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Home Casseroles and Cosy Bakes

Emergency Chicken Rice Casserole (from SCRATCH!)

By:Nagi
Published:26 Aug '19Updated:13 Nov '20
207 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This is a dump-and-bake Chicken Rice Casserole with broccoli that’s made from scratch. It’s creamy, cheesy, comforting and tastes like a risotto but so much easier to make! It’s the ultimate emergency meal – completely effortless but doesn’t sacrifice flavour for convenience.

NO CANNED SOUP!!!

Close up of creamy Emergency Chicken Rice Casserole in a white baking dish, fresh out of the oven

How to make Chicken Rice Casserole – my Emergency way!

This is a dump-and-bake rice casserole that’s made from scratch.

And anyone who knows anything about cooking will (rightfully!) raise their eyebrows when they see how this emergency version of Chicken Rice Casserole is made:

  • Dump UNCOOKED RICE in pan

  • Sprinkle with flour and seasonings

  • Mix with liquids (broth and milk)

  • Top with RAW chicken and RAW broccoli

  • Bake

  • Stir in cheese, melt cheese, serve.

How to make Ultra Lazy Chicken Rice Casserole

And this is what comes out: a CREAMY Chicken Rice Casserole with PERFECTLY COOKED rice with JUICY SEASONED pieces of chicken! 🙌🏻

Overhead photo of creamy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole in black bowl, ready to be eaten

What this Chicken Rice Casserole tastes like

It truly tastes like everybody’s favourite risotto – except you haven’t been slaving over a hot stove for 20 minutes. The rice is coated with a creamy cheesy sauce that’s made with milk and flavoured with chicken broth/stock plus stock powder.

It’s nice and creamy rather than stodgy like many rice casseroles are, and comes out of the oven with a bubbly golden cheesy top.

Most of the chicken has some browning on it, and the chicken stays juicy and isn’t overcooked.

The broccoli is on the soft side, but most definitely not cooked into mushy oblivion. You could steam it separately and stir it through at the end, but I chose convenience for a relatively small compromise!

Overhead photo of Ultra Lazy creamy Chicken Rice Casserole

What you need

Here’s what you need to make this Emergency Chicken Rice Casserole:

Ultra Lazy Chicken Rice Casserole ingredients

The key ingredient here that makes a real difference to the tastiness of this recipe is stock powder, also known as bouillon powder. I use this in lieu of salt in this recipe because it’s salt with flavour.

Use chicken or vegetable stock powder – my favourite is Vegeta which is a vegetable one, pictured below. Crumbled bouillon cube will work just great too – it’s the same thing, in cube form!

We need this extra flavour boost to compensate for skipping the usual flavour base step of sautéing onion and garlic in butter and searing the chicken until golden brown like I do with my stovetop Chicken Rice Casserole!

Other uses for Vegeta?

I’m a huge fan of Vegeta, it’s my secret ingredient for great soup broths, such as for from-scratch Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s also my trick to make a really great QUICK clear soup broth for Chicken Rice Soup and faster Chicken Noodle Soup, and a really terrific creamy sauce for Chicken Pot Pie.

Photo of Vegeta stock powder

NO CANNED SOUP!

I would’ve loved to call it the WORLD’s easiest – but I know for a fact it is not!

The world’s easiest chicken rice casserole is made with just chicken, rice and canned soup that is dumped in a pan and baked, and you will never see that recipe on my site.

I do not judge (you’re talking to she whose parents would crack an egg over rice, add a drizzle of soy and call that dinner!) but using canned soup to make shortcut casseroles just isn’t the way I cook. 😇

But I do truly believe this to be the easiest Chicken Rice Casserole that’s made from scratch because we by-pass the usual roux making process whereby melted butter is mixed with flour and used to thicken milk to make a creamy sauce for loads of things from Mac and Cheese, the Béchamel Sauce for Lasagna to Chicken Pot Pie.

And I promise you – it is 100% delicious. Not “hmm, it’s pretty good”. It’s SERIOUSLY delicious. Creamy, cheesy, comforting, can’t-stop-eating-it-good!!! – Nagi x

PS This is the rice version of the Ultra Lazy Chicken Broccoli PASTA Bake and the baked version of this 30 minute stovetop Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, both of which are reader favourites!

