Looking for an easy recipe that's full of flavor, yet simple enough to enjoy any night of the week? Search no further! This lemon chicken casserole is the picture of summer comfort food. It's ideal both for quick midweek dinners and relaxing weekend meals.
No combination is as refreshing and satisfying for dinner as juicy chicken and tangy lemon. Add in some creamy, tender rice and you've got yourself a new favorite recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
Next time, try this easy recipe for Rotel Chicken Spaghetti - simple and delicious!
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ A hearty, delicious saucy dish that has quickly become one of our favorite recipes!
✔️ Super flavorful rice in a creamy sauce with fresh lemons, parmesan, and ranch dressing mix.
✔️ Classic recipe for chicken rice casserole, but with a modern spin, it's a perfect busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- chicken thighs
- all purpose flour
- This recipe uses ranch seasoning mix, but if you need to substitute with garlic salt, black pepper, onion powder and thyme.
- long-grain uncooked rice
- Cream of chicken soup - sour cream would be a great substitute for the cream soup. You could also use cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup.
- chicken broth
- Parmesan cheese
- Meyer lemons if you can find them!
- olive oil
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 11x14 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add flour and 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix to small plate. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Set aside.
- Heat skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and fry chicken skin side down for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Flip and lightly brown side two.
- While chicken is browning, mix together sauce. Combine cream of chicken soup, chicken stock, remaining ranch seasoning, parmesan cheese, whisk until combined. Add rice and stir again.
- Pour sauce mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top with browned chicken. Lay lemon slices over the chicken and rice. Cover tightly with foil.
- Bake 60 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand, covered 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with minced green onions.
Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
- Large skillet
- 11"x14" baking dish (use glass or ceramic)
FAQ's
Nope, no need to precook the rice! It simmers to perfection right in the casserole, soaking up the delicious lemon juice and spices.
You can rinse the rice however it's not completely necessary. Rinsing the rice removes extra starches and helps prevent the rice from mushing together.
Cream of chicken provides the best flavor to complement the lemon and herb flavors, but you can swap in cream of mushroom soup and it'll still taste lovely!
You can in theory, but brown rice takes longer to cook and usually requires more liquid than white does. This lemon chicken casserole recipe is specially formulated so that there is the right amount of liquid to perfectly cook the white rice.
Great question! Follow the instructions as written. Once you cover the baking dish with foil, put it in the refrigerator for up to a day. Then, bake as directed.
However, be sure to let your baking dish sit at room temperature while your oven preheats. Putting cold glass into a hot oven can cause the glass to break! Uh-oh!
Things to know
- Look for lemons that are firm, brightly colored, and feel slightly heavier for their size. This means they're more fresh and juicy.
- Make sure to seal the aluminum foil around the casserole dish tightly. This prevents the steam (and flavor!) from escaping and allows the rice to cook more evenly.
- Don't overcook your chicken thighs on the skillet since they'll continue to cook in the casserole. Just let the skin get golden brown.
- Make sure you allow the oil in your skillet to get hot—it'll look very shiny and thin once it's heated properly. This will allow you to get a good sear on the chicken skin.
- Once you place your chicken in the hot oil, don't fiddle around with it! The best sear comes when you just let the chicken cook unbothered!
- Not sure what to pair with this meal? Check out this post; What to Serve with Chicken Casserole.
Variations
I love a good casserole, especially since they're so easy to adapt! Here are some variation ideas if you don't have a certain ingredient or need to make other changes.
Use either store-bought or homemade chicken stock. It gives the rice a delicious poultry flavor. You can also add a splash of white wine or a minced clove of garlic to the sauce for some more flair!
If you don't have bone-in chicken thighs, you can use boneless thighs or chicken drumsticks. You could also swap in skinless chicken breasts or cut chicken tenders (tenderloins) into pieces.
However, the cooking time may need slight adjusting to ensure that larger pieces of chicken are cooked through. Always make sure your chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
Fresh lemons really make a difference in the creamy lemon chicken dish, but you can use pre-squeezed lemon juice instead if you must. Just drizzle a few teaspoons into the sauce (who doesn't love lemon sauce, yum!) and a few teaspoons over the chicken mixture before baking.
