Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

One Of The Best Creamy Crockpot Soups

If your slow cooker has been sitting in the cabinet collecting dust, this crockpot chicken wild rice soup is the recipe that’s going to bring it back out.

You dump everything in before lunch, walk away, and come home to a kitchen that smells like the coziest place on earth.
Then a quick five-minute béchamel on the stovetop turns it from good to genuinely great — thick, buttery, and rich in all the right ways.

I make this Version of The Best Creamy Crockpot Soups constantly from October through February.
It’s the kind of easy chicken wild rice soup that feeds a crowd, reheats beautifully,
and gets requested on repeat once your family discovers it.

Pair it with crusty bread and a cold night, and you have everything you need.

This is comfort food at its most effortless. Let’s get the slow cooker going to make one of my favorite Chicken Crockpot Recipes.

The Ingredients For Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Here’s everything that goes into this creamy chicken wild rice soup, split into the two stages of the recipe.

For the Slow Cooker:

Uncooked wild rice (¾ cup, rinsed) – Goes in raw and cooks low and slow right in the broth. By the time it’s done, the grains will have opened up and absorbed all that savory, seasoned liquid. Rinse it well before adding.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb) – Added raw. They poach gently in the broth for hours, staying incredibly tender and adding flavor to the liquid as they cook. You’ll shred them before serving.

Mirepoix — celery, carrots, onion (2 cups) – The flavor foundation. Pre-chopped mirepoix mix from the grocery store makes this even faster on busy mornings.

Garlic (2 cloves, minced) – Slow-cooked garlic mellows beautifully and adds a quiet savory depth to the broth.

Chicken broth (5 cups) – The base of everything. Use a good-quality low-sodium broth so you control the salt level.

Poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder – This trio does the seasoning work so you don’t have to think about it. Poultry seasoning is the key — it’s a blend of herbs that makes the whole pot smell incredible.

Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base (1 tablespoon) – This is the secret ingredient that pushes the broth flavor from good to really good. It adds a depth and richness that plain broth alone just can’t match. Find it near the stock and broth aisle.

For the Béchamel (Before Serving):

Butter (6 tablespoons) – The base of your quick cream sauce. Don’t reduce it — this is what makes the soup thick and buttery.

All-purpose flour (4 tablespoons) – Cooked briefly with the butter to form the roux that thickens everything.

Whole milk (1½ cups, warmed) – Warming the milk in the microwave before adding it to the roux is a small step that makes a real difference — the béchamel comes together smoother and faster.

Heavy cream (¾ cup) – Stirred in at the very end directly into the crockpot. This is what gives the soup its final luscious, velvety texture.

Salt – Season the béchamel as you make it, then taste the whole soup and adjust at the end.

Step-by-Step Instructions For Making This Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup — One Of The Best Creamy Crockpot Soups

Step 1:

Load up the crockpot. Add the rinsed wild rice, raw chicken breasts, mirepoix, minced garlic, chicken broth, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and Better Than Bouillon to your slow cooker. Give everything a quick stir, put the lid on, and set it to low for 6 hours. That’s it for now — go live your life.

Step 2:

Pull the chicken early if you can. At around the 3-hour mark, if you’re home, use tongs to remove the chicken breasts. They’ll be fully cooked through at this point. Shred or chop them into bite-sized pieces, and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to finish the soup. This prevents the chicken from overcooking and getting stringy over the full 6 hours. If you’re not home — no stress. Just shred directly in the crockpot at the end. It still turns out great.

Step 3:

Warm the milk. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, microwave the milk for 60–90 seconds until warm to the touch. This one small step makes your béchamel silky and lump-free.

Step 4:

Make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for about 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. Now add the warm milk a splash at a time — about ½ cup at a go — whisking after each addition and letting it thicken slightly before adding more. Once all the milk is incorporated and the sauce is thick and smooth, season with salt and remove from heat.

Step 5:

Bring it all together. Pour the béchamel into the crockpot. Add the heavy cream and the shredded chicken. Stir everything together until fully combined. The soup will turn gorgeously thick and creamy right before your eyes.

Step 6:

Final adjustments. Taste the soup. Add a splash of extra broth or milk if you want it a little thinner. Adjust salt and pepper. ‘

Step 7:

Serve with bread. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with crusty bread on the side. Non-negotiable. The bread is essential.