Close up of spoon scooping up creamy Chicken Rice Casserole

Watch how to make it

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Close up of creamy Chicken Rice Casserole in a white baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Emergency Chicken Rice Casserole

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 55 mins
Mains
Western
4.87 from 45 votes
Servings5 - 6 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 134
Recipe video above. Dump-and-bake creamy chicken rice casserole made FROM SCRATCH! Perfectly cooked rice, creamy cheesy sauce, juicy seasoned chicken. Unusually high liquid-to-rice ratio because 1) baked uncovered (brown chicken); and 2) creamy rice (rather than stodgy!). See Note 7 re: SCALING recipe!

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 500g (1 lb) chicken thighs or tenders (tenderloin) , cut into 1.5cm / 2/3" pieces (Note 1)
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp vegetable or chicken stock powder (granulated bouillon) (Note 2)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Rice:

  • 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) chicken broth/stock , low sodium
  • 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) milk , any fat %
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 3)
  • 1/4 cup (35g) flour , plain / all purpose
  • 1 tsp vegetable or chicken stock powder (granulated bouillon) (Note 2)
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter
  • 2 broccoli heads (large!), cut into florets (Note 4)
  • 2 cups (200g) shredded cheese

Garnish:

  • 2 green onions , finely sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F (180°C/350°F fan/convection).
  • Mix Chicken Ingredients.
  • Heat chicken broth and milk until hot using any method (stove, microwave). Can combine together in saucepan. (Note 5)
  • Spread rice in 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" ceramic or glass baking dish. (Note 6)
  • Sprinkle with flour, stock powder and garlic.
  • Add the hot chicken broth, stir until flour dissolved (some small lumps ok).
  • Add milk, swish rice to spread out evenly.
  • Spread broccoli on top, then chicken, then plonk butter on (anywhere).
  • Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. (Might get some browned skin on surface, that's ok)
  • CHECK rice before stirring - should be JUST cooked (Note 7).
  • Add half the cheese, stir through, being sure to get rice in the corners and edges of pan. Should be creamy and quite loose (see video).
  • Top with cheese, return to oven for 5 minutes until just melted.
  • Sprinkle with green onion, if using, then serve!

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken - boneless thigh or tenderloin best for juiciest chicken with required cook time. Breast also works but not quite as juicy!
2. Stock powder (aka granulated bouillon / bouillon powder) - this is bouillon cubes in powder form. Any brand or type of chicken or vegetable works fine here, has more flavour than salt which is needed for this shortcut recipe. I like using Vegeta (blue can, vegetable stock powder, sold in herbs & spices aisle, also the secret ingredient Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, fab easy Chicken Rice Soup and Chicken Pot Pie).
Crumbled bouillon cubes will work just fine too! They are essentially the same. The good ones crumble easily into powder. If it doesn't, dissolve in some of the hot liquid then add.
3. Rice - recipe works best with long grain white rice. Will also work with medium or short white rice grain, "standard" (unspecified) white rice, jasmine* or basmati rice*. Recipe as written won't work with: brown rice, wild rice, risotto, paella rice, quinoa.
* These types may take 10 minutes or longer during first bake to cook through, make sure to check before stirring rice!
4. Broccoli - use 2 big heads! About 4 - 5 heaped cups, 400g / 14 oz - it can even take more. Frozen broccoli can be used but thaw and drain off excess liquid first (don't put frozen in because it will bring down the temp of liquids = uneven rice cooking).
5. Heating liquid ensures rice cooks evenly and without going gluggy. Heat separately in microwave (I do this) or mix together in same saucepan & heat on stove. It doesn't matter which order they go into the baking pan, it's just easier to pour some liquid in first to dissolve flour, then the rest.
6. Ceramic or glass pan - this is what I always use for good control of heat. Heavy duty cast iron or similar will also work. Flimsy/thin metal pans won't provide even heating as well and may affect how evenly the rice cooks.
7. Cooked rice - rice should be cooked at 40 minutes. But if not, cover with foil and stick it back in the oven. Make sure you check rice before stirring - even cooking of rice depends on remaining submerged under liquid.
8. Scaling recipe (slide scaler) - If you scale down to half, please use a smaller pan (say 8"/20cm). If you scale UP, it should scale up ok by about 25% in the same pan, but any more and I'd recommend using a separate pan to ensure rice cooks evenly.
9. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings (generous quantities!)

