Description
A comforting and flavorful Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken with Wild Rice recipe that combines tender chicken breasts or thighs cooked low and slow with wild rice blend, aromatic herbs, fresh vegetables, and a rich sage butter finish. Perfect for an easy and hearty dinner with minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice and Vegetables
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend (mix of wild and brown rice)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Chicken and Seasoning
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Liquids and Fats
- 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
Finishing and Optional
- 8 leaves fresh sage
- 1 parmesan rind (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the base in crockpot: In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the wild rice, chopped onion, carrots, sliced mushrooms, chopped celery, and dried parsley. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss all ingredients together well. Pour the low sodium chicken broth over the mixture.
- Season and arrange chicken: In a separate bowl, toss the chicken breasts or thighs with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, dried thyme, rosemary, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Place the seasoned chicken on top of the rice and veggies in the crockpot. Add the smashed garlic cloves and, if using, the parmesan rind.
- Cook in crockpot: Cover the crockpot and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours, or on high for 2 to 3 hours until the chicken is tender and the rice is fully cooked.
- Prepare butter and sage topping: Just before serving, preheat your oven broiler to high. Carefully remove the chicken and garlic cloves from the crockpot and place on a baking sheet. Arrange the salted butter and sage leaves around the chicken and garlic. Broil for 1 to 3 minutes until the butter is melted and the sage is crisp.
- Mix garlic butter: Peel the softened garlic cloves and chop them finely. Mix chopped garlic into the melted butter on the sheet pan. Toss the cooked chicken in this fragrant garlic sage butter to coat thoroughly.
- Serve: Fluff the cooked wild rice and vegetable mixture with a fork. Serve the herb butter coated chicken alongside the rice and veggies. Drizzle any remaining buttery sage sauce from the baking sheet over the chicken for extra flavor.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken breasts with thighs depending on preference; thighs will yield a juicier texture.
- The parmesan rind is optional but adds a delicious depth of flavor to the broth as it cooks.
- For a quicker version, you can use the Instant Pot method, adjusting cooking times accordingly.
- When broiling the chicken and butter, watch closely to prevent burning as broilers vary.
- This dish pairs well with a crisp green salad or steamed green vegetables for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
