One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice is a cheesy, easy dinner loaded with simple ingredients like chicken, rice, and broccoli. This dish is perfect for a busy weeknight when things are hectic. Only one dish to clean for this satisfying one-pan dinner recipe.
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ONE-PAN DINNERS
I’m a little late to the one-pot, one-pan party. I don’t know why I’ve been resistant but with food trends, I’m either really early or really late to try them.
For example, I think I was the last person in the world to eat quinoa.
And cookie butter…, just had my first taste ever yesterday.
Subconsciously I was trying to avoid it because it’s one of those things that I knew I would find myself elbow deep in before realizing the whole jar was gone.
Move over Nutella, cookie butter is the hot ticket in town now (thanks Heather for buying me a jar).
Anywhoooo, back to one-pan dishes. I feel no reason to ever make anything in more than one pan now.
Which is why I made this One-Pan Mexican Rice Chicken yesterday. I loathe dishes. This is a trend I plan on hanging on to for a while.
EASY DINNERS
To be honest, I wasn’t planning on sharing this dish, which is why there aren’t any step-by-step shots. But I have your back y’all. Easy dinners are hard to come by so I had to share. Especially chicken dinners (like these Baked Chicken Chimichangas).
I made it purely out of necessity trying to keep my house clean for 12 hours before I had to host Bunko so I looked up one-pan dishes so that I could keep my kitchen clean and still feed my family.
After I made it, it looked so pretty so I snapped a couple of pictures just in case. I found this recipe over at No. 2 Pencil. She has a ton of one-pot recipes that you guys should check out.
Broccoli is one of the few vegetables my whole family loves so I knew it would be a hit and it was. If broccoli isn’t a vegetable your family loves you can use spinach or asparagus.
This is the kind of chicken recipe that sits in your back pocket when it’s 5 pm and you don’t know what you’re making for dinner.
HOW TO MAKE ONE-PAN CHEESY CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, AND RICE:
- First, start by cooking your onions in a little olive oil in a 12-inch skillet. Once they’re soft you can add your seasoned chicken breast. If you’re using a rotisserie chicken you can add it later when you add the cheese.
- Next, you’ll saute your rice in a little olive oil. This gives the rice extra flavor by toasting it. Have your liquid on had because you’ll want it as soon as it’s done toasting.
- Add your chicken broth. I really like Better than Bouillon Chicken base in a can (you add water) which can be found right next to regular chicken broth.
- After the rice has been cooking for a while add your broccoli and let it steam.
- Finally, when all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice you’re ready to add the cheddar cheese. Stir 1/2 a cup in and sprinkle the rest on top to melt.
OTHER ONE-PAN DINNERS
- One-Pan Garlic Butter Chicken
- Skillet Greek Chicken Recipe
- One-Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- One-Pan Chicken Tortilla Bake
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice
- One-Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
- Italian Sausage and Peppers
- One-Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta
- Cheater Korean Beef
- One-Pan Tomato Basil Chicken Quinoa
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet
- One-Pan Chicken Spinach and Orzo
- Creamy Chicken and Spinach
- One-Pan Creamy Zucchini Pasta
- Chicken Salad recipe
- One-Pan Sausage Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta
One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced finely
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup uncooked extra long grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, (I like to use Better than Buillion Chicken base)
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pan, sauté onions in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Once onions soften, increase the heat to medium high and add chicken to the pan.
- Brown the chicken pieces and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 more minute.
- Push chicken to one side of the pan and add additional tablespoon of olive oil to other side.
- Add the uncooked rice in the olive oil and saute it for a couple of minutes.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook chicken and rice mixture covered for about 12 minutes.
- Sprinkle the broccoli evenly over the chicken and rice mixture and stir to combine.
- Continue to cook covered another 8 minutes on low, or until broccoli and rice are both tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in half a cup of cheese.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover with a lid, letting it sit for 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Video
Notes
I am sorry to leave a bad rating, but this was not good. It is missing flavor, it is a bit bland overall. The rice also took way longer to cook than the directions said. I added the broccoli after 12 minutes which was way too early and it got soggy and lost its green color as I waited for the rice to soak up the broth. Pretty underwhelmed and feel very mislead by the high ratings on this one.
have you tried incorporating white wine or lemon?
