Turmeric Chicken and Rice Casserole

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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

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!

Ingredients for a turmeric chicken and rice casserole on a table.

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.

A plate of turmeric chicken and rice casserole

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!

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!

A dish filled a turmeric chicken and rice casserole

Turmeric Chicken and Rice Casserole

4.91 from 118 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This easy chicken and rice casserole has a delicious and healthy turmeric twist! It's just what you need for an easy dinner idea loaded with flavor.

Video

Equipment

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.
    A greased pan for turmeric chicken and rice casserole
  • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly translucent.
    A pan of sauteed onions for turmeric chicken and rice casserole
  • 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.
    Stirring coconut mixture in pan for turmeric chicken and rice casserole
  • Add the water, rice, carrot, and lime juice to the casserole pan, and stir together.
    Pan with turmeric chicken and rice casserole ingredients
  • 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.
    A baking dish with turmeric chicken and rice casserole ingredients.
  • Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork, season the chicken with additional salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cilantro.
    A baking dish of turmeric and chicken and rice casserole

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

Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 744mg | Potassium: 853mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2595IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 5mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken and rice, Chicken and Rice Casserole, Turmeric Recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




293 Comments

  1. I couldn’t figure out how to edit my post but I wanted to add that I did keep putting the casserole back in the oven for 15 minutes at a time covered with foil….a few times….so 45 minutes extra…and still the rice was undercooked. White basmati. I rinsed it. I triple checked that I followed everything exactly. I did find the answer that each breast should be 5 or 6 oz so I weighed them and followed that direction as well. Please help, the flavor is amazing!

    1. I had to do the same thing. I think I will try putting the rice in the pan with the coconut milk in the pan and cook it in there a bit before transferring it to the casserole dish and add a bit more water. My husband thought the chicken was flavorful but I will also salt and pepper those before placing in the dish.4 stars

  2. Did anyone else have the rice way undercooked? The flavor was amazing and I followed every direction exactly and triple checked….yes I covered tightly with foil and used the correct size casserole dish…. Thanks!

  3. I made this and absolutely loved it! I want to make just the rice as a side dish, what would I have to change with the cooking and/or ingredients to do that?5 stars

    1. Stay tuned for a future recipe for that! But for now, you can use the same spices and just mix it in with cooked white rice.

    1. Yes, you can freeze this! Also, I will usually put the storage information for each recipe written in the post :)

  4. Sounds incredibly yummy :) This recipe is easy and amazing. Keep posting such a great content.

  5. It was outstanding! Honestly I have not had one bad thing from this website! Everything is always delicious. 5 stars

  6. This recipe was super yummy! I upped the cumin a little bit because I enjoy cumin. I should’ve paid a little more attention to the size of the chicken breast I got because they were pretty large and took a little longer to cook but the flavors were great!  Thanks for all your great recipes! 

    1. That seems to be the case for many people! For reference, the chicken breasts I use for most recipes are around 6 ounces.

  7. This is my new favorite recipe. So yummy and so easy! I made with brown basmati and included an extra 15 mins on the time and it worked perfectly 

  8. so GOOD! I have a 2 year old, 5 year old and husband who is anti casserole but loves some Indian food. Everyone loved it and I got by with having it as leftovers for lunch next day. The spices are truly perfection. I am curious about trying it with cauliflower rice now!

    Love all your recipes! Thank you!5 stars

  9. Looks so good!
    Could you substitute the chicken for white fish? Do you think the baking time would need to be adjusted? Thanks!

    1. I haven’t tried this with fish yet, but I’m thinking it might be better to cook the fish separately from the rice since white fish cooks a bit faster than chicken.

  10. Second time making this recipe, this time with a twist. Used 8 bone in chicken thighs (what I had on hand); added some garam masala to the spice mix; and diced the onions a little smaller to add into the baking pan straight away (no pre-saute) to make it a one pan meal. Chicken was not quite 100% defrosted so ended up cooking for 1h15m total. Came out great. 👌 5 stars

    1. thank you for this comment! Bone-in chicken thighs are all I have on hand and was going to try making this recipe with it tonight!

  11. I used white Basmati rice and had the same problem as Rita. I won’t be trying to make this dish like this again – it seems very dependent on container size, chicken size, rice type. But I can imagine cooking the rice and chicken separately or making it on the stove top, in order to have more control.