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 617cal (31%)Carbohydrates: 64g (21%)Protein: 42g (84%)Fat: 21g (32%)Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)Cholesterol: 112mg (37%)Sodium: 1301mg (57%)Potassium: 1042mg (30%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 8g (9%)Vitamin A: 1265IU (25%)Vitamin C: 83mg (101%)Calcium: 428mg (43%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Keywords: chicken broccoli rice casserole, chicken rice casserole, rice casserole with chicken
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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207 Comments

  1. Erica B says

    January 29, 2023 at 2:48 am

    I haven tried this recipe, but my favorite thing about it is that, through the comments, I got to learn about tasty cheese. When Nagi kept replying to questioners that she used “tasty cheese” in the casserole, I was a little confused: ‘that’s not very specific,’ I though, haha! But apparently tasty cheese is a very popular type of aged cheddar in Australia and New Zealand. We don’t have anything called tasty cheese here in the U.S., but the internet tells me that a cheddar aged about 12 months, mild with a slight bite to the flavor, would be the equivalent thing to use here. How interesting!

    Reply
  2. Deidre says

    September 7, 2022 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    Our son was supposed to have a football game so dinner plan was the concession stand, unfortunately the incoming weather canceled the game. I scrambled for an easy but filling dinner, and happened to have all the ingredients on hand. Everyone loved it! There was plenty for 2nd helpings (family of 5, 3 are teens) as well as a couple packed lunches for school tomorrow. Cheese was cheddar & havarti mixed together. Would definitely make again. Thank you Nagi!

    Reply
  3. Karen says

    September 2, 2022 at 1:44 am

    Ready to try. Lov me some Dozer

    Reply
  4. Lynne says

    March 15, 2022 at 7:18 am

    Hi Nagi, I stumbled upon your recipe when looking for a chicken rice meal for my little grandsons. I take dinner to their house every Tuesday afternoon and need it almost cooked and then heated in their oven prior to serving. They don’t use a microwave so I’m hoping I can cook this almost to end but leave last step for heating in their oven tonight. I will let you know!!! If you have any ideas for One pot recipes that will be enjoyed by very young kids (4 & 6 yo) and cooked &?then heated up I’d be very keen to have them. Well done with your site. I found it interesting and can feel your love!

    Reply
  5. Caitlin says

    February 27, 2022 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    So yummy! And easy! Planning on making it again this week. It makes a ton so I’m going to half it for our small family of 3. Still will get lunch for the grown ups the next day 👍🏻

    Reply
  6. Cathy Findlay says

    January 14, 2022 at 3:19 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazingly delicious! My teenager cooked it and the whole family loved it. We used a bag of mixed frozen vege instead of just broccoli. It will become a regular meal for sure.

    Reply
  7. Anne MacGregor says

    September 2, 2021 at 9:17 am

    5 stars
    I am wondering if this is very freezable after cooking. It makes a lot of yumminess for a household of only 2!

    Reply
  8. Chrissie says

    July 26, 2021 at 2:49 am

    what kind of cheese did you use?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 26, 2021 at 9:14 am

      Hi Chrissie, I used tasty, but any will work here like cheddar or even mozzarella. N x

      Reply
  9. Kate Rogers says

    November 26, 2020 at 10:45 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi, the family love this meal. Last time I made it, I didn’t have enough broccoli so I made it with 2 heaped cups of broccoli and 3 cups of cubed butternut pumpkin. I got a big thumbs up from everyone. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  10. Sue says

    November 1, 2020 at 9:59 am

    5 stars
    I had to make several substitutions and this still turned out beautifully! Diluted cream for the milk, had only cooked turkey instead of raw chicken, artichokes instead of broccoli… cooked exactly per recipe except tucked the cooked turkey lower into the layering. Delicious! Even the turkey was moist. Haven’t missed yet with any of your recipes. Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Kumi says

    October 30, 2020 at 9:47 am

    Hi Nagi

    Would this recipe work with risoni?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      February 11, 2022 at 5:37 pm

      Did you try making it with Rossini? I’d love to know how you went.

      Reply
      • Sophie says

        February 11, 2022 at 5:37 pm

        Obviously I meant risoni 😂

        Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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