With about 10 minutes of prep, this dump-and-bake chicken broccoli rice casserole is an easy dinner that cooks in one dish! There’s no need to pre-cook the rice, pre-cook the chicken, or sauté the veggies, so the comfort food meal is an ideal option to pop in the oven for busy weeknights.
If you love easy chicken casseroles, try my Chicken and Stuffing Casserole or Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole, and check out my full collection of Favorite Dump and Bake Dinners for more simple recipes like this.
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How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole | 1-Minute Video
Delicious, cheap and so simple. I didn’t have cream of chicken, so I used cream of celery. I’ll never do it any other way! I added some garlic powder and onion powder in as well. my 2yo and 4yo loved it, this is definitely going straight into the meal rotation
– Vicki
Before You Get Started
These key tips help the casserole cook evenly and make sure the rice turns out tender.
- Use long-grain white rice only. This recipe was developed and tested specifically for uncooked long-grain white rice. Other varieties (brown rice, wild rice, or instant rice) all absorb liquid differently and require their own cook times, so they won’t turn out well here.
- Keep the broccoli frozen. Frozen broccoli releases moisture as it cooks, which helps soften the rice and keeps the casserole from drying out. Baby florets are the best size for an even bite, but chopped fresh broccoli will work too as long as the pieces are small.
- Dice the chicken into small, bite-size pieces. Since everything cooks together in one dish, cutting the chicken small ensures it cooks through at the same rate as the rice. If you prefer, you can use about 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (such as rotisserie), which may shorten the baking time slightly.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil. Trapping steam is the most important part of dump-and-bake casseroles. A tight seal keeps the liquid in the dish so the rice can absorb it fully. If steam escapes, the rice can turn out undercooked or uneven.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
This easy dinner relies on simple ingredients and the dump-and-bake method. Everything cooks together in one dish, absorbing flavor as it bakes.
Step 1: Combine the Liquid Base
Whisk the condensed soup and water (or broth/milk) in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish until smooth. This mixture helps cook the rice, binds the casserole, and adds creaminess without extra steps.
Step 2: Add the Remaining Ingredients
Stir in the uncooked long-grain white rice, diced raw chicken, and frozen broccoli florets. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, or any herbs you enjoy.
Good options include paprika, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, chives, seasoned salt, or parsley.
** Note: If you prefer, you can use about 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (such as rotisserie). The casserole may need slightly less baking time when starting with cooked chicken.
Step 3: Cover Tightly and Bake
Cover the dish tightly with foil so no steam escapes. This is the key to tender, fluffy rice.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Taste a small bite of rice to check doneness.
Glass or ceramic dishes may take a bit longer than metal pans, so adjust as needed.
Step 4: Add the Cheese
Fluff the rice gently with a fork, sprinkle cheese on top, and return the pan to the oven for a few minutes until melted.
Step 5: Serve
Let the casserole rest for a few minutes, then garnish with fresh herbs if you like.
Serving Suggestions
This casserole pairs well with a simple veggie or bread side. Try it with:
Preparation and Storage Tips
Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the refrigerator overnight before baking. The rice will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. Don’t overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy rice.
Storage: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The rice will dry out a bit as it sits, so you may need to stir in some additional broth or milk when you reheat the dish.
I don’t recommend freezing this dish since rice can turn mushy once thawed.
How to Reheat: Cover and reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat individual portions in a microwave for about 1 minute.
Recipe Variations
- Swap out the broccoli for different vegetables. Frozen peas or corn, frozen mixed vegetables, sauteed sliced mushrooms, and diced or grated zucchini are all good options.
- Milk is a fine substitute for the broth or water.
- Top the casserole with other good melting cheeses, including Colby, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, and mozzarella.
- Add buttered Ritz crackers, buttered seasoned bread crumbs, or buttered panko breadcrumbs at the same time that you add the cheese if you like a crunchy topping. This dump-and-bake chicken vegetable casserole even includes buttery stuffing mix on top.
- For a similar dish with pasta, try this dump-and-bake chicken pot pie pasta.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The cooking instructions remain the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes. Frozen broccoli works very well here and helps provide the moisture needed for the rice to cook properly.
Can I use a different type of rice?
No. Long-grain white rice is the only type that cooks evenly with this liquid ratio and timing. Minute rice, wild rice, and brown rice all require different amounts of liquid and won’t work with this dump-and-bake method.
Can I make this casserole ahead?
Yes. Assemble the dish and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight. Just note that the rice may soften slightly as it absorbs liquid.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely. Use about 2 cups of diced or shredded cooked chicken. The casserole may finish a little sooner in the oven.
Followed you before I became a Mom, but now as a first time mom I loved that this recipe took only 5 minutes to put together and I had something hot ready to eat and serve while our little 1 month old was in his bassinet. Thanks again! Added a little extra salt/pepper to prepared dish but overall very satisfying and easy. Thanks for sharing!
– Liz T.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken broth, water, or milk
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 lb. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
- 1 (12.6 oz) bag frozen baby broccoli florets (or cuts)
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: additional herbs and seasoning of choice, such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, chives, parsley, or seasoned salt
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the prepared dish, whisk together the cream of chicken soup and the broth or water.
- Stir in the uncooked rice, the uncooked chicken, and the frozen broccoli. Season with about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add extra herbs and spices at this time, if you like. I typically include at least ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, but herbs such as parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, and/or chives are also great. Stir again so that everything is well combined.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through. Use a fork to fluff the rice. If your rice is still too firm after 1 hour, cover the dish tightly and return it to the oven for 5-10 more minutes. Be careful that you don't overcook the rice or it will become mushy. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the dish.
