Forgotten Chicken (often called Forgotten Chicken and Rice Casserole) is a classic, retro comfort-food staple. Dating back to decades-old convenience cooking, it earned its name because of how it’s prepared: you mix a few pantry staples in a dish, lay the chicken on top, cover it tightly, and “forget all about it” in the oven while it bakes itself into a rich, creamy, one-dish meal.
The magic of the recipe is that you don’t need to cook the rice beforehand. The raw rice absorbs the liquids and savory chicken juices as it slow-bakes, turning out tender and flavorful.
The Classic Recipe
Ingredients
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1 to 1.5 cups long-grain white rice (uncooked; avoid instant/Minute rice unless using a quick-cook adaptation, as traditional long-grain absorbs the slow-bake liquid best)
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1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
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1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery)
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1.5 cups chicken broth (or water, though broth adds extra depth)
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4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or bone-in/skin-on thighs)
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1 packet (1 oz) dry onion soup mix (like Lipton)
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2 tablespoons butter (sliced into small pats)
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Optional: Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
1.Preheat and Prepare:Set oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease your baking dish with butter or cooking spray to prevent the rice from sticking.
2.Mix the Rice Base:Whisk soup, cream of mushroom soup, and chicken broth together.
In a large bowl, combine the uncooked long-grain white rice, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and chicken broth. Whisk until smooth, then pour the mixture directly into your prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
3.Add the Chicken:Lay chicken breasts or thighs evenly across the creamy rice layer.
Arrange your chicken pieces right on top of the raw rice and soup mixture. As it bakes, the chicken juices will seep down to enrich the rice.
4.Season:Dust the onion soup mix evenly over the chicken and rice.
Open your packet of dry onion soup mix and sprinkle it generously and evenly across the top of the chicken. Dot the surface with small pats of butter.
5.Cover Tightly:Seal tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil to trap the steam.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This step is critical: trapping the steam is the only way the raw rice will cook through and soften properly without burning.
6.Bake and ‘Forget It’:Bake undisturbed for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for roughly 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken and your specific oven). Resist the urge to peek, as letting the steam escape alters the cooking time.
7.Rest and Serve:Check chicken internal temp (165°F) and let rest for 5 minutes.
Remove the foil, ensure the chicken is cooked through (165°F / 74°C internal temperature), and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes so the creamy sauce can thicken up. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Why People Love It & Easy Variations
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Zero Stove-Top Prep: Because everything goes into one dish raw, cleanup is minimal.
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The Cheese Twist: If you want a golden, gooey top, remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of baking and sprinkle a cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the chicken.
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Add Veggies: Feel free to fold a cup of frozen peas or small broccoli florets into the rice base before laying down the chicken for a built-in vegetable side.
