This crockpot Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort dish and is so easy to make! The slow cooker creamy broccoli casserole cooks in just four hours and is sure to be a new family favorite.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
👩🏻🍳 Recipe Name: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
⏱️ Ready In: 4 hours, 5 minutes
🧑🧑🧒 Serves: 10
🍴Calories: ~312 (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Chicken, broccoli, rice, cheese
🎯 Difficulty: Easy
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Who doesn't love slow cooker meals? During these busy winter months, my slow cooker is my savior. I love using it on busy days when I know I won't have a lot of time to bake something in the oven, and there truly is nothing as satisfying as walking in the door on a busy weeknight to a delicious-smelling, already-made meal. It's the perfect tool for easy family dinners. (Try these Easy Burger Bowls With House Sauce, Crockpot Chicken Mole Tacos, my favorite Weeknight Chicken Tamale Pie Recipe, this Cowboy Cornbread Casserole Recipe, or this Easy Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta for a crazy good and easy meal!)
This delicious crockpot chicken broccoli casserole is a new favorite crockpot recipe. It's super easy to make, fairly healthy, uses lots of fresh broccoli, and produces a delicious creamy chicken and rice casserole that my whole family wolfs down every time.
In This Post
Why This Recipe Works
I love this cheesy chicken broccoli and rice casserole so much that it's been in our lineup three times in the past few weeks! Here's why this recipe works:
- Easy dinner. It really couldn't get any simpler than this easy chicken and rice recipe - a true set-it-and-forget-it dinner recipe without much prep. Add everything to the crockpot, set it for four hours, and go about your business. In the blink of an eye, you'll have a delicious chicken casserole dish with a cheesy, creamy sauce, flavorful broccoli, tender chicken, and perfectly cooked rice. One of my favorite ways to use my slow cooker!
- Super comforting. This is comfort food at its finest. Creamy soup mixed with rice, chicken, broccoli, and spices, then stirred with cheddar cheese, all make for a cozier weeknight dinner. (Just like my Lazy Lasagna With Ravioli and my Spinach, Feta, and Rice Casserole.) Serve with this crusty Rosemary Parmesan Bread for the ultimate comfort meal!
- One-pot meal. This easy crockpot chicken recipe is a complete meal that serves up comfort in every bite. This slow cooker chicken will easily be one of the best things to come out of your crockpot.
- Easy to customize. You can add lots of toppings to this dish, mix in different veggies, or even add different spices to change up the flavors.
Key Ingredients
A few simple ingredients are all you need to make this cheesy chicken, broccoli, and rice recipe:
- Skinless chicken breasts. The star of the dish: moist chicken that falls apart with a fork. I used breasts for this dish, but you can really use any cut of chicken you'd like. Thigh or chicken tenders would work well here, too.
- Broccoli florets. Don't you love recipes that sneak extra veggies in without you even really noticing? These add a flavorful and nutritious punch, making this dish a favorite way to consume greens. My kids have no problem scarfing down the cheese broccoli bites! Fresh works great (I buy the big bag of chopped broccoli from Costco), but frozen broccoli would also work in a pinch.
- Brown rice. Offers a healthier, fiber-rich alternative to white rice, and makes this casserole hearty enough to be a one-dish meal.
- Onion, garlic & spices. For delicious flavor
- Cream of chicken soup and chicken broth. These combine to make a creamy, comforting sauce. You could easily sub in cream of mushroom soup if you don't have cream of chicken.
- Sharp cheddar cheese. Mixed in at the end, this adds a delicious tang to the dish and coats everything in a gooey, cheesy sauce.
Substitutions and Variations
- Change up the rice. Not a fan of brown rice? No problem! Try a different style (white or long grain rice both work) or, if you try a low-carb alternative like cauliflower rice.
- Change up the soup. If you don't have cream of chicken soup, feel free to substitute with cream of broccoli or cream of mushroom soup.
- Sub in garlic or onion powder. If you're out of fresh garlic or onion, garlic powder and onion powder can be quick and easy substitutes.
- Experiment with different cheeses. Not a fan of cheddar? Try a white cheddar cheese sauce or even a dollop of cream cheese for a smoother sauce. You really can't go wrong with the cheese here, so use what you have or what you like best.
- Use a different cut of chicken. Boneless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts. Or, if you're really in a pinch, canned chicken or rotisserie chicken will work here as well. (See expert notes below.)
- Add some spice. For those who love their dishes with a kick, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes can add a fiery dimension.
- Add some crunch! You can give this dish a bit more texture by adding a sprinkling of panko breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter to the top of the dish. Pop it under the broiler for a minute or two until the breadcrumbs are a nice golden brown color.
- Top with fresh herbs. Top the dish with extra cheese and some fresh chopped parsley for a nice presentation.
How To Make Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice In The Crockpot
Just a few simple steps and you'll have this easy slow cooker cheesy chicken casserole on your table in no time.
Step 1: Prepare the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then add it to the crockpot with the rice.
