Crispy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe combines the warmth of homemade broth with the exciting texture of crispy chicken bits, making it a comforting yet fresh twist on your typical chicken soup. It's a game-changer for weeknight dinners when you want something hearty but simple.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve tried many chicken soup recipes, but this Crispy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe strikes the perfect balance of cozy and satisfying without being heavy. Plus, it’s flexible enough to fit into busy schedules without fuss.
- Layered flavors: The combination of herbs, a touch of soy and hot sauce, plus slow-simmered chicken makes every spoonful rich and complex.
- Texture contrast: Cooking the chicken until tender yet finishing with crispiness brings exciting bites that keep the soup from being one-note.
- Separate rice cooking: This clever step prevents mushy rice and lets you control consistency, plus it’s great for storing leftovers.
- Easy to customize: Whether you use bone-in chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or experiment with your favorite spices, this soup adapts beautifully.
Ingredients & Why They Work
This recipe uses simple, pantry-friendly ingredients that come together for a comforting bowl of soup. Each element plays a vital role, whether it’s building broth depth or providing perfect rice texture. Here’s why these ingredients are the heart of the dish.
- Dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mustard powder, and pepper: These classic herbs and spice create a fragrant, homestyle flavor that reminds me of my grandma's kitchen.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps soften vegetables while building foundation flavor.
- Yellow onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: The holy trinity of soup veggies - they offer sweetness, earthiness, and aroma.
- Chicken broth: The core of the soup, packed with savory notes from the slowly cooked chicken.
- Soy sauce and hot sauce: Just a splash heightens umami and adds subtle heat, without overpowering.
- Bone-in chicken breast: Gives extra depth to the broth with natural gelatin and juicy meat.
- White long grain rice: Cooked separately to guarantee fluffy, separate grains that don’t soak up all the broth.
- Fresh parsley: A bright garnish to finish the soup with a fresh herby bite.
Make It Your Way
What I love most about this Crispy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe is how easy it is to tweak it based on what you’ve got in your pantry or how spicy you want it. Don’t hesitate to play around!
- Use leftover rotisserie chicken: If you’re short on time, I swap out the raw chicken and simmer in favor of shredded rotisserie chicken—it’s a massive time-saver and still delivers lots of flavor.
- Vegetable swaps: Sometimes I add frozen peas or corn near the end to sneak in extra veggies without fuss.
- Rice alternatives: While long grain white rice is perfect here, brown rice works too—just adjust the cooking times accordingly.
- Mild or spicy: Adjust the hot sauce amount or swap it for smoked paprika to change the heat level but keep complexity.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Crispy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base
I start by melting butter in a big soup pot over medium heat. Toss in diced onion, carrots, and celery, cooking just until they start to soften (about 4 minutes). Then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. This step is crucial for layering flavor, and those softened veggies make such a difference.
Step 2: Add Seasonings and Simmer the Chicken
Next, I sprinkle in the dried herbs and spices — basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mustard powder, and a hint of black pepper — along with soy sauce and hot sauce. Stir it around, then nestle in the bone-in chicken breast and pour in the chicken broth. I bring the soup to a gentle bubble, then cover partially and let it simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Patience is key here: a low simmer keeps the chicken juicy and broth clear.
Step 3: Shred Chicken and Cook Rice Separately
Once the chicken is cooked through, I lift it out and use two forks to shred the meat — discarding bones, naturally. While the chicken simmers, I start the rice side-by-side. I bring 1 ½ cups of chicken broth to a boil, add the rice, cover the pot tightly, and reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Then I turn off the heat but keep it covered for 10 more minutes. The rice gets perfectly fluffy without stealing any broth from the soup.
Step 4: Finish and Serve
I stir the shredded chicken back into the soup and give it a taste, adding salt if needed. Then I spoon the fluffy rice into bowls, ladle the hot soup on top, and sprinkle fresh parsley over everything. If I don’t expect leftovers, sometimes I add the rice directly into the soup pot — but I prefer the separated method for storing purposes.
Top Tip
Over the years, I’ve found a few little tricks that really take this Crispy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe to the next level.
- Low and slow simmer: Keeping the chicken at a very gentle simmer is how you get tender, juicy chicken without cloudy broth.
- Separate rice cooking: Cooking rice in broth separately keeps grains fluffy and prevents mushy leftovers.
- Don’t skip the soy and hot sauce: These little flavor enhancers build umami richness without adding obvious salt or heat.
- Use bone-in chicken if possible: It makes the broth more flavorful and adds natural gelatin that gives the soup body.
