Made-from-scratch creamy, cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole made in ONE POT on the stove! Tastes like risotto, but much faster to make and completely low maintenance. Loaded with tons of broccoli, this is a terrific quick dinner idea you can get on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
It never even crossed my mind to make a recipe such as this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole from anything but scratch. But a quick Google and I was somewhat bemused to find that there are in fact many versions of similar rice casseroles made using canned soup.
I’ve never tried this with canned soup, and I never intend to. Having tried canned soup in various forms in my time, I can say with absolute confidence that homemade from scratch is tastier, it’s better for you and it’s easy!
How to make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole – from scratch!
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Sauté garlic and onion in butter and/or oil, then mostly cook the chicken – it finishes cooking with the rice;
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Add flour, milk, broth and basic seasonings (salt, pepper, thyme), then add the rice right into the same pot. As the rice cooks, the flour thickens the liquid which makes the sauce beautifully creamy;
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After 12 minutes of simmering, add the broccoli and cook for a further 3 minutes; then
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Stir through cheese, top with more cheese then give it a quick broil/grill just to melt the cheese.
What this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole tastes like
It tastes like a creamy, cheesy risotto, it truly does. Except it’s made with normal white rice.
And being the rice snob that I am ( 🤗Asian blood), I promise you that this is as far from gluey rice as you can get. The rice is just cooked to tender al dente and it’s smothered in a creamy sauce (but no cream), as opposed to overcooked super soft rice that is gluggy with thick sauce.
Here’s close up proof – see? 🙂 If it were overcooked and gluey, the surface of the rice grains would look mushy.
I wasn’t quite sure what to call this recipe. I think of this as a rice bake which is completely illogical because it’s not cooked in the oven at all. Though someone please remind me a few months down the track to share the recipe for this that’s made entirely in the oven!
So in the end, I decided to call it a casserole, guessing that is what normal people would call this. Is that what this is?? I’m not sure. I know I’ll always think of this as a “Rice Bake”! – Nagi x
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Watch how to make it
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One Pot Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30g ) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 500g (1 lb) chicken thigh , cut into bite size pieces (Note 1)
- 2.5 tbsp flour (or 1 ½ tbsp. cornflour / cornstarch)
- 2 cups (500 ml) milk (any, I use low fat)
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cups (225g) long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 2)
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or other herb of choice)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large head of broccoli, broken / cut into small florets (~400 - 500g / 14 oz - 1 lb) (Note 3)
- 2 cups (200g) shredded mozzarella or cheddar (or other cheese of choice) (Note 4)
- Finely chopped parsley , optional garnish
Instructions
- Melt butter and heat oil in a pot over high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until it changes from pink to white. (Note 5)
- Turn stove DOWN to medium. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Add half the milk, stirring as you go, and once incorporated into the flour add the rest of the milk and stir.
- Add broth, rice, thyme and a just pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir, bring to simmer, then cover. Turn down to medium low and cook for 12 minutes.
- Remove lid – there should still be liquid on the surface. Working quickly, add broccoli, push down so it’s partly submerged, cover and cook for a further 3 minutes until broccoli is just cooked.
- Preheat grill/broiler. Remove lid and stir through half the cheese – don’t worry if it looks a bit too saucy, excess liquid gets sucked up in minutes (see video). Smooth surface, top with remaining cheese. Grill/broil until melted (or just put lid on and allow to melt with residual heat on turned off stove).
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Chicken and Rice Casserole originally posted January 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters in January 2019 – no change to recipe, I wouldn’t dare!
More one-pot Chicken and Rice recipes
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Baked Chicken and Rice – one of my all time most popular recipes!
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One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice – firm reader favourite!
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See all One Pot Recipes
More Chicken and Broccoli recipes
For those of you who consider these standard weekly grocery items like I do!
Life of Dozer
This is how he leaps into the water – eyes tightly closed and nose up. If he were human, he’d be holding his nose and wearing goggles. For sure.
Tasty and so easy to make! Just wonderful, Nagi, your recipes never let me down. One question-when can we expect your cookbook in the shops?! I’d buy it immediately!