  12. I tried this and enjoyed it a ton! It’s a simple dish to make for gatherings. I just got a pressure cooker. If I were to attempt this recipe in an instapot would anyone have any recommendations on how I should tweek the recipe? Add less water, maybe?4 stars

  13. The ratios here were problematic.

    No way I could cook 4 chicken breasts in my pan, mine were large.

    The chicken cooked quicker than the rice. I had to add more water 3 times- lots of hard pieces of rice still in the dish.

    I don’t think I will cook this again.3 stars

    1. If your chicken was overly large you may have needed a larger pan. And if you used brown basmati rice that takes longer to cook. The recipe calls for white rice, which cooks faster along with the chicken. Hope you enjoy some of my other recipes better! :)

  14. I made this and my husband and I both loved it. I doubled the carrot, and I used jasmine rice because it was what I had. I saw the suggestion others made about adding sultanas, and I may do that in the future. The one thing I will definitely do differently in the future is add a spice rub to the chicken; the rice had a wonderful flavor, but the chicken breasts did not absorb much of the flavor. I served this with steamed green beans on the side. This will definitely be a make-regularly meal in our home.5 stars

  15. I just discovered your website a few weeks ago and have loved everything I tried. Today was no exception! I didn’t have coconut milk so used plain Greek yogurt and a bit more water. It was amazing!5 stars

    1. Thrilled to hear you’ve been enjoying so many Downshiftology recipes Mary, including this casserole! Can’t wait to see what you make next :)

      1. We just did a long ski weekend with a bunch of families and I made Mexican one night and used many of your recipes – fajita seasoning for chicken and veggies, carne asada, and slow cooker carnitas! And of course fresh margaritas. I also made the red cabbage and arugula salad the next day with left overs! Thanks for so many great recipes.

      2. Wow, you’re on a roll with all these meals for your ski weekend! Glad everyone enjoyed it Mary :)

  16. I’m not a cook but am trying to push myself to try and learn. I made this and it was amazing. It was easy and the recipe was explained really well. My only question is about reheating leftovers. What would you recommend so that it doesn’t dry out?5 stars

    1. Here’s a little tip: add a teaspoon or so of water to the top of your chicken, then cover with a microwave-safe lid or plastic-wrap, before reheating in the microwave. It will steam a little, helping the chicken absorb some of the moisture, and bring it back to life!

  17. Superior twist on a classic chicken and rice. This will become a staple in our house. The whole family raved about it! Thanks Lisa!5 stars

  18. Made this tonight and it was so delicious!! As I was mixing to together, I had my doubts but I know Lisa has never steered me wrong. Definitely did not disappoint.5 stars

  19. Thank you for another easy, delicious, healthy meal! Chicken took 50 minutes for me. Rice was a bit undercooked at that point so I took the chicken out and kept it covered while the rice cooked for a bit longer. I suspect it was the aluminum not hugging close enough the first time. Ended up great and happy to have leftovers! Hubby said he felt full without feeling heavy. Thanks again!5 stars

  20. Another amazing recipe! I only had chicken thighs and long grain brown rice on hand so I added a bit more water and baked a bit longer. Thank you for your healthy and delicious recipes, they never disappoint!5 stars

  21. Nice flavor. I never would have thought these ingredients would taste so mellow. I used red onion because I’m intolerant of all other onions. They gave it color and a little flavor angle that I liked. Thanks Lisa.

  22. Its really easy and delicious , But i think I would reduce the amount of water next time so instead of putting 3/4 i would put 1/2 because the rice came a little bit very mild or may be because I rinsed the rice many time and kept it socked in water for half an hour. it was really nice to try new healthy recipe. Thank you so much5 stars

  23. I made it tonight for dinner with some variations and it was absolutely delicious! I cut up the chicken thighs and also added bell pepper and kale to the sauce and let it cook stove top. We had it like a curry with some cauliflower rice to make it low carb. I didn’t change amount of water but maybe next time I will put less water as I am assuming the quantity shown was for cooking rice in and we didn’t do that. Thank you Lisa for another extremely delicious recipe!5 stars

  24. I loved this turmeric chicken casserole. The only issue I had was the rice not cooking entirely. Next time I will blast the rice first before baking! Downshiftology recipes are a tried and true in this household. I cannot wait to pre order your cookbook! 😍

