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Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

4.94 from 29 votes
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posted: 06/09/21

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is ultimate comfort food. With easy ingredients and the ability to make it ahead, this chicken broccoli and rice casserole will become part of the meal rotation.

white casserole dish filled with chicken broccoli and rice casserole topped with fried onions

I partnered with Gold’n Plump® to bring you this delicious dinner recipe.

I’m so excited about today’s recipe! It is a spin on my Broccoli Rice Casserole, but made with chicken to stretch it into a full dinner recipe. This great recipe can be made completely from scratch. It can be made ahead and frozen. Your family will love this classic dinner recipe.

Reader Review

Made this last week, it was delicious! Leftovers for lunch the next day were great too. Very easy and quick to put together with ingredients I had on hand. Thanks for another great recipe.

How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

  1. Sauté the onions. Soften the onion in melted butter over medium heat. Then stir in the frozen broccoli and cook until no longer frozen.
  2. Mix together the casserole ingredients. Mix together the condensed cream of chicken soup, milk, spices, vegetables, chicken, instant rice, and some of the cheese. Pour it into the casserole dish.
  3. Top the casserole. Add cheese and fried onions to the top of the casserole and bake.
a package of gold'n plump chicken breasts on a wood board next to chicken broccoli rice casserole

Totally from scratch Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

I know there are a lot of people who get turned off from recipes that call for condensed soup.

I get it. So this chicken broccoli rice cheese casserole has the short cut of using the store bought condensed cream of chicken soup. But, you can also substitute that with my homemade condensed cream of chicken soup!

It makes the exact amount the can gives you, so it’s a perfect swap out.

landscape photo of a white casserole dish with chicken broccoli cheese casserole

Make Ahead Chicken Broccoli Casserole

I love that this chicken broccoli cheese rice casserole is an easy make ahead meal. This makes it perfect for a busy week night.

Follow the instructions up until you put the mixture in the casserole dish and the stop. Cover it and put it in the refrigerator.

When you get home from work the next night, pull it out, add the remaining cheese and fried onions, and pop it in the oven. Just five extra minutes of bake time and you have a delicious chicken and broccoli casserole.

landscape photo with two white plates on a blue napkin and straw placemat holding chicken broccoli cheese rice casserole

Freezer Friendly

This chicken broccoli rice casserole makes a great freezer meal!

Use an aluminum disposable baking dish so you don’t have to worry about your frozen glass or ceramic dish cracking and breaking in your hot oven.

Like the instructions above, you want prepare your casserole but not top it. Wrap it several times in aluminum foil or plastic wrap before placing it in the freezer.

When you are ready to bake it, take it right from the freezer, top it with the remaining cheddar cheese and fried onions and put in the oven.

Bake your frozen casserole for 45 minutes covered at 350 degrees. Then remove the foil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling.

Serving Size

This recipe makes 7 cups. The nutritional information listed in the recipe card below is based on six servings. So each serving is one overflowing cup.

serving spoon holding chicken broccoli casserole with the rest of the casserole blurred in the background

FAQ

Do I cook the chicken before adding it?

Nope! The chicken goes into the recipe in step 3 raw. It will absolutely cook through in the 45 minutes this casserole is in the oven.

Do I precook the rice?

Nope! Stir in the uncooked instant rice in step 3.

Can I use regular long grain rice instead of instant rice?

Sorry! This recipe was only tested with instant rice.

Can I use fresh broccoli instead of frozen?

Yes! You will just want to sauté it until it is tender rather than the time frame given below.

overhead view of a serving spoon in a casserole dish of chicken broccoli rice casserole

Other Delicious Chicken Dinners

If you make this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole or any of my other dinner recipes, please let me know by leaving a comment! I love hearing what’s working for you and what’s not.

white casserole dish filled with chicken broccoli and rice casserole topped with fried onions
4.94 from 29 votes

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Serves: 6 people
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is ultimate comfort food. With easy ingredients and the ability to make it ahead, this chicken broccoli and rice casserole will become part of the meal rotation.

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 16 ounces frozen broccoli
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder optional
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 10 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup (store bought or homemade)
  • 1 cup milk (I used skim)
  • 1 cup instant rice
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
  • 1 pound Gold'n Plump Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts diced (uncooked)
  • 1 cup fried onions

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
  • In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the broccoli, and cook until no longer frozen, about 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the broccoli onion mixture, diced chicken, instant rice, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
  • Top with remaining cheese and fried onions. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 15 minutes.

Notes

To make this dish ahead of time, follow the instructions through #3. Cover with foil and put in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Top with 1 cup cheddar cheese and fried onions. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole has begun to brown around the edges.
Serving: 1heaping cup Calories: 469kcal (23%) Carbohydrates: 26g (9%) Protein: 25g (50%) Fat: 31g (48%) Saturated Fat: 17g (106%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 98mg (33%) Sodium: 938mg (41%) Potassium: 408mg (12%) Fiber: 3g (13%) Sugar: 3g (3%) Vitamin A: 81IU (2%) Vitamin C: 72mg (87%) Calcium: 171mg (17%) Iron: 11mg (61%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
white casserole dish filled with chicken broccoli and rice casserole topped with fried onions

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Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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  1. Debbie Jacobs says

    5 stars
    I have made this for the second time and am sharing it for a meal w a new mom from church. I did make a few changes but it came out delicious! I doubled the recipe this time, used breasts from a rotisserie chicken plus one cooked breast chopped up together. I used frozen broccoli cooked in pan after the onions and added some fresh broccoli I chopped and steamed in the microwave partially cooked. Then added to pan with the other broccoli with melted butter. I partially cooked the 2 cups of rice w 2 cups of water (4 min). It absorbed all the water and I knew it would dry out the casserole if just added in. Since it would be rebaked I didn’t want it to come out too dry. Great flavors and so nice if getting home late to just pop in the oven to heat.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  2. Margaret Imrie says

    Thank you for your delicious recipes. I can’t wait to try them. Margaret from Richmond NSW Australia

    • Lisa Longley says

      I hope you enjoyed it!

  3. Dianne says

    Love all your recipes. In the Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole can I use egg noodles instead of instant rice as no one in my family likes rice.

    • Lisa Longley says

      Yes! Just cook the noodles first and drain them just slightly earlier than you would if you weren’t using them in a casserole.

  4. Deborah says

    What would you suggest to replace the fried onions for the topping ? It sounds delicious, but don’t care for thoes. Tia !

    • Lisa Longley says

      I know a lot of people enjoy crushed crackers with some melted butter.

  5. Leslie says

    Can I use pre-cooked shredded chicken in this recipe instead of raw chicken?

    • Lisa Longley says

      Yes!

  6. Betty Lou Cushing says

    There was no place to forward it to anyone so don’t have any comments!!

  7. Louise Kelley says

    5 stars
    I made this but couldn’t find the fried onions in the store, so I toasted some panko bread crumbs in a sauté pan with a little bit of butter, mixed in an little bit of onion powder, and used that instead. Tasted great!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you liked it!

  8. Anita DeGier says

    I’m trying your Chicken broccoli Casserole recipe tonight.
    My Mothers maiden name was Longley.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I hope you love it!

  9. Dee Jackson says

    I made your chicken broccoli casserole, left out the cheese . Didn’t have enough broccoli so I added about 8 oz of cooked canned carrots . I added crushed potato chips with the less than 1 cup of French fried onions ! We can figure out a recipe and make due with what we have . I LOVED your recipe though !! My husband hates cheddar cheese ! I love it ! Thank you !

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Dee!

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