This chicken broccoli and rice casserole combines classic flavors for a quick and easy dinner. Chicken thighs are cooked with a creamy cheesy broccoli cheddar rice for a complete meal without all the cleanup.
I love a good chicken and rice dish, and this version incorporates plenty of cheese and fresh broccoli for a meal that’s a real crowd pleaser.
This chicken broccoli and rice casserole is a great recipe to have in your dinner time rotation – it’s quick to put together, all bakes together in one pot and uses ingredients that you probably already have in the house. And cheesy rice is always a family favorite!
How do you make Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole?
The chicken and rice bake together and then the flavorings are added in towards the end of the cooking process. No one likes mushy broccoli, so I lightly cooked it in the pan first, then added it back in at the very end to keep it bright and fresh tasting. The cheese also gets added later which makes for an ultra creamy rice.
I use a short grain rice because when it bakes in the oven it turns into a risotto-like consistency. You can really use any type of short grain rice that you find at the store, I go with an inexpensive variety and it works just as well as the more expensive arborio or carnaroli rice.
Don’t you just want to grab a plate and start eating? Put this chicken broccoli and rice casserole on your dinner menu soon, you’ll be glad you did.
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More great chicken recipes
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Mango Chicken
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 bone in skin on chicken thighs (medium sized)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small yellow onion , finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups of short grain rice
- 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place a large deep skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add the broccoli and 1/2 cup water to the pan. Cook the broccoli, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes.Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the broccoli from the pan and set aside; remove any excess water from the pan.
- Heat the oil in the pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the chicken is a deep golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and repeat the process with the other side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and add the onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add the rice, cooking for 1 minute. Place the chicken back into the pan.
- Pour in the chicken broth and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover the pan and place it in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until liquid has absorbed and chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place the chicken on a serving plate, cover with foil. Stir the broccoli and cheese into the rice mixture and place it back in the oven. Cook for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Place the broccoli cheddar rice on the platter alongside the chicken. Garnish with parsley (optional) and serve.
Well Sarah it’s in the oven now. I doubled up as I have 7 to feed to so let’s see what happens. Us Aussies love quick and healthy meals so I am hoping it a hit with my kids… All grown now so happy to give feedback which they wouldn’t dare do when they were little heee. I will let you know if it a hit
Hello, Do you know if this would cook the same way if I were to use a cast iron pot?
That would work fine as long as you cover it, either with the lid of a pan or foil would work too!
Great recipe. I altered it a bit by deboning my thighs (I left the skin on) then breading my chicken in parmesan cheese, garlic,and paprika. I also added so parmesan into the actual rice along with the cheddar.
Do you cook the rice first before adding it to the pan?
The rice goes in uncooked!
Our family really enjoyed this dish for our Easter dinner. I did add some garlic power and paprika to the salt and pepper. Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed Reserection Day!!!
Hi Sara,
This looks delicious! I was wondering if I were to substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the thighs, how would I adjust the cooking time?
Hi Patti, I would try 25 minutes for chicken breasts, you just want to make sure the rice has enough time to absorb all the liquid. Hope that helps!
Thanks, Sara!
Loriann,
You are absolutely right, I accidentally omitted the step of bringing the liquid to a boil before putting it in the oven. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, the recipe has been updated. I am so very sorry that you had a bad experience with this recipe.
I made this for dinner last night and everyone enjoyed it. I used boneless chicken breasts (we don’t care for thighs) and did the directions a bit different but we all liked the taste of this. My son said I could make it anytime.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
How did you adjust the recipe, Bo?
Hi… How did you prepare the chicken breasts… How long did the oven time vary?? Not a fan of thighs either in my house thanks again in advance
Great recipe! I made this recipe and it was so easy! I just followed the directions and my whole family was delighted with the result!
I made this last night and it is so delicious and easy! We’re big fans of broccoli rice casserole but I never thought to add whole chicken pieces to it. The broccoli came out perfect, I can’t stand it if it’s overcooked. Even my daughter’s came back for seconds! Thanks for a great recipe that will be a regular rotation in our house.
Can I use brown rice? What would that invoove–adding more water? longer cooking time? would that dry out the chicken.
Yes you can, brown rice typically takes about 40 minutes to cook so I’d add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time and another 1/2 cup of chicken broth. The chicken will not dry out because the skin helps to keep it moist. Hope that helps!
Sounds so delicious with cheese and broccoli mixed in with rice and chicken
Best
Looks delicious, Sara! My family would definitely like this!
I seriously love everything about this dish- the short list of ingredients, the amazing flavors, that it is one-pot! Amazing and so perfect for this busy holiday season when we don’t have time to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen!
I love your one pot meals! This one is classically delicious and is something my cheese and broccoli loving kiddos will enjoy! Yum!
One pot meals are the best! Another amazing recipe, Sarah!
I cannot get enough one pan dishes! this is one I’m sure even my fussy one would love
This looks so delicious! I love broccoli and chicken together!
Now this is a beautiful, crowd-pleasing meal! I love the convenience of a one-pot dish and this one looks perfect. And the addition of cheddar is perfect!
But it’s not one pot. All the back and forth with plates and in and out of the oven, stove top, etc. It’s annoying and finickety. I am not having a good time making this meal.
Also, why on earth cook the broccoli first? Then it sits and gets all soggy. It makes no sense.
Hi Clare, I’m sorry that you’re not enjoying making this recipe. All of the steps are in there for a specific reason. If I were to have put everything in the pot and stuck it in the oven I would have ended up with boiled chicken and gray mushy broccoli which is not my personal preference. I try and create recipes to save time and dishes in every way possible but at some point if there are too many shortcuts it affects the end product.
Is the rice instant?
Hi Lisa, it’s regular rice, it cooks in the broth in the oven.
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Ur amazing u keep it up .
The recipe was good…but a little difficult to follow. Maybe consider an edit to make it a little more user friendly.
Your right, you end up with a huge mess afterwards. I make mine different, but still it takes all the extra boiling, frying sauteing etc. So, I always make two casseroles, one to bake tonight and one for the freezer, after it is put together and sits in fridge overnight. Now I have a complete dinner ready for the future.
You said that the rice “cooks in the broth in the oven”, but the recipe calls for the rice to be added to the pan with the onions before the broth is added:
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add the rice, cooking for 1 minute. Place the chicken back into the pan.
6. Pour in the chicken broth and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
HELP!!
All of those steps happen within a minute or two of each other, the next step in the process is to put the pan in the oven so the rice does indeed cook in the oven.
Me too!
That recipe doesn’t work!
If you don’t like the recipe, don’t make it. Just keep your negative comments to yourself!