Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and apply non-stick coating to a 9x13 inch ceramic or glass baking dish.

Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, water, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl until homogenous.

Stir the uncooked rice into the soup mixture until evenly distributed.

Pour the rice and soup mixture into the prepared baking dish, leveling the surface with a spatula.

Distribute the chicken pieces in an even layer across the top of the rice mixture.

Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix uniformly over the chicken pieces.

Seal the baking dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, ensuring the edges are crimped to prevent any steam from escaping.

Bake for 90 minutes without opening the oven door or removing the foil.

Remove from the oven and allow the dish to rest, covered, for 10 minutes to finish the hydration process.