Tips, Tricks & Substitutions

Better Than Bouillon is non-negotiable.
Okay, you can technically skip it — but the broth flavor takes a real hit. This ingredient is the difference between a soup that tastes homemade and one that tastes extraordinary. It’s worth keeping a jar in the fridge permanently.
Warm your milk before making the béchamel.
Cold milk hitting hot butter and flour is how you get lumps. Thirty seconds in the microwave is all it takes to prevent that entirely.
Use rotisserie chicken to save even more time.
Skip the raw chicken altogether — add 2–3 cups of shredded rotisserie meat at Step 5 along with the béchamel and cream. The crockpot cook time stays the same, you just pull the rotisserie chicken straight from the fridge when it’s time to finish.
Make it gluten free.
Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 GF flour blend in the béchamel. Everything else in this recipe is naturally gluten free.
Don’t panic if the soup looks thin before the béchamel.
The crockpot liquid will look quite brothy right before you add the cream sauce — that’s completely normal. Once the béchamel and heavy cream go in, it transforms into something thick and velvety. Trust the process.
Add a handful of spinach.
Stir in a couple of handfuls of fresh baby spinach when you add the béchamel. It wilts instantly and adds color and nutrition without changing the flavor of the soup.

What to Serve With Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

The recipe says it clearly and we fully agree — crusty bread is essential. A good sourdough boule or a baguette for dunking is the classic pairing and it never misses.
For a more complete dinner spread, add a simple green salad with a sharp mustard vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the cream.
Garlic bread or warm dinner rolls work beautifully if you’re feeding kids or a larger crowd.
On especially cold nights, a side of roasted vegetables like carrots or Brussels sprouts rounds the meal out without adding any extra complexity to your cooking.

How to Store Your Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

1. Refrigerator:

Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The soup thickens quite a bit as it sits in the fridge — add a generous splash of broth or milk when reheating and warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often.

2. Freezer:

Freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze before adding the heavy cream and stir it in fresh when you reheat. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming on the stovetop.

FAQs

Can I make easy chicken wild rice soup in a crockpot without tending it?Yes — that’s literally the whole point. Dump everything in, set it to low for 6 hours, and walk away. The only hands-on moment is the 5-minute béchamel before serving. If you can’t pull the chicken at the 3-hour mark, just shred it at the end. It still works perfectly.
Can I use a wild rice blend instead of plain wild rice?Absolutely. A wild rice blend — like Lundberg or any grocery store mix — works great and often gives a slightly nuttier, more complex flavor. Cook time stays the same.
Why does my crockpot chicken wild rice soup get so thick?Wild rice releases starch as it cooks, and the béchamel adds even more body. As the soup sits and cools, it will continue to thicken. This is completely normal — just thin it back out with a splash of broth or milk when reheating. It comes right back together.
Can I make crockpot chicken wild rice soup on high instead of low? Yes — cook on high for 3–4 hours instead of low for 6. The flavor is slightly better on low since the longer cook time develops more depth, but high works well when you’re short on time. Just check that the wild rice is fully opened and tender before finishing.
What can I substitute for heavy cream in this soup?Full-fat coconut milk is a great dairy-free swap and adds a very subtle sweetness that works surprisingly well with the poultry seasoning. Half-and-half is a lighter alternative that still gives you good creaminess. Whole milk can also be used in a pinch — the soup will be a bit thinner but still very satisfying.

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup — One Of The Best Creamy Crockpot Soups

A thick, buttery, set-it-and-forget-it, this version of chicken soups is one of Best Creamy Crockpot Soups. Slow cooker chicken wild rice soup finished with a silky béchamel and heavy cream — the easiest chicken crockpot recipes for dinner you'll make all fall and winter.

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crockpot chicken wild rice soup, easy chicken wild rice soup crockpot, creamy chicken and wild rice soup, Best Creamy Crockpot Soups, chicken crockpot recipes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 6

Total Time: 6 10

Servings:

Ingredients

For the slow cooker:

¾ cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups mirepoix (chopped celery, carrots, and onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced5 cups chicken broth
1½ tsp teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base

For the béchamel (before serving):

6 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk, warmed
½ tsp salt
¾ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Add the wild rice, raw chicken breasts, mirepoix, garlic, chicken broth, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and Better Than Bouillon to the slow cooker. Stir briefly, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.
Optional: At the 3-hour mark, remove chicken breasts, shred or chop into pieces, and refrigerate until Step 5. Otherwise shred directly in the crockpot at the end of cooking.
About 30 minutes before serving, warm the milk in the microwave for 60–90 seconds.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Add warm milk in ½-cup additions, whisking and letting it thicken after each addition, until a smooth thick sauce forms. Season with salt.
Pour the béchamel into the crockpot. Add heavy cream and shredded chicken. Stir to combine.
Adjust consistency with extra broth or milk if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

Notes

Rotisserie shortcut: Use 2–3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken instead of raw breasts. Add at Step 5 with the béchamel.
Warm the milk first: This is the single most important tip for a lump-free béchamel. Don't skip it.
Make it gluten free: Use a 1:1 GF flour blend in the béchamel.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months. Add broth or milk when reheating as the soup thickens considerably as it sits.
Make ahead: This soup is even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to settle and develop.