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This 35-minute one pot chicken, broccoli, and rice recipe is creamy, cheesy, and easy to make on the stove. It’s so much faster than a casserole!
If you love one pot meals, try my Lemon Chicken Orzo or Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole.
Why you’ll love it
This is very much like a chicken broccoli rice casserole, but it’s not baked, making it way quicker! It can be on your table in just over 30 minutes. It’s an all-in-one dinner that’s kid-friendly, and you won’t find any fancy ingredients in here.
I used meat from a rotisserie chicken to make this one pot recipe even simpler. Just pick one up on your way home from work or running errands. This is such a comforting meal after a long day, and you won’t spend much time in the kitchen cooking or cleaning up after, which is what’s important, right?
What you’ll need
- Olive oil and butter – the classic base for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – I like Vidalia/sweet, but yellow or white is just fine
- Italian seasoning – it’s a convenient blend of dried herbs that comes in one jar
- Rice – we’re using long grain white rice
- Chicken broth – infuses more flavor into the sauce in an easy way
- Worcestershire sauce – a little goes a long way to adding wonderful savory flavor. Don’t skip it!
- Heavy cream – gives the sauce its rich texture. You could swap the cream for a can of condensed cream of chicken soup if you prefer.
- Chicken – use shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken as a timesaver
- Broccoli – be sure to cut the fresh broccoli into small florets so that they cook fast
- Cheddar cheese – try an old/sharp cheddar for the best flavor
What kind of rice to use
- I used long grain white rice (that’s literally what the bag of rice is labeled as). You could get more specific and use basmati or jasmine rice, which are types of long grain white rice.
- I do not recommend using brown rice since it’ll require more liquid and cooking time. I have not tested this, but feel free to experiment.
- Want to make it with orzo? Try my similar one pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo instead.
How to make one pot chicken broccoli rice
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion until softened, then put in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and uncooked rice. Cook until fragrant.
Stir in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add in the cream, broccoli, and cooked chicken, and cover again and cook for another few minutes or so.
Stir in the cheddar, and season to taste with salt & pepper!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I recommend grating your own cheese. It’ll taste and melt better. My favorite grater for cheddar makes this process quick and easy.
- This is the Dutch oven I use for my one pot recipes.
- Use a garlic press to quickly mince the garlic, and store the remainder in this cute garlic keeper.
Tips for success
- On my stove with the directed cooking times and temperatures, there’s a bit of liquid left that makes a sauce, and the rice is cooked but not mushy. This should not be a “gloopy” meal unless you overcook it or if you use a shorter grain rice that’s more starchy/sticky.
- As with any one pot meal, you may need to use a bit of discretion since stoves and pots vary. If there seems to not be enough liquid (like the rice is about to start sticking to the pot), add in a splash more broth or cream. If there’s too much liquid towards the end of cooking time, simply let it cook for a bit longer.
- If you want to keep it mild for the kids but jazz up your portion, just add some hot sauce 😉
What to serve with this meal
- It’s a complete meal in itself, but you can add a slice of Garlic Bread.
- Try a side salad with classic Caesar Dressing (ready in 10 minutes and no blender needed), or change it up with this Simple Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, but keep in mind the rice will soak up more of the liquid, so it won’t have quite the same texture as when it’s first made.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat. You could try adding in a drizzle of cream or broth to revive it.
- I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Questions about this cheesy chicken, broccoli, and rice recipe? Talk to me in the comments below! I’d love it if you left me a review. I’m also on Instagram.
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice see note
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cups cooked chicken (I used rotisserie) shredded/chopped
- 2 cups broccoli cut into small florets
- 1.5-2 cups grated cheddar
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients. If you want to have a melted cheese topping, grate 2 cups of cheddar. If not, only grate 1.5 cups like I did for the photos.
- Add the oil, butter, and onion to a pot/Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and rice, and cook for about a minute (stir frequently).
- Stir in the broth and Worcestershire sauce, and increase the heat to high. Once it comes to a boil, give it a stir, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, chicken, and broccoli. Cover the pot again and cook for another 5 minutes or until the broccoli has softened to your liking and the rice has cooked. On my stove with the directed cooking times and temperatures, there's a bit of liquid left that makes a sauce, and the rice is cooked but not mushy. It will thicken more as it cools. See recipe notes for troubleshooting tips.
- Stir in the 1.5 cups of cheddar and taste and season with salt & pepper as needed (I am generous with both – there's a lot of rice in here). If you want the melted cheese topping, top with the remaining half cup of cheese and let it melt for a few minutes prior to serving.
Notes
- Serves 4-6 depending on portion size/what else it’s served with.
- I used long grain white rice (that’s literally what the bag of rice is labeled as). You could use basmati or jasmine rice, which are types of long grain white rice. I don’t recommend using brown rice since it’ll require more liquid and cooking time (I have not tested it, but feel free to experiment). Shorter grain rice varieties will be more sticky/starchy/gloopy.
- Troubleshooting tips:
- Stoves and pots vary, so take my directions as a guideline. If there seems to not be enough liquid/the rice is sticking to the pot, add in a splash more broth or cream and lower the heat. If there’s too much liquid towards the end of cooking time, simply let it cook for a bit longer (turn the heat up a bit if needed).
- This recipe is also on page 189 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made this comfort casserole after one of my grandkids found the recipe and wanted to try. Kudos approved, they %ave it 6 stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you, Carol!
“Mommy, you’ve got to make this again!” I doubled the recipe and couldn’t believe how much it made but my family gobbled it up anyway! I really had my doubts b/c the recipe calls for a ton of liquid. Everything worked out perfectly! It took 15 minutes to cook the broccoli and heat up the cream and cheese. Maybe it was longer b/c I doubled the recipe. This is definitely going into my menu plans! Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome!
Hi Natasha
I just made this for my husband and it was thick it was like paste. Not sure if it was enough liquid in this dish.
Hi Lori! Hmm… not sure what went wrong. Sorry to hear that! Is it possible you mis-measured something or cooked it at too high of a heat? Would you mind reading over the success tips section in the blog post and let me know if any of the suggestions there could perhaps be your issue?
Absolutely easy and delish.
Put in my Must Make file!!
Soooooo Yummy!!!!
Thank you!!
Delicious!. I added parmesan cheese as well to mine. Would definitely make again.
Quick easy tasty meal in one pot.
Thanks 😊
You are welcome, Lisa!
The cooking time for the broccoli was waayyy too short and there was almost no more liquid to cook it in…I’ll put the broccoli in with the broth next time…otherwise very yummy.
I also used fresh chicken meat and fried it with the onions at the beginning and let it cook with the rice.
I think we’ll have this meal often. Very good idea with the cheese.