- Return to the oven for a few more minutes, just until the cheese melts.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- The total cooking time will vary based on a number of factors, including the type of pan that you use and your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the rice. The rice should be tender and most of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Use long-grain white rice only for the correct texture.
- Cover tightly with foil so the rice can steam and absorb liquid.
- Taste the rice for doneness before removing from the oven. Add 5–10 minutes if needed.
- Frozen broccoli works best, but fresh broccoli can be used if chopped small.
- If using cooked chicken, reduce baking time slightly and check early.
- Glass or ceramic baking dishes may require a bit more time than metal pans.
Nutrition
Originally published in November, 2017, this post was updated in December, 2025.
We’ll see, definitely not quicker than my tried & true recipe. Hopefully, it turns out. I’ll let you know.
We hope you enjoy it, Rita!
Could you make this without canned soup?
You could use homemade cream of chicken (or cream of something) soup! We hope you enjoy, Michelle.
Exactly what I was looking for—easy weeknight dinner that’s peak comfort food. Excellent! For anyone else who might also only have canned (cooked) chicken breast: I used 2 10 oz cans and it was just right.
Awesome! That’s a great tip, Nicole. Thank you!
Hi Blair!
Made this for supper last night and it was so easy for a weeknight meal and so good. I did add a small onion and an additional 1/2 cup of chicken broth as I wanted it to be a little saucy rather than dry. I also added the cheese in with everything before I baked it and then added a little more to the top when it was finished and stuck it back in the oven for about a minute or two to melt the cheese. Came out perfect. We will definitely be having this again. I absolutely love your recipes and your website!
Happy New Year to you and your family!
Thank you so much, Lisa! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and were able to adjust it to suit your preferences. We appreciate you trying it out and taking the time to leave a review! Happy New Year to you and yours as well!
Thank you for the recipe it was absolutely wonderful
So glad that you enjoyed it, Traci. Thank you!
This recipe needs some serious revising. My two friends and I made it for a group dinner and in all cases the rice didn’t cook after an hour and in fact we had to cook the casserole for two hours in total. Another friend cooked her rice first and used cooked, shredded chicken and she produced a nice casserole in under an hour. You simply cannot successfully cook rice in this casserole in 50-60 minutes and in fact the chicken was barely cooked in that time. My recommendation is to use cooked chicken and cooked rice when making this dish. The end-result, with cheese on top, is very tasty!
Having the same exact problem. Very upsetting because I don’t have a back up and just wasted a bunch of food. Weird how she doesn’t reply to the “bad comments” either…
Easy & delicious .. only modification I did was use a bigger dish
Thank you! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Turned out great!! Doubled the recipe I have a big family!! I’ll be using this recipe in the future:) thanks!
Cooked this dish exactly by the instructions and my rice is not cooking all the way through modt is cooked, some grains aren’t cooked st all. even added extra time like instructed… now we don’t have dinner 🙁
We’re sorry to hear this, Becca. Did you use long-grain white rice?
How do you recommend making this in the slow cooker? Thank you!
Hi Alexandra! We haven’t tested this recipe in a slow cooker and can’t guarantee it will work. However, we would recommend combing all the ingredients, covering, and cooking, keeping an eye on it for the timing. We’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try!
This was just what I was looking for! Love that everything could just be tossed in not cooked before hand and it came out perfect. Thanks!
We’re so happy to hear this, Haley! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review.
I will make this recipe again, but next time use half as much liquid. I used a combination of 1 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk, total of 2 cups, but it was too much liquid.
Thank you for the feedback, Marla. We’re glad you still enjoyed the recipe and would love to know how it goes if you try it out again!
Making now in the morning for tonight as we won’t be here but our son will. We love all these ingredients so it’ll be a hit! Winner, winner, .chicken dinner lol! Added a pkt of onion soup mix with pepper, garlic etc. Love all your recipes thank you!
Thank you so much, Audrey! We hope you enjoy.
If I want to sub brown rice for the white rice, how much longer would I need to plan to bake it since brown rice take longer than white rice to cook on the stovetop?
I have a casserole crockpot. Do you happen to know how long it would take in a slow cooker instead of the oven?
Hi, Rachel! I’m sorry, I don’t. I’ve never tested it in the slow cooker. I would try it on high for 1-3 hours, just checking it often the first time you make it. You don’t want to risk overcooking the rice or it will be mushy. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Delicious and so easy to prepare! I will make this many more times. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mary! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review.
Made this for 8 based on updated recipe quantities. To much liquid is used. Cut the chicken into very, very small pieces hoping it would cook through, it did not. Additionally, 9 by 13 pan is only big enough for the original recipe as that is what the updated quantities recipe said to use. Guess it doesn’t update that part.
To maybe salvage, I have picked out the very undercooked pieces of chicken, even after cooking an addition 10 minutes to absorb liquid, uncover, mind you the rice is now overcooked, cooking for a significantly longer time.. in now at a total 1 hour and 17 minutes.
Honestly, it looks disgusting. Pretty sure no one is going to eat this and I’m going to have to run to a small town and get Wendy’s.
I sautéed some mushrooms in butter, let them cool, then added them with the broccoli and chicken. Was perfect. Thanks for this recipe!
Thanks, Becky!
I followed this recipe exactly and it did not work out for me. I’m not sure where i went wrong but my liquid didnt absorb and the rice didnt cook. I put in for extra time and that didnt make a difference. Any tips for these issues??
Hi Meg! We’re sorry to hear this. Did you use uncooked long grain white rice?
This was a game changer for my family. I have never made this before and my family absolutely loved it. 100% satisfied.
We’re so glad it turned out well for you and was a hit! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review, Renee.