Best chicken, rice and broccoli combo that i’ve found. I did use thighs instead of breasts.
Oh thank you!
Followed the directions, but had to cook the rice and broccoli an additional 8+ minutes, while continuously adding broth. My only complaint is that it is extremely thick. Flavor is good, but thick AF.
It says to add more broth if it’s too thick
Hi Christy! I’m dying to make this, but first I have a kind of stupid question (sorry in advance)! I’m just wondering if the finished rice in this recipe is still fairly firm (like regular, cooked rice) or is it kind of wet/more soft than firm? Not even sure you can answer that question, but thought I’d ask, since I’m kinda weird about my rice, lol. (I normally use Ben’s rice and hold back about 1/4c of water to make it firmer.) However, I do make/love Rice-a-Roni’s broc/cheese rice and that’s fairly creamy, so maybe this casserole is more along those lines? I guess I kind of am like you in that I’m always a bit leery of 1-pot dishes, which is rather silly! (This casserole may just break me of that reticence tho!) I adore your website and have never had a bad recipe from you even ONCE, so I’m sure it’ll be great! Thx in advance!
It all depends on how long you cook it. If you simmer it on low it should have enough time to get tender. If you’re heat is too high you could have more firm rice but you could just add more broth to cook it longer.
For those that only eat brown rice. You may want to cook this ahead of time as it will extend the cooking time for 20-30 mins longer depending on your lid and pan.
Very delicious dish!
Followed the recipe to the T. Delicious.
Thank you!
I have made this several times now. I used jasmine rice. Added mushrooms and celery and it was amazing! My family is loving it and we have had it 3 times now. So yummy
Awesome!
Didn’t have garlic, chicken broth, or bullion, used 2 1/2 cups water, two cans cream of chicken soup plus two cans water, heated in a 9×13 pan in oven for 30 minutes only because I started supper before husband was ready to eat. It was the best recipe I have ever made, thank you so much!
You’re welcome!
This was really good and really easy, though took a bit longer for me than half hour from start to finish. Definitely will make again- I did sub turkey bone broth for chicken broth, as it’s what I had on hand, and I added a couple tablespoons of cream cheese for added creamy-ness. Other than that, I found it perfect!
Great addition!
I never leave comments or ratings on recipes, but this one turned out great! Everything from the type of pan I had to use, too, how long to cook the rice and then add the broccoli and worked out perfectly! Definitely going in the weekly rotation for dinners at my house
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
I only have minute rice, any thoughts on how to incorporate?
Just cook for way less time. I haven’t tried it but should work
I made this One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice and it was great!!!!!
Thank you!
I made this and used 2 packets of instant cheddar broccoli chicken flavored rice, it came out amazing!
Thank you!
Everybody loved this! I used a small shallot instead of an onion so the taste would not be so strong. Also, I used left-over rice which worked perfectly. This will be my new go-to for using left over rice.
Thank you!
Really enjoyed this chicken and broccoli meal! I don’t care for onions, so I left out that step, but everything else was according to directions and my family loved it! Nice and quick, one dish meal 🙂
Thanks Tricia!
Wondering if refried beans would work? How and when should I add?
Hmm I’m not sure that they would go with these fllavors.
I think I was looking more for something that cooks in the oven, not something that has to be cooked stovetop before putting it in the oven
This is all cooked on the stovetop, no oven.
Can I freeze this and reheat for a ready .eal? What’s the best way to reheat..micro, oven or toaster oven?
I would reheat in the microwave until heated through. Yes it freezes well!
We love it! It’s a flavorful easy recipe to make after a busy day. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Thank you!
This has been a regular meal for us for a while now. Love it!
Thank you!
Triied this recipe. With one Cup of Rice , it took up the whole frying pan after it was cooked (which I figured) , 1/2 C of cheese didn’t even make a dent mixing it together. Added 2 Cups of cheese in the end to make it Cheesy! Not even sure if the family is going to like this.
loved it!! will be adding into the rotation
Thank yoU!