Add some grated lemon peel or fresh herbs as a garnish for an extra pop of flavor—fresh lemon zest really takes a dish to the next level! Sometimes I'll add a few thyme sprigs to the casserole as it cooks.
You can add some veggies to lemon chicken casserole—then, you don't even have to make any sides! Some good options are peas, chopped green beans, or chopped asparagus. Just toss the raw or frozen veggies into the mix right before baking.
Have some potatoes to use up? Some people like to make lemon chicken potato casserole. To do so, follow the recipe instructions at the bottom of this post, substituting raw, very thinly sliced potatoes for the rice. Cook as directed.
Storage
The perfect weeknight meal? One with leftovers for tomorrow, of course! Lemon chicken casserole is one of those classic chicken recipes that seems to taste just as delicious the next day.
Refrigerate—Place leftover chicken into an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store for 3-4 days.
Freeze—Store leftovers in freezer-proof containers, or in disposable aluminum foil baking pans. The casserole will keep for up to 3 months.
Reheat—If frozen, let the casserole thaw in the fridge, first. You can thaw smaller portions quickly using the defrost setting on your microwave. Then, use the microwave to heat until warm. Or, if you have a lot to heat up, put the casserole back in the oven until it is warmed through.
The great thing about recipes that keep well is that you can make a big batch and have a quick dinner already prepared for later in the week! If your casserole gets a little dry during storage, add a splash of extra chicken broth or milk while reheating.
Related recipes
- If you love that lemony flavor, be sure to try Creamy Lemon Pasta. This super simple meal is knock your socks off delicious! And start to finish only takes about 20 minutes.
- Fried onions and ranch seasoning really do make this the Ultimate Chicken Noodle Casserole. It's cheesy, gooey, and exactly what comfort food should be.
- Be sure to try this Crockpot Chicken and Gravy recipe soon! Serve over noodles or rice - it's really amazing!
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup combines fresh, tangy lemon with tender chunks of chicken and cute little Orzo noodles in a delicious broth. Move over chicken noodle, there's a new favorite soup in town!
- Slow Cooker Paella is another rice lover's favorite, the saffron flavor is amazing!
- Pasta lovers go crazy for these recipes! The Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole and Million Dollar Chicken Casserole are packed with flavor, cheese, tender noodles. Put these in the "need to try" category ASAP!
Serve with
There are a ton of ideas of what to serve with chicken casserole here!
- This is great with a crisp green salad or a Heirloom Tomato Salad pairs perfectly with the warm, creaminess of the lemon chicken casserole and adds the perfect bite of freshness.
- Easy Yeast Rolls are so delicious, super simple, and perfect for dipping into the lemony casserole sauce. No time for baking? Make these rolls from frozen bread dough instead.
- Pink Lemonade Cupcakes are the perfect finisher to a lemon-based dish, with just a pop of citrus and a whole-lotta sweet, cakey flavor.
Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products! 🛍️
If you love this recipe please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!
Lemon Chicken Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix that's the powdered mix in a packet.
- 1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 ounces chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 11x14- baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
- Add flour and 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix to small plate. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Set aside.
- Heat skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add olive oil, fry chicken skin side down 5-6 minutes until golden brown, flip lightly brown side two.
- While chicken is browning, mixture together sauce. Combine cream of chicken soup, chicken stock, remaining ranch seasoning, parmesan cheese and rice. Whisk until combined .
- Pour sauce mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top with browned chicken. Lay lemon sliced over the chicken and rice. Cover tightly with foil.
- Bake 60 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with minced green onions.
Shawna
Would I be able to use another sized baking dish? I’d like to split it between two pans maybe an 11x7? What size would you recommend for doubling the recipe? I love your recipes they’re always so delicious, can’t wait to give this one a try!
Sarah
I’ve been making this once a week for a couple months now and can’t get get enough of it! My favorite dinner ever. Thank you!!
Roxanne
What are the measurements please for the ranch seasoning substitute ingredients… The garlic salt, etc.?
Bowl Me Over
Hey Roxanne - I would use 2 cloves garlic minced, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. I haven't received tested it myself this way, but this is what I would try. Enjoy the casserole dish!