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Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole From Scratch
This chicken broccoli rice casserole is the baked, from-scratch version of a weeknight classic: tender chicken, bright broccoli florets and fluffy rice folded into a homemade cheddar sauce, then baked in a 9×13-inch dish until the edges bubble and the cheese on top turns golden. There’s no canned soup. A quick butter-and-flour roux gives you a creamy sauce in about 10 minutes, and it tastes far more like real cheese.
Below you’ll find exact amounts, step-by-step directions, a clear choice between baking raw rice right in the dish or using cooked rice, a short note on the canned-soup shortcut, a troubleshooting table for crunchy, soupy or dry results, a make-ahead and freezer plan, and a printable recipe card. It serves 8 and takes about 65 minutes from start to finish.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
A good chicken broccoli rice casserole should be creamy in the middle, cheesy on top and simple to put together. This one does all three without a single can, and avoids gluey rice and gray, overcooked broccoli.
- Made from scratch: a real cheddar sauce made with butter, flour, milk and broth, so you control the salt and the flavor.
- Two rice methods: use leftover cooked rice for a 30-minute bake, or bake raw rice right in the dish for a one-pan dinner.
- Broccoli that stays green: small raw florets cook through in the oven without going mushy.
- Feeds a crowd: one 9×13-inch dish makes 8 generous servings.
- Meal-prep friendly: it can be assembled a day ahead, frozen, and reheated for lunches.
Looking for something faster on a busy night? Our stovetop version of chicken broccoli rice cooks in one skillet with no oven at all. This page is all about the baked casserole.
Ingredients for Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Everything here is easy to find at a regular grocery store. The amounts below are for the cooked-rice method in the recipe card; the raw-rice changes are in their own section further down.
For the filling
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, 1½ lb (680 g), cut into ¾-inch pieces. You can use 3½ cups of cooked chicken instead.
- Olive oil, 1 tablespoon (15 ml), for browning the chicken.
- Cooked long-grain white rice, 4 cups (about 630 g), made from about 1â…“ cups (250 g) of dry rice. Day-old rice works well.
- Broccoli florets, 4 cups (12 oz / 340 g), cut into bite-size pieces about 1 inch across.
For the homemade cheddar sauce
- Unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons (56 g).
- Yellow onion, 1 small (about 1 cup / 110 g), finely diced.
- Garlic, 2 cloves, minced.
- All-purpose flour, â…“ cup (40 g).
- Whole milk, 2 cups (480 ml).
- Low-sodium chicken broth, 1½ cups (360 ml).
- Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon, which sharpens the cheese flavor without tasting like mustard.
- Smoked or sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon.
- Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon (Diamond Crystal; use ½ teaspoon table salt) and black pepper, ½ teaspoon.
- Sharp cheddar, 2½ cups shredded (10 oz / 283 g), divided: 1½ cups for the sauce and 1 cup for the top.
- Parmesan, ¼ cup grated (25 g).
Optional crunchy topping
- Panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup (30 g), tossed with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
About the rice: regular long-grain white rice gives the cleanest, least sticky result. Jasmine works too. Short-grain and Arborio rice release a lot of starch and turn the casserole gluey, so skip them here.
Equipment You Need
- A 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, 3-quart size, lightly greased.
- A large skillet for the chicken.
- A medium saucepan and a whisk for the cheddar sauce.
- Aluminum foil to cover the dish for the first part of the bake.
- A box grater, because freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly.
- An instant-read thermometer to confirm the chicken and the center of the casserole reach a safe temperature.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (Step by Step)
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease the baking dish. If you need to cook rice first, start it now; it can cook while you prep everything else.
1. Brown the chicken
Pat the chicken pieces dry and season them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned and cooked through. The thickest piece should read 165°F (74°C). Move the chicken to a plate.
2. Prep the broccoli
Cut the broccoli into small florets, about 1 inch across, and peel and slice the tender part of the stem if you like. Small pieces cook evenly in the oven. There’s no need to blanch them for this method; a 25-minute bake leaves them tender with a little bite.
3. Make the cheddar sauce
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. This is your roux.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, then the broth, until smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 3 to 4 minutes, whisking often, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, Parmesan and 1½ cups of the cheddar until melted.
The sauce should be pourable, like heavy cream. Rice keeps soaking up liquid in the oven, so a sauce that looks a little loose now gives you a creamy casserole later.
4. Assemble the casserole
In a large bowl, combine the rice, chicken and broccoli. Pour the sauce over and fold until everything is coated. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish and scatter the remaining 1 cup of cheddar over the top. Add the buttered panko now if you’re using it.
5. Bake
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes, so the broccoli steams.
- Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until the edges bubble and the cheese is melted and golden in spots.
- Check the center with a thermometer: it should read 165°F (74°C).
6. Rest and serve
Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The sauce settles and thickens slightly, so each scoop holds its shape on the plate.
