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❤️ Why you'll love it
- No hard work, and no pre-cooking any of the ingredients.
- Classic casserole-style comfort food with only minutes of prep.
- Bye, boring veggies—the flavorful broccoli soaks up so much cheesy, creamy sauce.
One of the best things to come from modern technology is the ability to throw some simple ingredients together and come home, hours later, to a warm, satisfying family dinner.
This delicious crockpot chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole recipe is slow cooking at its finest—a busy mom's lifeline when it's been one of those days.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Stir the chicken broth, soups, and cheese together in a bowl.
- In a greased slow cooker, layer the broccoli florets on the bottom. Then, add the chicken and top it with the soup mixture. Cook.
- Shred the chicken and stir it back in along with the Minute rice.
- Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese and let it melt.
🥫 Storage
The whole family is going to want second helpings when crockpot chicken broccoli rice casserole is on the menu! However, if you have some leftovers, storing them is easy.
Let the extras cool before spooning them into an airtight container and refrigerating. For best results, consume within three days.
You can quickly reheat leftover cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole in the microwave. Give it a few 30-second rounds of heat, stirring in between each until it's hot.
On the other hand, if you have a lot left over, feel free to reheat it in the oven. Spoon everything into a casserole dish, cover it tightly with foil, and bake at 350 degrees F until heated through.
📖 Variations
One thing I love about slow cooker meals is that they are so easy to switch up if you have picky eaters or can't get to the grocery store.
- As the recipe card mentions, feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Or, try it with thick-cut pork chops or boneless turkey breast.
- You can swap either the cream of chicken soup or the cream of celery with a cream of mushroom soup if you'd like (or need) to.
- Out of chicken stock? No problem. Use water and a bouillon cube/paste, or just water if you're really in a pinch.
- Add cauliflower florets along with the broccoli for some variety.
- Stir in some mushrooms and diced onions for a bit more bulk.
- Use any kind of Minute rice you like—white rice, brown rice, long grain, or whatever suits your fancy as long as it's instant rice.
- Swap half of the cheddar with parmesan cheese for a different flavor. You could also use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar altogether.
- Garnish with some fresh herbs, if you have them! Green onions, dill, and parsley are yummy options for this chicken broccoli casserole.
Next time give this crockpot Hawaiian chicken a try!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Don't swap the uncooked rice for cooked, or it'll get mushy in the crockpot.
- Shredded cheese from a block melts much better than the pre-shredded stuff. Use whatever fits your schedule, but for the best cheesy casserole ever, take an extra minute to shred it yourself!
- A whole head of broccoli will stay fresher longer than pre-cut fresh broccoli florets. So, if you're not making this slow cooker chicken broccoli meal for a few days, I recommend skipping the pre-cut option.
- On the other hand, pre-cut veggies are a great way to save time. So, use broccoli florets if prepping for the cooking process is a recipe deal breaker!
- For juicy chicken, start checking the temperature after six hours. Once it reaches 165 degrees F, you can shred it and move on in the recipe.
- Quickly shred the chicken by popping it into your food processor. However, be sure to use the plastic dough attachment, not the metal blade!
👩🍳 FAQs
Since frozen broccoli is blanched (partially cooked) before freezing, I don't recommend it in this recipe. It will get mushy and nobody really enjoys mushy vegetables.
Some dairy products like sour cream have a tendency to curdle in the crockpot. Though it's not always the case, I don't recommend using sour cream in this recipe. If you just want a bit of tangy flavor, add a dollop right before serving.
You can! While crockpot chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole is safe to eat within three months of freezing, the texture can get a little softer after thawing. Some people don't prefer the texture of instant rice after it's been frozen and thawed.
📚 Related recipes
- One of my most popular slow cooker recipes, Crockpot Angel Chicken is so flavorful and succulent, you just have to try it to believe it.
- Add a Mexican spin to dinner with Easy Fiesta Chicken in the crockpot. Just add rice and maybe some more hot sauce and you have a full meal!
- Creamy Crockpot Ranch Chicken is one of those tasty crock pot meals that doesn't need any sides—with zesty ranch potatoes and carrots, it's a complete meal, ready for you to enjoy!
- Swap the pot for a baking dish in this classic No Peek Chicken and Rice Casserole. It doesn't take too much prep and delivers big-time comfort.
🍽️ Serve with...
- Old-Fashioned Cloverleaf Rolls are buttery, pillowy-soft, and the perfect way to make a meal stretch for big families!
- Not only are Maple Roasted Carrots quick and easy to make, but their sweet flavor is the perfect complement to a tender chicken casserole.
- Finish off a classic dinner with a fitting dessert—nothing beats the chewy texture and sweet, salty flavor of Peanut Butter Cookies.
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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📞 The last word
There's something about the combination of broccoli, rice, and chicken in a cheesy sauce that's just so. darn. good!
When it goes together this easily there's no reason not to make it!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Crock Pot Broccoli, Chicken, and Rice Casserole
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated, divided use
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 ounces cream of celery soup
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 6 cups broccoli florets, fresh
- 2 pounds chicken breast, boneless/skinless or chicken thighs
- 1 ½ cups uncooked instant white rice, like Minute Rice. Do not use regular rice!
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Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with no-stick cooking spray.
- Add the broccoli.
- Mix the soups, chicken stock, and 1 ¼ cup of the cheese in a large bowl.
- Spoon over the chicken.
- Cook on low for 6 hours, or until chicken registers 165F.
- Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks.
- Stir in the uncooked rice.
- Stir in the chicken,
- Cover and cook 15 more minutes, or until rice is tender.
- Stir.
- Turn off slow cooker and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Notes
- Don't swap the uncooked rice for cooked, or it'll get mushy in the crockpot.
- Shredded cheese from a block melts much better than the pre-shredded stuff. Use whatever fits your schedule, but for the best cheesy casserole ever, take an extra minute to shred it yourself!
- A whole head of broccoli will stay fresher longer than pre-cut fresh broccoli florets. So, if you're not making this slow cooker chicken broccoli meal for a few days, I recommend skipping the pre-cut option.
- On the other hand, pre-cut veggies are a great way to save time. So, use broccoli florets if prepping for the cooking process is a recipe deal breaker!
- For juicy chicken, start checking the temperature after six hours. Once it reaches 165 degrees F, you can shred it and move on in the recipe.
- Quickly shred the chicken by popping it into your food processor. However, be sure to use the plastic dough attachment, not the metal blade!
- If you are using leftover cooked rice stir it in right at the end.
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