One Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
on Jun 11, 2018, Updated Aug 22, 2024
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Quick and easy One Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole that is on the table in only 30 minutes.
I’ve been working on making more quick and easy meals for you all and this is one of our all-time favorites, so I thought it was high time that I shared it with you. Chicken broccoli and rice casserole is a classic dish that so many families love. My kids love the rice, cheese makes everything better, and who doesn’t love nicely seasoned chicken and broccoli to go with it all? The fact that it all cooks together means the dish is a one-and-done kind of meal (it includes your protein, grain/carb, and green vegetable all in one place). Add a side of fresh fruit and your favorite green salad and you have yourself one simple delicious meal.
I love having one pot meals up my sleeve (especially ones that are quick) so on nights that dinner time hits me sooner than I was planning, I have a recipe I can turn to that I know my family will love and that I can get on the table in a hurry. Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole is a favorite because chances are good I have everything on hand to make it. Long live meals made from pantry staples!
More reasons I love One Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- This version is the best because it’s super quick to make, taking only 30 minutes from start to finish.
- It’s all made in one pot on the stove so you have fewer dishes to wash.
- No cans of cream of something soup here. Am I the only one who avoids those?
- The rice is super fluffy and full of flavor since you cook it with broth, garlic, onion, and butter.
Tips and Tricks for Making Stove-top Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole:
- No chicken broth on hand? Better than Bouillon mixed with water works great too.
- Brown rice will not work with this recipe. It takes a really long time to cook and much more water than this calls for. Save yourself the headache and don’t try to make it work with brown rice.
- This is really good with a little hot sauce on top.
- You can sub frozen chopped broccoli for the fresh in the pinch. I like to run the bag under a little warm water before adding it to the pan so that the frozen broccoli doesn’t slow down my cooking time too much.
Other dishes that go well with Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole:
- Rustic Italian Bread
- The Best Cornbread Recipe
- Super Simple No-Knead Bread
- Berry Spinach Salad with Citrus Poppy Seed Dressing
Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseats on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!
Video of how to make one pot chicken broccoli rice casserole:
One Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- ½ large onion, finely diced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 3 cups broccoli florets, small bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, I like sharp
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pan (I used a 12 inch skillet), over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook until the onion is softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook until no longer pink, stirring often.
- Push the chicken mixture to one side of the pan and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the other side of the pan. When the butter melts, add the rice to the pan.
- Saute the rice in the melted butter for a few minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic and salt to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth and combine the rice with the chicken mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, so that it’s still slowly simmering, and add a lid to the pan.
- Cook without stirring for 12 minutes.
- After the 12 minute cooking time, add broccoli and stir to combine.
- Replace the lid and cook an additional 8 minutes or until the broccoli and rice are both tender.
- Remove from heat and add ½ cup of the cheese and stir to combine. Add the rest of the cheese to the top of the dish. Add the lid and let the dish rest until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
- Serve right away.
Video
Nutrition
More one pot meals you might like:
- The Best One Pot Baked Ziti
- Healthy One Pot Quinoa Taco Casserole
- One Pot Pasta Primavera
- Creamy One Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- The Best Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
There are a whole lot more quick and easy dinner ideas hiding in my archives if you want to dig around. Click here to access my visual recipe index. Happy cooking fellow busy families! I hope this recipe and the others included help make your day a little simpler.
Could I use riced cauliflower or farro instead of white rice?
Yes but you won’t want to use nearly the amount of cooking liquid called for since the rice won’t soak it up. I’d probably omit the rice and cooking liquid and just saute the chicken and broccoli until tender and cooked through then add the cauli rice and cook for another 3 or so minutes until it’s the doneness that you prefer.
It turned out excellent. I used 1 cup broth per one cup of quinoa. I used two cups of quinoa to double the batch.
I’m trying it tonight with Quinoa instead of rice. Can’t wait! I plan on using the recommended amount of chicken broth that it would take to cook Quinoa, hopefully it works out the same. Have you made it with this substitution? I’m also low on cheddar so this is going to be a cheese medley! 🙂
I think it’ll be great! I can’t wait to hear how this turns out for you and I’ll borrow the idea!
Yummy good and quick! What more could you ask for? Healthy and real food. No canned anything. It’s a keeper
Thank you for coming back to leave a comment Benita! I appreciate that!
It was easy to make. It tasted good but the dish came out too mushy. I was wondering what I can do to avoid that or fix without burning the food. Thanks
I bet you over cooked the rice, just cook it for less time next time.
One pot comfort food that still feels nutritious? YES! I made this last night after finally having all the ingredients on hand, or so I thought. I had three “wrong” kinds of rice, and rice pilaf mix… but the cooking time was the same for the rice pilaf, so I took a chance, and it worked! (Near East brand, original flavor.) Instead of the 2.5 cups of broth, I used the recommended amount of water for the pilaf (1.75 cups) and let the seasoning packet fill in for the broth and salt, since it’s similar in flavor to a “better than bouillon” base. My only change when I make it again will be to wait a couple minutes longer to add the broccoli since crisp-tender is my preference with veggies.
Yay! Sounds amazing. So glad it worked out for you.
Made exactly as written and this turned out fantastic! I was hesitant as other recipes used milk and wondered how this would turn out, but your recipe was amazing. The rice cooked through and it all tasted as good as it looked. Easy cleanup and simple to make. Thanks for the great recipe.
I love hearing that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a great review!
Is there a baking option for this? Just got my first set of Corningware and wanna play with it!
This was WONDERFUL! My entire family had seconds. That’s rare! They agreed that this is a keeper and would love to have it again.
Woohoo!! Having a dinner your people want to eat is always a success in my book! Thank you for leaving a comment James!
Looks amazing, easy, and delicious. I’m adding it to my weekly meal plan round up this week. ?
Ohhhh! Quickie meals for when company is here! I like!!!! One pan to clean….I double like! Thanks!