Raw Rice or Cooked Rice? How to Bake It Either Way
Both methods make a great chicken and broccoli casserole with rice. Cooked rice is faster and more predictable. Raw rice baked in the dish saves a pot and soaks up the flavor of the broth, but it needs more liquid, a tight cover and more time.
| Method | Rice | Sauce liquid | Bake at 375°F (190°C) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked rice (recipe card) | 4 cups cooked | 2 cups milk + 1½ cups broth | 15 min covered, 10–15 min uncovered | Leftover rice, faster dinner |
| Raw rice baked in | 1 cup (185 g) dry long-grain, rinsed | 1½ cups milk + 2½ cups broth, 3 tbsp flour | 45 min covered, add broccoli, 15 min covered, 5–10 min uncovered | One-pan dinner, no rice pot |
How to bake raw rice in the casserole
- Rinse 1 cup of long-grain white rice until the water runs mostly clear, then spread it in the greased dish.
- Make the sauce with 3 tablespoons flour, 1½ cups milk and 2½ cups broth. Stir in only ½ cup of the cheddar, since a long bake can make a very cheesy sauce split.
- Scatter raw chicken pieces over the rice and pour the hot sauce over everything. Hot liquid gives the rice a head start.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Stir, fold in the broccoli, re-cover and bake 15 minutes more.
- Uncover, add the remaining cheddar and bake 5 to 10 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
Use regular long-grain rice for this method. Brown rice needs about ½ cup more broth and 20 to 25 extra minutes covered. Instant rice turns to mush in a long bake, so save it for the cooked-rice version.
Tips for the Best Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
A cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole comes down to three things: a stable sauce, rice with the right texture, and broccoli that isn’t overcooked. These habits take care of all of them.
- Shred your own cheddar. Bagged shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch and can melt grainy.
- Add the cheese off the heat. Boiling a cheese sauce makes it stringy or oily.
- Use sharp or extra-sharp cheddar. Mild cheddar gets lost behind the rice and milk.
- Keep the sauce loose. If it’s thick enough to hold a line on the spoon, whisk in another ¼ cup of broth.
- Use day-old rice if you can. Chilled rice is firmer and holds its shape in the sauce.
- Cut the broccoli small. Large florets stay crunchy in the middle while the rest is done.
- Season at the end. Cheddar, Parmesan and broth all add salt, so taste the sauce before adding more.
- Don’t skip the rest. Five to ten minutes out of the oven turns a runny scoop into a neat one.
Troubleshooting: Crunchy Rice, Soupy or Dry
If your chicken broccoli rice casserole didn’t come out the way you expected, this table shows the likely cause and how to fix it next time, or right now.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Crunchy rice | Raw rice with too little liquid, a loose foil cover, or cold sauce | Add ½ cup hot broth, re-cover tightly and bake 10 to 15 minutes more |
| Soupy casserole | Sauce not simmered long enough, frozen broccoli not drained, or cut too soon | Bake uncovered 10 minutes more, then rest 10 minutes before serving |
| Dry casserole | Sauce too thick, too much rice, or baked too long uncovered | Stir in ½ cup warm milk or broth; next time keep it covered longer |
| Grainy or oily sauce | Pre-shredded cheese, or cheese added over high heat | Shred your own and stir it in off the heat |
| Mushy broccoli | Florets added too early in a raw-rice bake, or blanched first | Add raw florets for the last 15 to 25 minutes only |
| Bland flavor | Mild cheese, unsalted rice, or no seasoning in the sauce | Use sharp cheddar, cook rice in salted water, add mustard and paprika |
Crunchy rice is the most common issue with the raw-rice method. Loose foil lets steam escape, so crimp it tightly around the rim.
Easy Variations and Substitutions
Keep the total amount of rice, sauce and filling about the same and the bake time won’t change much.
- Frozen broccoli: use a 12-oz (340 g) bag, thawed and patted very dry, or the casserole turns watery.
- Rotisserie chicken: skip step 1 and fold in 3½ cups of shredded meat. Our oven-baked chicken breast also makes good leftovers for this.
- Different cheese: Colby Jack, Gruyère or a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack all melt well. Pepper jack adds heat.
- Brown rice or wild rice blend: use the same amount of cooked rice; the texture is chewier and nuttier.
- Cauliflower rice: swap half the rice for sautéed, well-drained cauliflower rice for a lighter dish.
- Extra vegetables: add 1 cup of sautéed mushrooms, diced carrots or thawed peas.
- Gluten-free: replace the flour with 2½ tablespoons cornstarch whisked into the cold milk, and check the broth label.
- Lighter sauce: use 2% milk and reduce the cheddar to 2 cups. It will be a little less rich but still creamy.