Step 2: Add the chopped onion and garlic. Top the chicken and rice with the chopped onion and garlic.
Step 3: Add the broccoli. Add the fresh or frozen broccoli florets to the bowl of your crockpot.
Step 4: Add the spices and condensed soup. Add the black pepper, salt, dijon mustard, and paprika to the crockpot. Top with the cream of chicken soup.
Step 5: Add the broth and cook. Pour in the chicken broth. Give everything a good stir to combine the ingredients and make sure it's mostly all submerged in the soup mixture. Set your crockpot on high heat and let the magic happen for about 4 hours.
Step 6: Add the cheese. Once the rice is tender and the chicken is fully cooked, sprinkle over the shredded cheddar cheese and stir well to combine. The cheese melts right into the sauce, creating a smooth, creamy texture with a fantastic flavor.
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli And Rice Casserole FAQs
You could, but if you do, I wouldn't add the rice until the 2 or 3-hour mark. Instant rice doesn't take long to cook, so adding it at the beginning of the cooking time would result in a mushy mess. If possible, using regular brown rice is best.
Forgot to defrost your chicken? I've been there, my friend. But not to worry. You can still easily make this recipe! It's best if your chicken is slightly thawed and chopped (it will cook faster that way). Increase the cooking time by about an hour, and just make sure to test your chicken's internal temperature before removing it from the slow cooker. It should be at 165 degrees to be safe.
Yes! Rotisserie chicken can be used, but since it's already cooked, wait until you have about 30-45 minutes left of cooking time before adding it to keep it from drying out during the cooking process. I'd recommend using about 2 cups.
A simple salad is my favorite thing to serve with this easy casserole. Try my Pear, Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad, this Copycat Chick-Fil-A Kale Salad, or this easy Nectarine And Quinoa Salad With Feta.
I've found that freezing this recipe after it's been cooked, then warming it again makes it a bit mushy. However, you can meal prep this recipe by adding all the uncooked ingredients except the cheese to an airtight container or ziplock bag (you may need to separate it into two bags), popping it in the freezer, then thawing it in the fridge just before you're ready to cook it. Simply dump the contents of the bag into your slow cooker and cook as directed.
More Easy One-Pot Recipes
If you make this delicious Crockpot Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole, let me know what you think in the comments below. And don't forget to tag me on Instagram @frontrangefed with a pic so I can see your masterpiece!
Recipe
Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli And Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into small 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz cream of chicken soup (about 1 ½ 10.5 oz cans
- 1 ½ cup brown rice (uncooked)
- 4-6 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add the chicken, black pepper, salt, dijon mustard, celery salt, paprika, yellow onion, garlic, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and, brown rice and broccoli florets to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
- Cover the crockpot and cook on high for about 4 hours, or until the rice has absorbed all the chicken broth and is soft and tender.
- Add the shredded cheese to the dish, stir, and allow to melt slightly before serving (about 5 minutes).
Notes
- Make sure your rice, chicken, and broccoli are submerged as much as possible in the broth and soup mixture to ensure they cook thoroughly and the rice can absorb the liquid.
- Add a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley for a pretty presentation when serving.
- If using cooked chicken, wait to add it until you only have 30-45 minutes left of cooking time to prevent the chicken from becoming dry.
Linda Fultz says
Can I substitute rotisserie chicken for the chicken breast?
Sarah Jenkins says
You can, but wait to add the chicken until you have about 30-45 minutes of cooking time left. Since the chicken will already be cooked, you don't want it drying out in the crockpot during the full cooking time.
Caroline says
The recipe calls for one 15oz can of cream of chicken soup. I can get one 10.5oz can of condensed cream of chicken soup. Is the soup meant to be condensed or not condensed? Is the 15 oz measurement correct since that's not one can? Could this be clarified in the recipe?
Sarah Jenkins says
Hi Caroline, I know 10.5 oz is a more common size - I've adjusted the recipe to show 1 1/2 cans (about 15-16 oz) of cream of chicken soup. Hope that helps!
Marie Elaine says
I need to omit the chicken, due to an allergy, can I use exact same recipe just without chicken? Should I reduce or add anything?
Sarah Jenkins says
Hi Marie,
I'd make it as is just sans chicken, although feel free to add another veggie if you want. Mushrooms would actually be really nice.
Amber Langolf says
We rinse our rice before cooking. Think this will impact the cook at all?
Sarah Jenkins says
Nope! Cooking time should be the same.
Sarah says
This is total comfort food. Amazing flavor with chicken and veggies and I love that you can make it all in the slow cooker. It's a keeper.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Imogen!
Todd H. says
Have you tried this on a low heat cook? It would be better for me if it took longer to cook.
Sarah Jenkins says
I haven't tried it at a low setting, but if you do, I'd plan for about 6 hours, checking it at 5 hours to see how things are going. My only concern is that the rice might start to get a little mushy. Let me know how it turns out!
Tami says
How did it.turn out on low heat? And for how long? Thank you!
Heather says
I cooked the rice separately and cooked just the meat in the crockpot and it turned out delicious