We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is an easy way to turn cooked chicken and rice into a full dinner. Everything gets mixed with broccoli and a creamy sauce, baked in a 9×13 pan, then topped with cheddar cheese.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“So delicious! Whole family loved it!” – Kim
“This is pure comfort food. I was looking for something to make that would use up some cooked chicken and broccoli and came upon this recipe. It was a quick dinner to put together and my husband loved it. The only change I made was to increase the rice to four cups. Yummy!” – Lori
“I try a new recipe every week and this is the 1st one my husband said to put into the repeat list.” – Katherine
A Cozy Weeknight Favorite
I grew up with a lot of siblings, which meant our afternoons and evenings were usually packed with practices, activities, appointments, and somebody needing to be somewhere. My mom didn’t always have much time to make dinner, so this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole was one she could pull together pretty quickly.
It still works especially well when you already have cooked chicken and rice to use up. Mix everything together, put it in the oven, add the cheese at the end, and dinner is done.
This casserole is a meal in itself, but it also pairs nicely with a fresh Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes or a side of Quick Garlic Bread, or you can finish it off with a sweet Raspberry Peach Cobbler.
❤️ Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need a handful of basic ingredients for this casserole, and it’s especially easy if you already have cooked chicken and rice in the fridge.
- Cooked rice – You need 3 cups of cooked rice, not 3 cups dry. White or brown rice both work. You can also use 3 cups of cooked quinoa instead if you prefer.
- Cooked chicken – Leftover chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken makes this really easy. You need about 3 cups.
- Broccoli – Use 2 ½ cups of broccoli florets, steamed.
- Creamy sauce – The sauce is made with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, and lemon juice. If you don’t like mayonnaise, Greek yogurt can be substituted, although the flavor will be a little different. The lemon juice can also be left out if you don’t have any.
- Cheddar cheese – Two cups of shredded cheddar go over the casserole toward the end of baking.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Steam the florets just until they’re bright green and crisp-tender. Don’t cook them all the way through because they’ll keep cooking in the oven.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Taste the sauce before adding salt since the soup and cheese already have quite a bit.
- Fold in the cooked rice, chicken, broccoli, and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar. Everything should be evenly coated in sauce.
- Spread the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until the center is hot.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top, and bake for another 8-10 minutes. It’s ready when the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
- Give the casserole about 5 minutes before serving so everything settles a little.
Storing and Reheating Chicken Rice and Broccoli Casserole
Keep leftover Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Individual portions reheat well in the microwave, or you can cover a larger portion and warm it in the oven until heated through. If the casserole seems a little dry after sitting in the fridge, add a small splash of milk before reheating.
Read More: 35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love
More Meals to Try
Looking to mix up your dinner time plan? There are loads of great ideas on our website. Check out a few of these for starters.
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into bite-size pieces
- 2½ cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed until bright green and a little firmer than crisp-tender
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For the sauce:
- 1 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt, after tasting the sauce, since the soup and cheese already bring quite a bit
Topping:
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.Lightly steam the broccoli. We don't want soft broccoli at this point. It should be bright green and still have a definite bite to it because it will continue cooking in the casserole.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Taste it before adding salt.
- Fold in the rice, chicken, broccoli, and 1 cup of the cheddar. Everything should be well coated in sauce.
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, just until the casserole is hot through the center.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheddar, and bake another 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Notes
Make It Ahead
To make this dish ahead, prepare as directed, but instead of baking cover the dish and keep it in the fridge for up to two days. Remove the casserole dish from the fridge while the oven is preheating. Bake for an extra 5-10 minutes to ensure it is heated through before serving.How to Store and Reheat Chicken Rice and Broccoli Casserole
This is an easy dish to store in the refrigerator. Simply cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 3-4 days. When ready to reheat, place back in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook until warmed up. If using a microwave, cook in 45-second intervals or until it is warmed through.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe?
We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.
Sorry it was tasty but extremely dry
I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you. Thank you for letting us know, we will revisit the recipe.
Making today. Does the broccoli need to be cooked before it’s put in the casserole or does it cook while baking in the oven? Thx.
It should be cooked first, I usually like to just steam it until it is a little more firm than crisp-tender and then let it cook the rest of the way in the oven with the casserole. Hope this helps!
I love your recipes
can i make this without the mayo, not a big fan of the stuff?
Yes you can use Greek yogurt instead. It won’t taste exactly the same but it will be close. Hope this helps!
not a fan of yogurt as well, does this recipe really need yogurt or mayo to still be satisfying.
I try a new recipe every week and this is the 1st one my husband said to put into the repeat list. I baked the chicken while getting everything else ready then cubed it. Followed the recipe and added 1 TBSP minced garlic and medium onion, chopped. Used my favorite Goya total seasoning liberally. At the end I only had a bit of cheddar cheese so substituted Monterey Jack. Next time I will try Pepper Jack and brown rice.
Wow – that is quite a compliment! Thank you and please thank your husband as well! 🙂
So delicious! Whole family loved it!
Can the lemon juice be omitted? I am out of lemons and wanted to make this tonight without running to the store.
It can be omitted!
This is pure comfort food. I was looking for something to make that would use up some cooked chicken and broccoli and came upon this recipe. It was a quick dinner to put together and my husband loved it. The only change I made was to increase the rice to four cups. Yummy!
Making this right now for dinner. Doing a few things different. Cooked quinoa in chicken broth (1.5 C quinoa to 3 C broth), omitted chicken because we are on a tight budget and I can’t find chicken cheaper than $8 around these parts. Used cream of potato soup instead of cream of chicken because I find cream of chicken soup nauseating. Tasted the broccoli and quinoa mixture before baking, and it tastes good. Can’t wait to try the finished product! Thanks for this recipe.
We are trying not to used processed food. What could I substitute for the canned cream of chicken soup?
If you do a google search for Cream of Chicken soup substitutes you will get a lot of options. We don’t have one available on our site yet as we are still trying to figure out the perfect recipe for it! We will let you know as soon as we come up with one! 🙂
Doesn’t the quinoa need to be rinsed really good? I even rinsed it really well and it still tasted bitter. What am I doing wrong?
It could have been the brand/type of quinoa you used?
Hey, this sounds amazing. When you say 3 cups of cooked quinoa do you mean 3 cups of quinoa and then cook it ?or is the 3 cups once it has already been cooked? If so, how many cups uncooked is that?
It is 3 c. once it has already boon cooked. I would say 1 1/2 c. uncooked….
Can this somehow be made in the crockpot? Maybe just the chicken, broccoli and sauce – and then add the cooked quinoa later? We’re trying to avoid using the oven with the hot weather recently. Or is there maybe a way to cook it on the stove top?
I guess you could try it in the crock pot.. haven’t tried either method before. Let us know how it turns out!
Do you think this can be prepared and frozen before cooking it? I’m 8 months pregnant with #3 and trying to prepare dishes now so we have homemade meals when the baby arrives.
Yes, definitely!
Do you think I could substitute cauliflower florets for the broccoli? I love broccoli but my dad isn’t a big fan, but I wanted to try this soo badly and was thinking of a way I could without the broccoli. And we all love caiflower.. But I’m not sure how to do that or if it will work? If so would the cooking time and all change? Thanks!! (:
Um… Sure! You can absolutely try it with cauliflower. If you steam or boil it like the broccoli it shouldn’t change the baking time at all. Let me know how it turns out! You could also do half of each..
HI! How many servings would you say this is? Maybe 8?
I would say about 8 to 10.