We make this all the time – thanks so much for the recipe!
Thank you Jessica!
Bafflingly bland.
Add some spices!
The food is good. The author needs a stopwatch for her kitchen, though. If you follow the recipe carefully, you have 3-4 minutes to do all of the following: sauté onions, brown chicken, roast garlic, roast rice, and bring the broth to a boil. Also, all your vegetables should be pre-cut, unless you don’t count vegetables prep time as prep time, in which case the timing estimates are slightly closer to reality.
Again, good food, but plan for 45 minutes to complete based on Earth physics.
Sorry I guess I’m fast!
Can this be made with ground chicken instead?
Sure!
I just felt compelled to comment because this is in constant rotation at our house. My 5 year old daughter calls it her comfort food. It’s so good! The only variation we follow is that we now steam the broccoli separately to help speed things up a bit. Thank you for this recipe!
Delicious! I used homemade turkey broth, made from the Thanksgiving turkey bones. It was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Very good, I had to switch the broccoli for zucchini due to a diet restriction . Good taste and sooo easy
Very good, I had to switch the broccoli for zucchini due to a diet restriction . Good taste and sooo easy
Thank you!
Very good, I had to switch the broccoli for zucchini due to a diet restriction . Good taste and sooo easy
Can you use frozen broccoli?
Yes!
Wow! My family loved this! It was easy to make with ingredients that I had on hand. I liked cooking it all in one pot- less dishes to wash. I will definitely make this again!
Thank you!
I have made this recipe several times and it is delicious every time! My family loves it.
If I were to freeze it for my husband to take on a hunting trip, how would you recommend re-heating?
I’m not sure what cooking equipment you have but maybe just on a camping stove?
can short grain like sushi rice be used for this?
YEs!
Yum! I made this because I was missing the cheesy chicken and rice casserole served for lunch at my old job. This is a nice fancy version! I recommend trying it with carrots (added with the chicken) instead of broccoli, they’re sweet and mellow. I also added paprika and herbs de provance which give it a little more depth of flavor, and noticed that for me it only needed 2 cups of stock — the combination of the juice from the onions (I sweated them) and the chicken more than made up for the other 1/2 cup of liquid. It was great on its own without cheese so I opted to just garnish with cheddar instead of mixing it in for more versatility with the leftovers.
Overall a great and simple recipe! Thanks!
Thank you!!
Just made this and it was a hit! Used chicken thighs we had on hand, frozen broccoli that I added in the last two minutes after I nuked it in the microwave for the recommended amount. Also added oregano and basil after it was cooked before the cheese was added. Absolutely loved it! Will make again, thanks for this.
So glad to hear that!
Altered for myself. Used leftover rotisserie chicken breast with 1/4 c rice and added mushrooms. Turned out sooo good. Thanks for the recipe
That’s so great!
Not sure what I did wrong but the rice completely burned and I had to completely remake dinner 🙁 Thankfully I could salvage the chicken.
Sounds like your heat was too high and evaporated all the liquid? Were you on a low simmer?
Confused by the serving size for the nutrition information. It says a serving size is 1 gram? That makes no sense. A 1 cup serving would be 240 grams. I need to count carbs and sugar and can’t do that from this recipe.
It’s for 1/6 of the recipe. Sorry if that was confusing.
I’ve made this many times! Family always loves it! I’m curious if you can use Minute Rice, I’m horrible when it comes to cooking rice. Can’t seem to master it.
You can do it! I’m afraid minute rice would cook to fast but maybe it would work
I can’t seem to master rice, no matter how hard I try. I’ve never had a single issue with the rice in this recipe, I follow the directions exactly and it’s perfect every time! Be not afraid of the grain!
Just made this tonight- so good! Had to sub Mex blend cheese, and next time I’ll just use 1 cup, as 2 cups were overwhelming the other flavors. But definitely making this again soon.
So glad you liked it!
Any suggestion on how to modify the recipe if using brown rice instead of white rice?
