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!!!
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:
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Dump UNCOOKED RICE in pan
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Sprinkle with flour and seasonings
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Mix with liquids (broth and milk)
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Top with RAW chicken and RAW broccoli
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Bake
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Stir in cheese, melt cheese, serve.
And this is what comes out: a CREAMY Chicken Rice Casserole with PERFECTLY COOKED rice with JUICY SEASONED pieces of chicken! 🙌🏻
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!
What you need
Here’s what you need to make this Emergency Chicken Rice Casserole:
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.
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!
Watch how to make it
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Emergency Chicken Rice Casserole
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:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
This is why I never drive with the windows down – he’d lose his head with a passing car!!!😲😲😲
Hi Nagi, my husband is not a fan of broccoli so do you think this could work the same with cauliflower as a substitute?
Oops… thought I was better at following directions. I had been thinking about making this for a few days and finally got around to it, but ended up with 2 pounds of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs rather than 1 pound of boneless cut-up chicken. It’s probably going to mess up the cooking times something fierce but I liked the recipe and seasoning ideas so will improvise as needed. Thanks !
Huh, that worked out better than I expected. I had to flip the chicken thighs near the end to get even cooking and gave the bigger ones a few minutes extra in the oven on their own just in case, but worked out really well. Used a 400ml can of coconut milk and made the rest up with turkey stock just because that’s what I had (Christmas = turkey carcasses ;)) but still really good.
Wahoo, I’m so happy it worked out for you John!!
Made this dish last night for dinner and like all of your recipes, it was absolutely amazing!! Thanks for putting your recipes out here for us to enjoy too. Best wishes to you and your family in 2020!!
Can almond milk be substituted for regular milk?
I love the complexity and tastiness of your recipes and am eager to try this one, but I’m not a broccoli fan. Do you think I could sub with mushrooms or something else?
Hi Sarah, you could use mushrooms if you prefer, sounds like a great idea!
Made your Emergency Chicken Rice Casserole. It was so awesome. Enough to share with my neighbors who said wow! Thank you for another food hit. Give mom 10 licks Dozer.
Wahoo! That’s great Colleen!
Hubby loved this Nagi. Thank you – again!
Quick, easy and I could do other stuff while it was in the oven. Kids loved it. Thank You!!
Perfect Sharyn!!
Delicious and super easy
Thanks so much Kylie – N x
Hi Nagi,
I’ve accidentally bought vegeta seasoning powder would it still work in place of vegeta stock powder?
Thank you.
YES! It’s the same thing, the labels differ from country to country 🙂 N x
Thank you so much for your reply ❤️
Love this recipe thanks Nagi. Cooked it last night and having it again tonight. Who needs to freeze it when you can have it 2 nights in a row. Very tasty and so easy to make. Particularly like the flour in the rice method of making a sauce. fantabulous !
Woot! Great to hear Michael 🙌
Thanks for this really easy, yummy recipe! I’m a pretty confident all round cooker and I’m loving your recipes. My husband and 18mo old loved it and for my little guy, to eat something new and love it, is a major win! thank you!
That’s the best compliment Annette!
Hello! Recent follower! Your lentil soup was amazing by the way!
With this recipe can I sub with coconut milk instead? My boys have milk allergies. Thanks!!
Hi Gwen, coconut milk will change the flavours, try lactose free milk 🙂
This looks yummy and I’m anxious to try it. What kind of cheese do you recommend?
Cheddar, tasty, Monterey Jack are all great options! – N x
I just tried your baked chicken tenders and LOVED them, so eager to try this recipe! Do you think a boullion paste would work in place of the powder? I’m a huge fan of the umani flavor Better than Boullion adds.
Yes definitely Bronwen!!
Delicious! And you think of everything! My rice wasn’t done, so I did 10 more minutes with foil and it was perfect. Another “keeper” from you, thank you!
Sounds great Kathy, I’m so happy you loved it!
My kids 6&8 SMASHED this tonight!! Another winner! We’ve NEVER had a bad meal cooking all your delicious recipes Nagi! Thankyou!!
Wahoo! Winner winner chicken dinner!
Hi Nagi, I made this as directed, using basmati rice, and a mix of fontina (1/3) and gruyere. Delicious! A big hit with my family Will definitely make again and my MD resident daughter who cooks once a week says this is next on her rotation. Highly recommended as are all Nagi’s recipes around here.
Oh that’s awesome Nan!
Thank you. Will definitely give it a try
Perfect Pauline!
Want to cook this, but what size cup do you use to measure rice? All other ingredients have cup and grams measurement. Thanks
Hi Pauline – I use a 250ml cup. I hope you love it!