Scrumptious Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole brings caramelized onions, sweet garlic, and sautéed chicken together with long grain rice and steamed fresh broccoli in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce, all topped with a buttery cracker topping. This no-canned soup recipe requires a little more effort, but with some helpful tips, even the novice cook can handle this comfort food recipe. My family loves this recipe, and it is always a welcome dish, even with my picky son.
I am not a fan of cream-of-anything soup, including cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup. They taste so bland, so I like to make my sauces from scratch. Hamburger potato casserole, king ranch chicken, and chicken a la king are just a few of our favorite recipes without canned soup.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Butter: unsalted or salted. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt by a pinch or two.
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into thin bite-size so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Rice: long grain like basmati or jasmine. You can substitute brown for white rice, but it takes a little longer to cook.
- Broccoli: fresh or frozen. If using frozen, thaw it and drain any moisture. Frozen broccoli is already blanched.
- Seasonings: red pepper flakes, onion powder, dried marjoram, dried or fresh thyme or rosemary
- Milk: whole or 2%
- Cheese: cheddar, preferably a good quality sharp cheddar with lots of flavor
- Toppings: Ritz crackers, cornflakes, panko bread crumbs, or Italian breadcrumbs.
How to make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Start by melting a little butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add the onions and sauté for a few minutes. Add the chicken and cook until browned, flipping halfway through to brown both sides. Work in batches with the chicken, cooking it on one side of the pan and the onions on the other. Plate the cooked chicken as you go. Then reduce the heat and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Plate the chicken, onions, and garlic.
Meanwhile, add the water, butter, salt, and long-grain rice to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until boiling, then cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Then steam the broccoli on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Now melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously while cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper, onion powder, marjoram, and thyme.
Next, slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk, alternating between the two. Continue whisking and cooking until smooth and slightly thickened. Turn the heat to low and whisk in 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar. Add the chicken, rice, steamed broccoli and stir to coat.
Spoon 1/2 the chicken mixture into a baking dish and top with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Spoon the rest of the chicken mixture into the baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Combine the crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle it over the casserole and bake.
Preparation Tips
- The onions and chicken can be cooked simultaneously by pushing the onions off to one side of the pan and working in batches with the chicken. Add a little butter or olive oil to keep the chicken from sticking.
- Steam the broccoli in the microwave. It is so easy—it takes just a minute to prep it and put it in the microwave.
- Other vegetables to add to this recipe include mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze in a heavy-duty container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat leftovers in the microwave at a reduced power level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can, but be sure to thaw it and remove any excess moisture. Frozen broccoli is already blanched, so there is no reason to steam it.
That is a great time saver, and these delicious rotisserie chickens are available almost everywhere. Remove the skin and cut about 2 cups of chicken off the bone into bite-size pieces. Stir it into the cheese sauce with the onions, garlic, broccoli, and rice.
This dish can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge. However, hold off mixing the crackers and butter until right before baking.
Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 -40 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. Then mix and add the buttery cracker topping and bake.
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast cut in bite sizes pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 4 cups broccoli florets cut in bite size pieces
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed 32 crackers
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Move the onions to one side of the skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned, flipping halfway through to brown both sides. Work in batches with the chicken, removing the cooked pieces to a plate and stirring the onions on the other side of the skillet. Once all the chicken has been cooked, add the garlic; cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Plate the onions and garlic.
- Meanwhile, add the water,1 tablespoon butter, salt, and long-grain rice to a saucepan. Heat until boiling, and then cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Steam the broccoli on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously while cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper, onion powder, dried marjoram, and dried thyme. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk, alternating between the two. Continue whisking and cooking until smooth and slightly thickened. Turn the heat to low and whisk in 1 1/4 cups of cheddar. Add the cooked chicken, rice, and broccoli and stir to coat.
- Spoon 1/2 the chicken mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with 1/2 cup cheddar. Spoon the rest of the chicken mixture in and top with the remaining cheese. Combine the crackers and 4 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle it over the casserole and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is browned and the cheese is melted.
Notes
- The onions and chicken can be cooked simultaneously by pushing the onions off to one side of the pan and working in batches with the chicken. Add a little butter or olive oil to keep the chicken from sticking.
- Steam the broccoli in the microwave. It is so easy to do and it takes just a minute to get it prepped and in the microwave.
- Other vegetables to add to this recipe include mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini.
Nutrition
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Maria
Our favorite new casserole recipe. My husband and I love it! Especially delicious without canned soup. Thanks for the recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Maria! I am glad that you and your husband like it!
Lisa
Such a delicious combination. I love the homemade sauce. This will be on rotation at our house!
Melanie E
This sounds like such a great warming and hearty dish for this season. I’ve never had a bake with rice in it before. It is something I would really like to try for the family.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Melanie! Enjoy!
Kerstyn
The combination of caramelized onions, garlic, and sautéed chicken with rice, fresh broccoli, and a creamy cheddar sauce is mouthwatering. I appreciate that it uses no canned soup, opting instead for homemade ingredients.
Camila
This chicken broccoli rice casserole was pure comfort food! The cheesy sauce brought everything together, and it was the perfect one-pan meal for a busy weeknight.
Trish
This is so scrumptious! I’m making it again for dinner tonight. I love that it doesn’t have that nasty canned soup in it & I can make sure there’s no added preservatives. I like to use extra sharp cheddar and fresh sliced mushrooms to round out the flavor. The only drawback is how many dishes I dirty making this, but it’s so good, I don’t mind the extra clean-up time.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Trish! I am so glad that you like it! We love it too! Canned soup is so blah to me!
Chaz
Absolutely delicious! Beth has the best recipes.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Chaz! You are so kind! So glad that you like the chicken rice casserole.
Rosey
A chicken broccoli rice casserole sounds nice and hearty. Just what the doctor ordered with this cooler weather coming in.
Susan
It’s refreshing to see a recipe that skips the canned soups and opts for made from-scratch sauces. The effort is definitely worth it for a comforting dish like this. Can’t wait to make it again and please my picky eaters.
Karen
I love Casserole, I love Broccoli and I love Rice…See where I am going with this lol…I can’t wait to make your recipe, thank you so much.
Tammy
What a comforting dish for the fall season! Love how cheesy this is..yum!
Samantha
Comfort food at its best. Thanks for the great recipe and I loved that it did not have that awful creamed canned soup.
Yarnie
This recipe was delicious! Perfect for the autumn and winter months. I am going to make it again this weekend and have my mom over. She will love it.
Johna
Man. This was tasty! My husband grilled the chicken, otherwise I pretty well followed this recipe to a T & it turned out perfectly!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Johna! So glad that you liked it!
Karen
Could you add another vegetable with the broccoli,, like zucchini?
Beth Pierce
Yes, you can but I think I would saute the zucchini just a little bit. Steaming zucchini makes it too soft. You could saute the broccoli as well with the zucchini instead of steaming it.
Wendy
No salty canned soup, easy, flavorful chicken and rice casserole from scratch. I’ve tried many versions of this recipe and this one is a keeper!
It was a thumbs up from my family of seven.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Wendy! So happy that you and your family liked it!