Hi Sandra, thanks so much for letting me know!! A cookbook may be on the cards in the future! ❤️
Great dish so easy to make!
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Lisa!
Can you use almond milk instead of regular milk?
Hi Sydney, you sure could!
Yum! This was a hit at our house. Thank you 🙂
Wonderful!!
Hi Nagi thank you for this wonderfully easy and tasty recipe. I made this in no time and wash-up was simple – one pot! Even our 12 year old twins ate all their broccoli!! Keep up the great work, our family love your recipes, they’re simple, real and delicious.
That’s amazing John! Sounds like you nailed it!
Can you use chicken breasts with this recipe?
Hi Nunzia, I prefer thigh as it doesn’t dry out – N x
Absolutely lovely! So easy to make.
I’m so glad you loved it Jane!
Hi Nagi, could you please advise if I need to rinse the rice first. I never know unless it says but I thought you needed to rinse the rice to make it less starchy. Many thanks
Hi Diane, it’s not necessary in this recipe (I’ll always specify in a recipe if it’s required) – N x
Hi Nagi
I love your recipes SO much you mention your chicken & broc in the oven. Have I missed this. Also do you think I could cheat & use my slow cooker for this & just finish the cheese off under the grille?
Thanks
Hi Jean, I haven’t tried in the slow cooker to be honest!
I made this tonight, it was very good, My wife said this was a keeper…. perhaps she was speaking about me ?
Haha of course Bruce 😉
I just made this for dinner and it was really good! It was so nice to only have 1 pot to clean up.
One pot is my idea of heaven 😂
This tasted great. My pan made the rice stick to the bottom & get a browned crust but even that tastes good.
I’m so glad you loved it (even with a crust) – I’m a sucker for any crunchy bits ☺️
yummy, but took closer to 25 minutes for rice to cook and it was a little too creamy for me, so either less liquid or more rice next time. But so much better than canned soup!!
Hi Patty, can I ask what rice you used? I’m glad you you liked it anyway – N x
Hi Nagi, just cooked this & got a thumbs up from my husband & a please cook this again so a definite success! Thanks so much.
Wahoooo! Sounds like you nailed it!
Hi! I made this tonight and for some reason my milk coagulated when cooking. I turned my stove down to 3 to cook the rice. Is this too high of a temp? And I’m wondering if you have any ideas on how to fix this. Thanks!
Hi Nagi
I’ve been following you and using your recipes for about 3 years I think! I share your website with anyone who is interested! My work colleague and I know a lot of your meals off by heart and we often refer to a meal as Nagi’s when we’re walking out the door planning dinner that night. My husband and I both work full time and our kids are now 12 and 14. I probably cook at least one of your recipe once a week-sometimes up to 3 or 4 recipes per week. They are always easy to make, healthy and we enjoy the meals immensely! Tonight I helped my 12 yo son make the one pot chicken broccoli rice casserole. We’ve just finished cleaning up and I felt compelled to tell you how we attribute Nagi to a great family meal. You are sort of a household name for us!! Thank you for your dedication, hard work and great ideas. And we like to look at your mum’s website too having visited Japan last year (we want to go back soon!). Felicity
Woah Felicity, thanks so much for taking the time to let me know what you think of my recipes, this truly makes me smile 😍
Marvellous recipes. Bravo Nagi. 👍
Thanks so much!
Hi Nagi,
You have the best most complete recipes on the Web! All the instructions and pictures are great. CUDOS !!!
Nagi, you never disappoint me. Every recipe I have tried is so delicious and pretty. Loved the chicken egg drop soup too. I have a pot of chicken soup on the stove right now. This one pot chicken recipe is so comforting. Thank you.
Thanks so much for letting me know Karen ❤️
I want to use leftover chicken from your roast chicken recipe I made last night. 🙂 When should I add the chicken since it’s already cooked?
Hi Alexis, fab idea, I’d just stir it through at step 5 so it reheats while the rice is cooking ☺️
Thanks, it turned out delicious! I used some of the homemade stock from the roast chicken carcass too. Made a simple meal like this one seem extra special!