If your weeknights look anything like mine, dinner needs to happen quickly and easily. This Easy Chicken Rice Broccoli Casserole is one of my go-tos for that exact reason! Just dump everything in one dish, slide it in the oven, and walk away to spend time with the fam!
I build every recipe on this site around the same rule: it has to be nourishing and realistic for a busy household! This cheesy broccoli rice casserole checks both boxes. You get lean protein from the chicken, fiber and vitamin C from the broccoli, and calcium from the cheese and milk, all cooked together in one 9x13 dish with almost no cleanup.
There's no pre-cooking the rice, no pre-cooking the chicken, and no sauce to make on the stove first! Everything goes into the pan raw and bakes together, so it is a one-dish meal that is ready in no time.
If you love a good dump-and-bake dinner as much as I do, try my Easy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole (this one has pasta instead of rice), or my Easy Chicken Pasta Bake with Veggies!
Nutrition at a Glance
- 🍗 Protein: Chicken breast, Greek yogurt, and cheddar all bring protein to the table, which helps keep everyone full and satisfied until the next meal.
- 🥦 Fiber: Broccoli adds fiber that supports healthy digestion and helps keep blood sugar steady.
- 🍊 Vitamin C: Broccoli is also a great source of vitamin C, which supports a healthy immune system.
- 🦴 Calcium: Milk and cheddar cheese provide calcium for strong bones and teeth. An easy win for growing kids.
- 🌾 Balanced Carbs: Rice provides steady energy in the form of carbohydrates, making this a well-rounded, one-dish meal.
Ingredients You Need
- Chicken breasts: Lean and protein-packed. Boneless skinless thighs work great here too.
- Long-grain white rice: Cooks right in the dish and soaks up all the flavor. Jasmine rice is a good substitute with the same cook time. Don't use microwaveable rice here!
- Broccoli florets: Adds fiber, vitamin C, and color. Frozen broccoli (thawed and patted dry) works well too!
- Chicken broth: Use broth as the liquid to cook the rice. Swap in vegetable broth if that's what you have on hand.
- Milk: Adds creaminess to the sauce. Any milk you drink regularly, dairy or non-dairy, will work.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Adds protein and tang in place of heavy cream. Sour cream is a fine substitute.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Adds flavor, protein, and calcium. Feel free to swap in Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend.
- Garlic powder & onion powder: Build savory flavor without any chopping.
- Dijon mustard: A small amount adds a subtle tang that rounds out the cheese sauce.
- Kosher salt & black pepper: Season to taste.
- Avocado oil: Used just to grease the dish! Olive oil works too.
Dietary Substitutions
- Gluten-free: This broccoli rice casserole recipe is naturally gluten-free as written. Just double check your chicken broth and Dijon mustard labels, since some brands sneak in gluten-containing additives.
- Dairy-free: Swap the milk for an unsweetened dairy-free milk, the Greek yogurt for a dairy-free yogurt, and the cheddar for your favorite dairy-free shredded cheese.
How to Make Easy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. In the prepared baking dish, combine the rice, chicken broth, milk, Greek yogurt, some of the shredded cheddar, and spices. Stir well. Add the diced chicken and broccoli on the top. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the foil, stir the casserole, and sprinkle on the remaining cup of cheddar. Return to the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
Step 3: Let the dump-and-bake chicken broccoli rice casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. The rice will keep absorbing liquid as it sits, so don't skip this step.
Dietitian Tips for Success
- Stir in extra veggies. More veggies means more fiber and color, and the casserole holds up just fine with a little extra bulk mixed in. You can add diced bell pepper, cauliflower, or even some zucchini. It's an easy way to sneak more nutrients into a meal your family already loves.
- Double the recipe and freeze half. This easy chicken broccoli rice casserole freezes beautifully in individual portions, so on a night when you have zero energy left, you'll have a homemade dinner ready to reheat. I always keep a few containers stashed for exactly those nights.
- Let it rest the full 5 minutes before serving. I know it's tempting to dig in right away, but the rice keeps absorbing liquid as it cools slightly, and skipping this step usually means a soupier bite than you want.
- Cut your chicken pieces uniformly. Chicken pieces that are all roughly the same 1-inch size will finish cooking at the same rate, so you won't end up with any dry, overcooked bits or undercooked centers.
How to Serve Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
This cheesy broccoli rice casserole is a complete meal on its own, but I love rounding it out with something fresh on the side. A simple green salad, like my Hearty Winter Arugula Salad or my Kale Caesar Salad are both great options! It would also go great with a side of garlic bread for the kiddos.
Storage Suggestions
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave in 30-second increments, or cover with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through. Add a splash of milk or broth if the rice has dried out.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! For a dump-and-bake casserole like this one, you add uncooked (raw) rice directly to the dish along with enough liquid (broth, milk, etc.), and it cooks fully in the oven alongside the other ingredients. Pre-cooking would actually throw off the liquid ratio and lead to mushy, overcooked rice by the time the casserole finishes baking.
You can assemble the uncooked casserole up to a day in advance and store it covered in the fridge, then bake it when you're ready. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the covered bake time since the dish will be starting out cold.
More Easy Dinner Recipes to Try
- Chicken Crust Cheese Pizza
- Ground Turkey Taco Salad
- Pesto Chicken Rice Bowl
- Butternut Squash Sausage Casserole
- Healthy Chicken Stroganoff
Easy Broccoli Cheddar Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice uncooked
- 3 cups broccoli florets roughly chopped
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups sharp cheddar shredded, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil for greasing the dish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon avocado oil, for greasing the dish.
- In the prepared baking dish, combine long-grain white rice, chicken broth, milk, plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, garlic powder, onion powder, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and roughly chop broccoli florets and mix evenly into the rice mixture, pressing them down slightly so they are partially submerged.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and stir the casserole. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar evenly over the top. Return to the oven uncovered and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
- Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving. The rice will continue to absorb any remaining liquid as it sits.
Notes
- Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. The rice continues to absorb liquid as it sits.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months.
- Frozen broccoli can be used in place of fresh, just thaw and pat dry first to avoid excess water in the dish.
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