The canned-soup shortcut
Many older recipes use condensed soup instead of a homemade sauce. If you’re short on time, it works: replace the whole sauce with two 10.5-oz (298 g) cans of condensed cream of chicken soup whisked with 1 cup milk and 1 cup of the cheddar. Skip the salt entirely, because canned soup is already quite salty. Our Campbell’s chicken and rice ideas lean on this method if you’d like more options.
The from-scratch sauce takes about 10 minutes, tastes more like real cheese and lets you control the sodium, which is why the main recipe uses it.
What to Serve With Chicken and Broccoli Casserole With Rice
A chicken and broccoli casserole with rice is already a full meal, with protein, vegetables and starch in one dish. A light, fresh side balances the cheese.
- Green salad with lemon vinaigrette, or a crisp cucumber and tomato salad
- Roasted carrots or glazed carrots for color
- Green beans with garlic and a squeeze of lemon
- Warm dinner rolls or biscuits
Want more cozy bakes? Try our creamy chicken tetrazzini or a classic chicken noodle casserole. For a beef night later in the week, our 5-ingredient beef and broccoli uses the same vegetable in a quick stir-fry. Browse all our chicken recipes for more weeknight ideas.
Make-Ahead, Freezing and Reheating
This is one of the best casseroles for planning ahead. Follow these guidelines to keep it safe and creamy.
Make-ahead and freezer plan
| Plan | What to do | How to bake |
|---|---|---|
| Prep the parts (up to 2 days ahead) | Cook the rice and chicken, cut the broccoli and shred the cheese; refrigerate separately | Make the sauce on the day, assemble and bake as written |
| Assemble ahead (up to 24 hours) | Use cooked rice only. Add ¼ cup extra broth to the sauce, cool it, assemble, cover and refrigerate | Bake covered 30 minutes, then uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, until 165°F (74°C) |
| Freeze unbaked (up to 3 months) | Assemble with cooked rice in a freezer-safe dish, wrap tightly, keep the top cheese in a separate bag | Thaw overnight in the fridge, add the cheese, bake as for assembled-ahead |
| Freeze baked portions (up to 3 months) | Cool, divide into airtight containers and label | Thaw overnight, then reheat with a splash of milk |
Don’t assemble the raw-rice version ahead. Raw rice sitting in liquid overnight absorbs it unevenly and bakes up soft in some spots and hard in others.
Storing and reheating
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking, covered, and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat single portions in the microwave, covered, with 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk, stirring halfway.
- Reheat a larger amount in a 350°F (175°C) oven, covered with foil, for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Always reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C) in the center.
These times and temperatures follow the FoodSafety.gov safe minimum internal temperature chart and its cold food storage chart. Cooked rice cools quickly in shallow containers, which matters because rice left warm for hours can grow bacteria.
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole FAQs
Can I put uncooked rice in a chicken broccoli rice casserole?
Yes. Use 1 cup of rinsed long-grain white rice, increase the broth to 2½ cups, pour the sauce in hot, and bake tightly covered for about 60 minutes before uncovering. Add the broccoli partway through so it stays green.
Do I need to cook the chicken first?
For the cooked-rice method, yes. The bake is only 25 to 30 minutes, so the chicken should already be at 165°F (74°C). In the raw-rice method, raw chicken pieces cook through during the long covered bake.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes. Thaw a 12-oz bag and pat it very dry with paper towels. Frozen broccoli holds extra water, which can make the casserole soupy if it goes in wet.
Should I cover the casserole while it bakes?
Cover it for the first part of the bake so the broccoli steams and the rice doesn’t dry out, then uncover so the cheese browns. For the raw-rice method, the cover must be tight.
How do I keep the casserole from drying out?
Start with a pourable sauce, don’t overbake, and rest it only 5 to 10 minutes. When reheating, add a splash of milk or broth.
Can I make it without cheese?
You can. Leave the cheddar out of the sauce and add an extra ½ cup broth and a little more Parmesan or nutritional yeast for flavor. It will be a creamy, lighter dish rather than a cheesy one.
What’s the best rice for this casserole?
- Long-grain white rice, for separate, fluffy grains
- Jasmine rice, for a soft texture and light aroma
- Cooked brown rice, for a chewier, nuttier result
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe Card
Calories are an estimate per serving (1/8 of the dish, without the optional panko topping) based on USDA FoodData Central values for raw chicken breast, cooked white rice, broccoli, butter, olive oil, onion, flour, whole milk, chicken broth, cheddar and Parmesan.
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until browned and 165°F (74°C) inside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion 4 to 5 minutes, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the flour and cook 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and broth and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce coats a spoon. Off the heat, stir in the mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, Parmesan and 1 1/2 cups cheddar.
- Combine the rice, chicken and broccoli in a large bowl, pour over the sauce and fold to coat. Spread in the dish and top with the remaining 1 cup cheddar (and the buttered panko, if using).
- Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until bubbly, golden in spots and 165°F (74°C) in the center.
- Rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