I’d like to know this too
Ooh definitely will need to cook the rice longer so just increase by 15-20 minutes and continue as normal
Allow extra time! Sautéed for 60 minutes (started at 30, checking every 10 minutes) before the brown rice was cooked & ready to add broccoli.
I used left over roast chicken. Delicious!
Thank you!
I loved this so much. I am a big cheese lover. I made this with the two cups it called for but was too much for me. Next time I’ll try it with one cup. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hello!! This looks so good I’m definitely going to make it.But I was wondering, can I use frozen broccoli? Or does it have to be fresh… Thank You.
Hi Amy,
Since the author did not have a chance to answer yet, Yes you can use frozen broccoli.I usually use that. Use small cut broccoli OR you can rough chop some of the stems. Be sure to blot of lightly squeeze dry. You can add it in a bit later or a bit closer to the end of that 8 min cook time IF you like a little more crunch in your broccoli. Be sure to recover the pan
Fresh is definitely better but frozen can be used
I’m not a big chicken fan but I tried this and was quite supprised. The chicken was tender, flavors blended well. Will make it again.
Thank you!
This was delicious! I doubled it for our 6 person family. I didn’t have 4 cups shredded cheddar but did add 3 oz cream cheese (as in many other recipes for this dish). Also added about 1.5 teaspoons poultry seasoning. It made a huge amount of food and using Aldi ingredients, was very inexpensive! Will definitely make again. You may need to add 1 more cup water towards the end if you had the heat up too high and started to make a lil rice crust on the bottom of the pan during the broccoli step lol.
I used 3 cups shredded cheddar and 3oz cream cheese, I meant it to say.
So easy and yummy!!
Thank you!
Ahh soo good!
Thanks!
Absolutely delicious!!!! Will definitely be making this again, a lot!!!’
My son loves this. I am making it for the second time. Thanks for the good recipe!
You’re welcome!
Delicious. Easy to put together and very filling. Definitely will make this again.
Thank you!
So delicious! Definitely going on the rotation. 😁
Thank you!
This was a hit with the whole family. Even got my toddler to eat all his veggies without having to bargain with him.
Thank you!
This has been on rotation in our family for years – thank you so much for the fab recipe!! A question: would it be possible to freeze it and serve again/later? I’ve never tried but always been tempted. TIA!
Awww thank you
This recipe is so good! My family loved it! The only thing I did differently is cooked my chicken on a Traeger grill and put it in at the end with the cheese! Some people complained about lack of flavor, but we thought it was great! Thank you!
Thank you!
This was super easy to make and delicious! I normally don’t care much for broccoli, but it was quite tasty in this dish. Will definitely make it again.
Thank you!
I’ve been making this recipe for at least a year and it’s one of my absolute favorites! So easy, so delicious, and healthy too! I ran out of shredded cheddar tonight and used a Mexican 3 cheese blend that included pepper jack and OMG was that good! Gave the dish a little kick! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome!
I haven’t made it yet but my daughter has and Loved it so I told her I had to have the recipe. It’s just me and my dog now and after cooking everyday for over 40 years I’m wanting fast, easy both to fix and clean up after so I’m excited and I saw some of your other easy recipes excited about them also.
Thank you!
A family favorite! Thanks for the recipe
You’re welcome!
How much of the better than bullion do you use?
I just follow the back of the boullion jar which is 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid.
Does this freeze well? What’s the shelf life frozen and unfrozen (refrigerated)?
I would say a few days refrigerated. Two months frozen
This is really good! I added a few more seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. I also added a couple scoops of sour cream in at the same time as the chicken broth to make it creamy. Absolutely delicious!
This turned out very good. The flavor is simple, but comforting. After adding the broth, and bringing to a boil, I popped in the oven (covered at 375*) for 27 mins. I added the broccoli after the first 15 mins.
I made this for dinner and it was a huge hit. I’m trying to diet and see the information per serving but could you tell me what is considered a serving, please.
1/6 of the recipe is a serving. I like to weigh the whole recipe and then divide it by 6 if you really want to be precise.