Easy Chicken Rice Broccoli Casserole
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A cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe that is easy and healthy! Made with broccoli and no condensed soup – this is the best dinner made in one pan! Low fat, low salt, dairy free and delicious!
Up until a few months ago, I had never really eaten casseroles.
Growing up in an Italian family, we never really ate them (We had lots of pasta, like Ricotta Cavatelli and Pasta Fagioli instead).
Now that I’m making my own meals, the ingredients in many casseroles weren’t appealing to me since they typically have a lot of fat, salt and are low on protein.
This cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole has completely changed my mind when it comes to casseroles and opened my eyes to other healthy casserole recipes. This dinner comes together in one pan and is protein and veggie-packed!
Whether you are a casserole lover or skeptic, I’m sure this recipe will be a family favorite.
This chicken broccoli rice casserole is also extremely versatile based on your dietary needs and preferences (see green box below).
Why we love Chicken and Rice Casserole
This chicken broccoli rice casserole is so easy and delicious and here are some of the reasons we love it:
- One Pan – This chicken broccoli rice casserole comes together in the casserole dish that it is cooked in. We love one-pan dinners because fewer dishes mean less clean-up!
- No Condensed Soups – Many casseroles call for condensed soups, but most of those are loaded with salt and preservatives, which I don’t prefer.
- Healthy Ingredients – This casserole is made with lean chicken, rice, and lots of broccoli florets (substitutions in the green box below), which makes it a much healthier option than other casseroles loaded with creamy soups and sodium. Also, it is protein-packed with 34g per serving.
Try our Taco Casserole or Broccoli Chicken Dinner next!
Broccoli Chicken Rice Casserole Ingredients
To make this chicken broccoli rice casserole, you’ll need:
- chicken breasts
- white rice
- chicken broth
- broccoli florets
- onion
- parmesan cheese (optional)
- cheddar cheese
- olive oil
- salt and pepper, garlic powder, parsley
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded substitutions box.
How to make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Mix all ingredients (except cheddar cheese) in a large casserole dish (Here’s a link to the one we used).
- Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, add cheddar cheese then bake uncovered for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
How long to cook Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole?
Chicken broccoli rice casserole needs to bake for at least 45 minutes, but can bake up to an hour.
Chicken Rice Casserole Substitutions
This casserole is very versatile. Here are some ways to customize it:
Chicken: Chicken thighs or chicken tenders could be substituted for chicken breasts in this recipe.
Cooked Chicken: If you are using cooked chicken, reduce the cooking time by half. You could easily use a rotisserie chicken.
Rice: We used white rice in this recipe. I wouldn’t recommend using brown rice in this recipe. We tried it multiple times and couldn’t get the cook time/broth ratio down. I don’t recommend substituting cauliflower rice, either, as it will make the casserole mushy.
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil for olive oil.
Broccoli: You can substitute cauliflower or add more broccoli.
Cheese: Cheddar cheese can be substituted with mozzarella cheese or whatever cheese you like
Dairy-Free: This recipe can be made dairy-free by omitting the cheese.
Spices: You can substitute fresh herbs for the dried herbs in this casserole. You could also try our Mexican Chicken Casserole
Buffalo Sauce: You can add 2 tbsp Franks red hot to this casserole or try our Buffalo Chicken Casserole.
Can you put raw chicken in a casserole?
Yes, you can. This cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole calls for raw chicken. It fully cooks in the recommended time.
Cooked chicken (like a rotisserie chicken) can also be substituted, and you can cut the cooking time down by half.
What goes with Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole?
This Chicken and rice casserole is a complete meal in itself! If you’re looking for other thigns to serve it with try:
Chicken Rice Broccoli Casserole FAQ
Yes, you can. This cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole calls for raw chicken. It fully cooks in the recommended time.
No! The rice cooks in the liquid added to the chicken broccoli rice casserole. Using cooked rice will cause the casserole to be mushy.
This recipe calls for raw chicken that fully cooks during the recommended cook time. However, cooked chicken (like a rotisserie chicken) can be substituted, but cut the cooking time down by half.
Yes, it is safe to cook raw chicken and rice together. This cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole calls for raw chicken. It fully cooks in the recommended time.
The basics of a casserole are usually a protein (sausage, chicken, beef), carb (potatoes, rice) liquid (soup, broth, water), and spices or cheese for flavor
Yes, you can put raw broccoli in a casserole! As long as it is cleaned/washed it will be totally safe to eat!
Storing Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:
Refrigerator: You can store this casserole in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Does broccoli rice casserole freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing this chicken broccoli rice casserole, but I think it might work. Rice can get soggy in the freezer.
Can this recipe be made ahead? I haven’t tried making this ahead of time, but I think it would work.
Can this recipe be reheated? Yes, this casserole recipe also tastes great when reheated. You can reheat in the microwave, in the oven set at 350°F until the center is cooked through, or sauté on the stove.
Other healthy one-pan recipes:
We love easy and healthy one-pan recipes. Here are some of our favorites:
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts cut into cubes
- 1.5 cups dry white rice medium-short grain, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups broccoli florets raw – about 1 lb
- ½ cup onion minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese optional
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large casserole dish, mix together all ingredients except cheddar cheese.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, add cheddar cheese on top. Bake uncovered for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
This looks great, anything ‘chicken and rice’ is a win in our house. I plan to make it for my son and I. I am on the hunt for the perfect versatile white rice – I have read the comments regarding different rice and its doneness, when I click the link it leads to Lundberg Organic Long Grain Rice (green bag) – is this the rice you used, or do you recall the exact rice?
That’s the exact rice I used. I have tested this recipe over and over again and haven’t had the issue that others are having. If you’re worried about it, this recipe is a little more forgiving because it’s on the stove so you can always easily check for doneness and add more broth if you’d like! Chicken Broccoli Rice
Thanks so much! I’m going to try it both ways, I’m sure they will both be delicious.
I followed this exactly as described. The flavor is great! However neither the rice nor the broccoli cooked completely. It was disappointing. I questioned it as I put it together. But, went ahead and followed. White uncooked, unrinsed rice. I think I will do it again and possibly steam my broccoli beforehand, rinse my rice, but not exactly sure how to get the rice to cook fully. Any ideas? I think minute rice would be too mushy. Thank you for the recipe. I follow a lot of your recipes.
Hi Tara – I’m really sorry you had this experience. We’ve had other people report this too, but I’ve tested this recipe over and over again and can’t get it to do the same thing. You could try adding more broth. I don’t think minute rice would work.
This appears to be THE recipe I was looking for. I’m working with three leftover thighs from Chicken Marbella, and I want to incorporate the leftover sauce as well…which includes prunes and green olives. This totally works with what I’m starting with! I’ve always heard about uncooked rice in casseroles, but was skeptical. Thank you SO much!
Followed the recipe to a T. Rice didn’t cook. What could have gone wrong?
What kind of rice did you use?
Could you freeze this and reheat?
All of our blog posts have a storage section (beige box with a snowflake) where we covered this: I haven’t tried freezing this chicken broccoli rice casserole, but I think it might work. Rice can get soggy in the freezer.