adjustments to the recipe would you do?
Hi Rose – I would keep the recipe as is!
How can make this with brown jasmine rice?
This recipe is so easy and so yummy. It is a hit with young and old, and has become a staple recipe. I have made this with chicken breast, chicken thighs, jumbo shrimp, sole, and salmon and it has always been delicious. I will eventually try using lamb or pork chops, and sausage.
Love all the ways you have made this chicken and rice casserole!
I loved this recipe is very refreshing and it tastes really good!! BUT I don’t know why the rice was still hard. :( and I left it 50 min and I used Jasmin rice. what I did wrong?
It could be that your oven heats at a lower temperature, so you might need to cook a bit longer.
I have tried four of your recipes and love them all.
If a recipe calls for olive oil or coconut oil to sauté. Is it okay to use avocado oil?
Yes, you can use avocado oil!
Hi! I only have the lite coconut milk on hand. Will that be ok?
It should be okay, but may change the texture ever so slightly!
This is my new favorite recipe! I have made it 3 times and feeds me for multiple meals. Easy to pack and reheat in my glass containers and the microwave at work. Stands alone and is sooooo pleasing. I do the recipe as written, as usual though, I double the garlic.
Another of my favs! I often mix up the liquid the day before so I can throw this together quickly. I also add partially cooked broccoli. Great flavor and is a perfect meal to bring to someone recovering.
Great idea on thinking ahead and mixing up the liquid the day before to save time!
Can I use BS thighs? Also can I use avocado oil?
Hi Kimberly – yes, you can use avocado oil. And thighs might cook at a different rate, so you may need to just watch the cook time and casserole a bit more closely.
Made this last night. YUMMO! So good and now I have meals for a few days! The recipe is fantastic as written, easy, and delicious. This is such a solid base recipe that I thought next time I may try adding more veggies and no meat for a great side dish or a meatless meal, or maybe chicken thighs instead of breast. Just love this… thanks, Lisa!
Thanks Linda! I’m happy you loved this recipe. And yes, it would be great with more veggies as well. Have fun with it!
I did not enjoy this recipe. Chicken didn’t cook well and rice was uneven.
This was the first time I tried this recipe and overall, I’m a big fan. The flavor is good and it was certainly easy. I added about 2 cups of kale to get some greens in there, and with that needed more liquid than was called for. Pre-bake I added another ¾ cup of water, and post bake it was pretty dry so I added a cup of chicken broth.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kim!
This is my go-to recipe, I make it every 4-6 weeks. But pretty soon I’m leaving for my winter in Florida, in an RV. The oven does not work well. Can I somehow “crockpot” this? Any ideas?
I haven’t tried this in a slow cooker unfortunately!
I just made this for the first time tonight, and it won’t be the last! My husband, 2 year old and myself all love it.
I just made your sautéed cabbage recipe 2 days ago and had some extra raw cabbage sliced up, so I threw that in there too! It was amazing and I’m always so amazed at how easy your recipes are.
We’re excited to try something new next week too!
Happy to hear the whole family is enjoying this casserole dish!