Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Yumna Jawad

Updated Dec 12, 2025

4 from 4 votes

This chicken broccoli rice casserole is all baked together, no separate cooking required, with chicken breast, cheddar cheese, and cut broccoli.

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Comments
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Chicken broccoli rice casserole in baking dish.
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My Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is So Good!

I didn’t grow up eating casseroles, so this chicken broccoli rice casserole wasn’t exactly a thing in my Lebanese family. But once I had kids and started figuring out my own dinner routine, I finally understood why people love them. It’s all made in one dish, the chicken, broccoli, rice, and cheese, and I don’t have to pre-cook anything. I mix everything right in the baking dish, cover it up, and let the oven do the rest. It’s not fancy, but it’s the kind of dinner that disappears fast around here.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Ingredients

Ingredients for recipe: seasoning blend, rice, yogurt, milk, chicken breasts, broth, shredded cheese, and broccoli.
  • Chicken breast: I like the texture of chicken breast, but you can also use 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs! You can use shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken, but I would recommend adding it after the rice is cooked right when you add in the shredded cheese so that the chicken doesn’t dry out.
  • Broccoli: If you don’t have time to work with fresh broccoli, bagged, pre-cut broccoli florets will totally work for this chicken broccoli rice casserole recipe.
  • Cheddar cheese: Grate it off the block if you can (fresh grated cheese is softer and more melty compared to pre-shredded cheddar cheese).
  • Rice: I use basmati rice because it’s the only long-grain rice I buy, but you can use any long-grain white rice. I would avoid short-grain rice because it can get mushy in the oven.
  • Broth: I like the flavor of chicken broth in this casserole recipe, but vegetable stock will also work!
  • Milk: Whole milk is my go-to, but you can use low-fat or any kind of unflavored, unsweetened non-dairy milk.
  • Yogurt: Plain, whole Greek yogurt tastes best, but low-fat yogurt or sour cream will still add tanginess and creaminess.
  • Spices: You’ll need onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried thyme for this cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole.

How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Broth, milk, yogurt, and seasonings in a casserole dish before mixing.
Step 1: In a casserole dish, whisk together the chicken broth, milk, Greek yogurt, and spices until smooth.
After whisked smooth with uncooked rice, cubed chicken and broccoli florets added.
Step 2: Add the rinsed rice, cubed chicken, and broccoli florets to the dish.
After tossing together add ins into sauce in baking dish.
Step 3: Stir everything gently to combine. Cover tightly with foil and bake.
Casserole after most liquid is absorbed with a fork fluffy rice.
Step 4: Remove foil and check if the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to fluff the rice gently.
Shredded cheese added on top before baking.
Step 5: Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
After baking to show melty cheese.
Step 6: Return to the oven and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 
Chicken broccoli rice casserole recipe.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe

Author: Yumna Jawad
4 from 4 votes
This chicken broccoli rice casserole is easy. Nothing has to be precooked: Just add your chicken breast, rice, broccoli, and seasonings straight to the casserole dish, then bake.
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Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Servings4 servings

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Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup uncooked white rice rinsed
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, cubed
  • 3 cups small broccoli florets
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a 9×13 casserole dish, whisk together the chicken broth, milk, Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and thyme until smooth.
  • Add the rinsed rice, cubed chicken, and broccoli florets to the dish. Stir everything gently to combine.
  • Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
  • Remove foil and check if the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to fluff the rice gently.
  • Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for another 7-9 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Equipment

Notes

  • My Top Tip: Rinse your rice first! This will remove the excess starch so your chicken broccoli rice casserole doesn’t come out mushy.
Storage: Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, any leftovers will last about 3 days. Reheat individual portions of the casserole in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through. You can also store the covered casserole dish in the fridge and reheat at 350°F.
Freezing: If you have a freezer-safe casserole dish, you can cover the whole thing and put it in the freezer. If you don’t, you can place portions of the casserole into freezer bags or airtight containers. The chicken broccoli rice casserole will keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, just thaw the dish or portion in the oven overnight and then reheat.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups, Calories: 563kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 45g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 1070mg, Potassium: 930mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 990IU, Vitamin C: 62mg, Calcium: 462mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?
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Recipe Tips

  1. Tightly cover your baking dish. Make sure your foil is tightly sealed so that you don’t lose any moisture while baking, and the rice will cook evenly.
  2. Brown the cheese. If you prefer a browned cheesy top, move the baking dish to the top rack and broil for the remaining time.
  3. Rinse your rice first. This will remove the excess starch so your chicken broccoli rice casserole doesn’t come out mushy.
  4. Don’t skip fluffing the rice. This will help the rice absorb most of the liquid, and improve the dish’s texture!
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole.

Serving Ideas

FAQs

What do I do if my rice hasn’t absorbed most of the liquid?

I would re-cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and put back in the oven, checking after 10 minutes to see if the liquid’s absorbed.

Serving of casserole on a plate with a light salad, fork lifting up a bite of chicken, broccoli and rice.

More Casserole & Baked Dinner Recipes

4 from 4 votes

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Comments

  1. John says:

    I would stage cook this recipe, Give rice about 15 minutes then add the chicken and broccoli. I found the chicken was over cooked by the time the rice was cooked. I also preseason the chicken with the same spice you used in the recipe, which gave the overall chicken better taste. Just my thoughts.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      I appreciate you taking the time to leave your feedback, John! I will take this all into consideration when I re-test.

      Reply
  2. John says:

    This recipe has a lot of issues. I will admit it has a good flavor. If you study the recipe the cooking times don’t add up. It says 50 minutes total. In the instructions is says to bake 45 minutes the an additional 10 minutes to melt cheese.
    The baking time @350° is off, the oven temperature needs to be closer to 400°.
    If you don’t mind recipes that are not well vetted give it a shot. If not I would tell you to pass on this recipe. There are better options for chicken, rice and broccoli.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Thank you for the feedback! I’ll re-test this recipe for both time and temperature. Did you have any other issues I can look at when I re-test it?

      Reply

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