How to Serve Crispy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Garnishes
I love garnishing this soup with fresh parsley — it adds a pop of color and freshness that brightens each bite. If I'm feeling indulgent, I’ll sprinkle on Ranch Oyster Crackers for a crunchy contrast, which honestly makes it feel like a restaurant dish at home.
Side Dishes
Simple is best here. A crunchy mixed green salad or some crusty bread for dipping rounds out the meal beautifully. For a cozy night, I serve it with roasted brussels sprouts or roasted root veggies — they soak up the flavor of the soup perfectly.
Creative Ways to Present
For special occasions, I sometimes serve the soup in mini bread bowls — it’s a fun way to add that extra wow factor. Or ladle the soup into mason jars topped with tiny sprigs of parsley for a rustic but elegant presentation perfect for a crowd.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Storing this soup is simple — I keep the soup and rice in separate airtight containers in the fridge. This way, the rice doesn’t turn into mush overnight, and everything stays fresh for up to 3 days.
Freezing
I’ve frozen this soup many times. Just remember to freeze the rice and soup separately in airtight containers. When thawed, they taste just as fresh as the day I made them.
Reheating
Reheat the soup gently on the stove over low heat to keep the chicken tender. Warm up the rice separately and combine right before serving. This keeps the rice fluffy and the broth silky.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! Boneless chicken breasts work well. Bone-in just adds more flavor to the broth and a bit more body to the soup, but using boneless won’t compromise the final dish. Just adjust cooking time so the chicken doesn’t dry out.
Cooking rice separately prevents it from absorbing too much broth in the soup, which helps keep the rice fluffy and the soup broth from becoming too thick or gloopy. It also allows you to store leftovers with better texture control.
Absolutely! Freeze the soup and rice separately in airtight containers. This maintains the best texture and flavor when you reheat later. Frozen soup lasts about 3 months with no loss in quality.
I like using Frank's hot sauce because it adds a subtle depth of heat without overpowering the other flavors. However, you can swap in your favorite hot sauce or even smoked paprika for a different kick.
Final Thoughts
This Crispy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe is one of those dishes I turn to when I want pure comfort without fussing too long in the kitchen. It’s wholesome, satisfying, and every bite tells a cozy story. I truly hope you enjoy making and sharing this soup as much as I do — it’s kitchen magic in a bowl.
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Crispy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
A comforting and flavorful Chicken and Rice Soup made with tender bone-in chicken breast, aromatic vegetables, and a blend of herbs and seasonings. The rice is cooked separately to prevent it from soaking up too much broth, allowing for perfect texture and easy storage. This classic soup is perfect for a cozy meal and freezes well for convenience.
Ingredients
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup diced carrots
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (e.g., Frank's)
- 1 ¼ pounds bone-in chicken breast
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Rice
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup white long grain rice, uncooked (or 2 ¼ cups cooked rice)
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables: Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery. Cook and soften the vegetables for 4 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add Seasonings and Chicken: Stir in the dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mustard powder, and pepper. Add the soy sauce, hot sauce, bone-in chicken breast, and 5 cups of chicken broth to the pot.
- Simmer the Soup: Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, not a boil, and cover partially. Let the chicken cook slowly through for about 20 minutes until fully cooked. Remove the chicken, shred it using two forks, discard the bones, and return the shredded chicken to the soup pot.
- Cook the Rice Separately: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups chicken broth to a boil. Add the uncooked rice, submerge it, and bring it back to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes to finish cooking and release from the bottom.
- Season and Serve: Taste the soup and add salt if desired. Spoon the cooked rice into serving bowls, ladle the hot soup over the rice, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately. Alternatively, if no leftovers are expected, mix the rice directly into the soup before serving.
Notes
- For best flavor, use bone-in chicken breast or chicken thighs; boneless works as well if on hand.
- You can simmer the chicken over low heat for a longer time to make the broth richer and chicken juicier.
- Use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken (about 2 cups) by adding it during the simmering stage and letting flavors blend without boiling.
- The soy sauce, hot sauce, and mustard powder act as subtle flavor enhancers and aren't detected prominently in the soup.
- Top the soup with Ranch Oyster Crackers for extra flavor and texture.
- This soup freezes well; store cooked rice and soup separately in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
- Other rice varieties can be used with adjusted cooking liquid and time based on package instructions.
- For a slow cooker version, cook all ingredients except rice on low for 6 hours, shred chicken, then add rice separately when serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
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