  25. Tried this tonight. Followed instructions step by step. I used brown basmati rice (all I had) and after 50 min there was still a lot of liquid in my dish and rice was not cooked through. Any advice on what I could have done differently? Thanks

    1. Hi Cassie – unfortunately, brown rice and white rice cook differently (and brown rice needs much more time). You definitely need to use white rice for this recipe to turn out. :)

      1. Sultanas are dried grapes used in cakes/ desserts and savoury dishes in many Asian and Middle Eastern counties.

  26. Made this tonight but changed the recipe a little. I used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts and I accidentally used coconut cream instead of coconut milk, I also forgot to cover the dish with foil (cooked this in my air oven for 40mins at 180°C). The end result was still tasty, the chicken and rice was moist but not saucy like our usual curry. I’d certainly make this again5 stars

  27. Good, although I think I would have used chicken thighs, always more flavourful. The rice was good.  Maybe coat the spices on thighs and brown in pan firs.. Then put in casserole pan?  Overall needed more flavour. Easy to make though.4 stars

  28. This recipe sounds delicious. I’m hesitant to try it because I’m watching my cholesterol. Is it the coconut milk that is making this high in cholesterol? Can you suggest any substitutions? Thank you 

    1. You can also use any other non-dairy options such as oat milk or almond milk (preferably something on the creamier side)

  29. This dish was so delicious! My husband is Indonesian/Dutch and it reminded him of an Indonesian dish, and I think it was because of the combination of the coconut milk and turmeric. We truly enjoyed it, thank you for sharing!5 stars

    1. This dish definitely has lots of warming spices similar to Indian dishes! But, Im glad both of you enjoyed it Donna :)

  30. I’m not a fan of lime and on the first day you can really taste it, but on the second day this dish was amazing. I had to add a bit of extra water to my rice at the end and I used chicken thighs because that’s what I had on hand, but it still came out amazing. Definitely going on my regular rotation.5 stars

  31. I read this article. It is a wonderful recipe. I have learned a lot from this article. I hope you will more writing for us. Thanks for wonderful writing. Good luck.

  32. Looks delicious, but my nutritionist would not let me count this as a serving of veggies. What would you recommend serving with it to get a full veggie serving in?

  33. I made this tonight for dinner. Like some other readers said, I had to bake it a little bit longer to get the rice fully cooked, But it was still 10/10 delicious. Also, we like vegetables and I didn’t want to cook a side dish. I sauteed a whole bell pepper and some fennel bulb in with the onion and served it on top of some spinach. Amazing! I thought it would last us for two dinners but we ate three quarters of it!5 stars

  34. Thank you! Just started focusing on eating more healthy, whole foods and stumbled across your videos when searching for Mediterranean diet and anti-inflammatory diet ideas. This recipe is the first I’ve tried on the site and it was so good! If it’s any indication of the rest of the recipes I’ll be trying many more!

    I cut the recipe in half and both my husband and I loved it. The meat was so tender and really tasty.5 stars

    1. Thrilled to hear your first ever Downshiftology recipe was a success! Cannot wait for you to cook your way through my recipes, and stay tuned for my cookbook coming out later this year Julie. Also, welcome to the Downshiftology community!

  35. Simple and delicious. We used two boneless chicken breasts and two bone in thighs. This recipe will definitely be on rotation. 5 stars

  36. What a great recipe! We really enjoyed this, this is going into the dinner rotation.
    Thanks for sharing the recipe.5 stars

  37. I’m South Asian with Pakistani heritage and tried making this recipe.
    I have to say it was rather bland and tasteless. My gut instinct was to use fresh not powdered ginger and more spices. For the quantity of chicken and rice the amount of spice was not sufficient. My kids and husband were not impressed. Sorry to be so negative.

    1. Thanks for your feedback Tasneem. Spice preferences are very individual, so if you feel it needs more spices feel free to add more!

  38. I made this last night and my husband and I both really enjoyed it. And I’m really looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today! Paired it with a Caesar salad and it was a wonderful weeknight meal. Will definitely make it again. 5 stars

  39. SO GOOD! Every bite was yummy!!! Flavour was perfect, big, BIG hit at our house!! Thank you Lisa for another delicious recipe that is just SO full of tasty goodness xxx5 stars

  40. This recipe sounds delicious. I have fresh turmeric I think I will try making it with the fresh and see how it turns out.