Low Sodium Chicken Casserole with Rice Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium chicken casserole with rice is a great easy dinner recipe you can enjoy on a low sodium diet. Made with lean chicken breast, vegetables, and a creamy salt-free sauce.
Most casseroles call for canned soup, but you can make them with easy salt-free swaps instead for a low sodium meal. I love serving this low salt casserole with a bright & fresh low sodium cucumber salad & a slice of hearty low sodium cornbread.
This low sodium chicken casserole recipe is a delicious dinner that couldn’t be easier to make! Sauté vegetables, add coconut milk, add uncooked chicken and rice, and bake.
Most casserole recipes call for canned cream of mushroom or creamy of celery soup – but I add vegetables, coconut milk, and broth instead as a low sodium substitute. And the flavor is just as good! This savory chicken and rice recipe served with a salad are great options for dinner tonight!
This is one recipe that is in our monthly dinner rotation for sure – it’s easy to make, is low in salt content, and mostly hands-off so the oven does all of the work.
This Low Sodium Chicken Rice Casserole Recipe Is
- Creamy
- Hearty
- Satisfying
- Made Without Canned Soups
- Loaded with Vegetables
- Easy to Make!
- A Good Way to Use Leftover Chicken
What’s In This Low Sodium Casserole Recipe?
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
- Organic no-salt-added chicken – getting organic meat without added preservatives is key for reducing the sodium in this recipe. Store-bought chicken can contain “hidden sodium” from being injected with a salt solution. I used chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can use chicken thighs. Be careful of store rotisserie chicken, which can be high in sodium.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic – I like using fresh garlic, but you can use garlic powder instead.
- Celery
- No Salt Added chicken Stock
- Mushrooms
- Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. Make sure you get a no-salt-added variety. It has 0 mg of sodium per serving.
- Coconut Milk: I use unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, which I’d definitely recommend over lite coconut milk. The flavor makes this dish rich and creamy without any dairy, and without cream of chicken soup. Coconut milk contains just 30 mg sodium for a ⅓ cup serving, making it a great low sodium milk alternative.
- Wild Rice blend – I used this great brown & wild rice blend, which gave this casserole a great texture over white rice! Make sure you get a rice blend that has no added seasonings, like this one which has 0mg sodium per serving. You could also use brown rice or white rice too.
- Parsley
- Squeeze of Lemon
Other Optional Add-Ins
- You can add chopped cauliflower or broccoli to this dish (I am allergic to both, but if you aren’t these would be great!) for a healthy chicken broccoli casserole.
- Top with fresh cilantro instead of parsley.
- Stir in some green onions or scallions for a fresh onion flavor.
- Green beans would be a great addition, especially fresh or frozen ones.
- Add in some sour cream or cream cheese in additional to the coconut milk for a creamy sauce.
- Chop some green or red bell peppers in with the celery.
How to Make This Recipe
- In a large pot (or Dutch oven, which I used), add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables begin to shimmer.
- Add the celery, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, thyme, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes until the celery has softened. You can leave the soup like this, or blend it for a creamier consistency using an immersion blender.
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To the soup mixture, add the wild rice and stir well to combine. If baking in a casserole dish: Transfer the rice mixture to a casserole dish and add the cubed uncooked chicken into the rice mixture. Cover the dish with tin foil. If using a Dutch oven: add the chicken to the rice mixture and cover with the pot’s lid.
- Bake for 1 hour, until hot and bubbling.
- Before serving top with fresh parsley and stir in the fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!
Dietary Modifications
- This one pot chicken and rice bake is dairy free and contains no dairy ingredients.
- To make this recipe gluten free, ensure all your ingredients are certified gluten free (like the spices, chicken, coconut milk, and rice).
You can use a classic casserole dish (13×9 works great), or a Dutch oven. I used a Dutch oven as it’s perfect for transferring from stove-top to oven, and has a lid which traps the heat in the casserole to cook it.
More Low Sodium Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Low Sodium Chicken Marinade Recipe
- The Best Low Sodium Chicken Fajitas
- Low Sodium Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Easy Low So Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (No Salt Added)
- Low Sodium Apricot Chicken Recipe
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Low Sodium Chicken Rice Casserole
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or other large pot
- 13 x 9 baking dish
- Immersion blender (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning no salt added
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 13 ounce can plain unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups wild rice uncooked
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast cubed
- 1 cup parsley chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- In a large pot (or Dutch oven, which I used), add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables begin to shimmer.
- Add the celery, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, thyme, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes until the celery has softened. You can leave the soup like this, or blend it for a creamier consistency using an immersion blender.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To the soup mixture, add the wild rice and stir well to combine. If baking in a casserole dish: Transfer the rice mixture to a casserole dish and add the cubed uncooked chicken into the rice mixture. Cover the dish with tin foil. If using a Dutch oven: add the chicken to the rice mixture and cover with the pot’s lid.
- Bake for 1 hour, until hot and bubbling.
- Before serving top with fresh parsley and stir in the fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!
Notes
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is dairy free and contains no dairy ingredients.
- To make this recipe gluten free, ensure all your ingredients are certified gluten free (like the spices, chicken, coconut milk, and rice).
Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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A fantastic dish with ingredients I always have on hand. A great pleaser
This turned out really good. Coconut milk makes it so creamy and tasty. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Easy to make and easy to love yum
Campbell’s makes a no salt cream of mushroom and a no salt cream of chicken soup, has anyone used them in this recipe, would using the salt substitute be OK as well ?
Always have chicken and rice on hand and this is a real pleaser
This casserole disappeared before I knew it. Was a hit