Casseroles are one of the classic comfort food recipes that bring us back to childhood, but they can be labor-intensive and take forever to make. This Crock Pot Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice has all the elements of a cheesy rice casserole but is simple to make and doesn’t require any pre-cooking or prep.
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Slow cooker chicken, broccoli, and rice is full of juicy chicken, tender broccoli, and fluffy rice covered in cheese with a crunchy cracker topping. It is the perfect comfort meal for a rainy day and the whole family will love it. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner, weekend lunch, or a potluck with friends and family.
If you like casserole recipes for the crock pot, you will love my Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole, Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole, and Crock Pot Pizza Casserole.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy Family Dinner: This cheesy slow cooker chicken broccoli rice casserole is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight. It’s flavorful, and hearty, and comes together in the crock pot in a few hours! The whole family will love this dish!
- Budget Friendly: Casserole-style dinners are great for families on a budget. Chicken, rice, and frozen broccoli are affordable but make for a filling comfort meal.
- Simple, Flavorful Ingredients: The ingredients list for this recipe may look long, but many of them are pantry staples, like seasonings, rice, chicken broth, and crackers, so you won’t need to purchase much from the grocery store aside from the meat, produce, and cheese.
Ingredients
- Long-Grain White Rice: This recipe calls for long-grain white rice because it takes longer to cook. This type of rice is best in the crock pot so it doesn’t turn mushy. Basmati rice also works well.
- Chicken Broth: The rice needs liquid to cook and chicken broth or stock is more flavorful than water. You can use regular or low-sodium broth depending on your preferences.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Add a lot of flavor and some creaminess to this crock pot chicken casserole with a can of cream of chicken soup. You can also use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup.
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are best for this recipe because they are easy to shred or cut into cubes with skin and bones in the way.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Deepen the umami flavors of this dish with a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
- Ranch Seasoning: Add a lot of zest and rich flavor to the chicken casserole with a packet of ranch seasoning mix.
- Yellow Onion: This aromatic ingredient enhances the flavor of the chicken and adds a mild sweetness. Be sure to use yellow onion because it has the most complementary flavor.
- Garlic: Add a little zip to the dish with freshly minced garlic. You can also use jarred garlic or use ⅓ teaspoon of garlic powder for every 1 teaspoon of fresh garlic.
- Broccoli Florets: Fresh or frozen broccoli florets add a pop of color to this casserole and are the perfect vegetable for this cheesy meal.
- Cheddar Cheese: This whole crockpot chicken and rice with broccoli is covered in a cheesy layer of cheddar cheese which adds a lot of flavor and a little sharpness.
- Butter: Rich melted butter deepens the flavor of the casserole.
- Crackers: Give this dinner a little crunch with crushed crackers on top. I use Ritz crackers, but any buttery club cracker works well.
- Seasonings: Increase the flavor of this dish by adding seasonings like paprika, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasonings.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Use Pork Instead: Instead of chicken, try this recipe with boneless pork chops instead. They have a deeper flavor that still tastes great with broccoli, rice, cheese, and chicken broth.
- Use Brown Rice: If you aren’t a fan of white rice, try using brown rice instead! You may need a little more broth, but it tastes delicious in this crockpot cheesy chicken broccoli and rice.
- Try Cream Cheese: If you aren’t a fan of cream of chicken or cream of anything soup, try using a block of cream cheese to up the creaminess factor. You may need a little extra broth for the rice, but this is a great tangy substitute.
- Add More Veggies: I love using broccoli in this dish to make it a full meal, but you can also use mushrooms, corn, or green beans. A frozen vegetable medley is also a great addition!
How to Make Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice in the Crock Pot
This easy crock pot chicken broccoli rice casserole is the perfect comfort meal for a busy family. It uses basic ingredients to make a rich and flavorful dinner that tastes like a warm hug.
- Step 1: Add the Rice and Sauce. Pour the rice into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, then add the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, ranch seasoning, paprika, and black pepper. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
- Step 2: Add the Chicken and Cook. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture and secure the lid on the slow cooker. Cook the crock pot chicken rice broccoli on high for 2½ to 3½ hours or on low for 5-6 hours.
- Step 3: Time for Broccoli and Cheese. After the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it or chop it into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and the broccoli into the rice mixture. Top the casserole with shredded cheese, then place the lid back on and cook it for an additional 30 minutes.
- Step 4: Make the Topping. While the cheese melts, combine the crackers, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl with melted butter. Sprinkle this crunchy cracker mixture over the top of the dish before serving it.
Expert Tips
- Shred Your Cheese: Freshly shredded cheese melts more evenly and tastes better than pre-shredded cheese. If you’re short on time, you can use pre-shredded, but fresh is better.
- Fresh vs. Frozen Broccoli: Depending on what type of broccoli you use, there are different ways to prepare it. If you use fresh broccoli, add it at the beginning of the cooking time. If you use frozen broccoli, add it at the end as stated in the directions. You can also just steam the broccoli separately and stir it in before you add the cheese.
- Storing Leftovers: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or the oven. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers because the rice gets too mushy and doesn’t have a great texture.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken broccoli rice casserole in the crock pot is the perfect comfort food. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make, but it is flavorful, cheesy, and something the whole family will love. Enjoy it for dinner or lunch on a rainy day when everyone is craving a warm, hearty meal.
- Rich casseroles pair well with fresh garden salads and vinaigrette dressings to help cut through the richness.
- You could also serve it with some delicious vegetables like sweet glazed carrots, corn on the cob, or slow cooked Brussels sprouts.
- This cheesy casserole pairs perfectly with crock pot cornbread or flaky rolls to help soak up any extra sauce.
- Fruity desserts like apple crisp, blueberry cobbler, or peach cobbler also pair well with this hearty and flavorful dinner.
Recipe FAQs
Casseroles are a great dish for the oven! Bake this one at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. Be sure to cut up the chicken before adding it to the oven and you may only need 1 cup of chicken broth to cook the rice.
If your rice is still crunchy after 2 ½ hours on high, give it another hour and check to see if you need to add more chicken broth. Some crock pots run hotter than others, so cooking times aren’t an exact science.
We’ve all had those days where we forget to thaw the frozen chicken for dinner! Unfortunately, you can’t use frozen chicken in the crock pot per the USDA. The meat sits in the “danger zone” temperature range for too long, which promotes bacteria growth.
More Delicious Crock Pot Chicken Casserole Recipes
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Slow Cooker Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons garlic minced
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 1 ounce packet Ranch seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups broccoli florets fresh or frozen
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1¼ cups Ritz crackers
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Add rice, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, Worchestershire sauce, garlic, onion, ranch seasoning, paprika, and black pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Mix until well combined.
- Place the chicken on top of the rice and sauce mixture.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours or low for 5 to 6 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred with two forks or chop into bite sized pieces.
- Add chicken and broccoli to the rice and mix. Then top with cheese, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, Ritz crackers, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle over the top before serving and enjoy!
Notes
- Freshly shredded cheese is always better because it melts more evenly and tastes better than pre-shredded cheese.
- If you use fresh broccoli, add it at the beginning of the cooking time so it becomes tender.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen says
This yummy recipe is one of my favorite comfort food meals.