My crockpot cheesy chicken broccoli rice is a rich and satisfying one-pot meal that practically cooks itself! This easy slow cooker casserole is perfect for family dinners, and the leftovers taste even better for lunch the next day! Just toss it in the crockpot and forget it for a few hours (you don't even have to worry about side dishes)!
Jump to:
- Slow Cooker Chicken & Rice Dinner
- 🥘 Ingredients
- 🔪 How To Make Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice
- 🍽️ What To Serve With Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice
- 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- 🥡 Storing & Reheating
- ❔ Can I Use Any Cheese For Crockpot Cheesy Chicken And Rice
- ❔ Can I Put Raw Chicken In My Crockpot
- ❔ Can I Use Minute Rice To Make Cheesy Crockpot Chicken
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Slow Cooker Chicken & Rice Dinner
Slow cooker cheesy chicken and rice is a classic crockpot casserole recipe. If it's one of those nights where cooking dinner sounds like a chore, you can toss the ingredients in your crockpot and let it do the work!
The rich and cheesy combination of chicken, rice, and broccoli always hits the spot, and the leftovers never last long. It's a great comfort food recipe for your weekly rotating selection of easy family dinners!
🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts - 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Chicken Broth - 2 cups of chicken broth, stock, or a chicken broth substitute.
- Sour Cream - ½ cup of sour cream, Greek yogurt, or another sour cream substitute.
- Dijon Mustard (optional) - 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard for a bit of extra flavor.
- Thyme - 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or a thyme substitute.
- Garlic Powder - ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Onion Powder - ½ teaspoon of onion powder or an onion powder substitute.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon each of salt & pepper (to taste).
- Brown Rice - 1 cup of rinsed long-grain brown rice or risotto rice. Do not use Minute rice!
- Broccoli - 1 pound of fresh or frozen broccoli florets.
- Cheddar Cheese - 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese (grated).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice
Dinner doesn't get much easier than this, especially since you're using frozen broccoli! Gather your measuring utensils, a knife and cutting board, your crockpot, and a large spoon or spatula to get started.
This recipe makes 4-6 servings of cheesy chicken, depending on how hungry everyone is!
Prep The Chicken
Step 1: Chop the chicken. Trim and dice 1 pound (453.59 grams) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks or cubes approximately 1 to 1½ inches in size.
Add Ingredients To Slow Cooker
Step 2: Add liquid and seasonings. Add 2 cups (473.18 milliliters) of chicken broth, ½ cup (115 grams) of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and seasonings (1 teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt & pepper) to your crockpot and stir to combine.
Step 3: Add 1 cup (185 grams) of long-grain brown rice to the crockpot, followed by the bite-sized chicken pieces.
Step 4: Stir to combine, then add 1 pound (453.59 grams) of fresh or frozen broccoli florets.
Cover and Cook
Step 5: Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the chicken is cooked, all the broth is absorbed, and the rice is tender. Cook on high for 2-3 hours.
Melt Cheese and Serve
Step 6: Melt the cheese. Add 1 cup (226 grams) of sharp cheddar cheese to your broccoli and rice and stir to combine. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top, return the lid to your slow cooker, and let the cheese melt for about 15 minutes.
Step 7: Garnish and serve. Once the cheese is melted, serve immediately. Garnish with chopped parsley, grate some Parmesan cheese, or season with a few turns of your pepper mill if desired.
🍽️ What To Serve With Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice
I love the simplicity of this recipe and the fact that it includes rice, protein, and vegetables, so you don't need much else! Quick and easy air fryer garlic bread, biscuits, or Rhode's dinner rolls are always a safe bet!
The cheesy rice casserole is already rich and hearty, so if you do add a few sides, you want to keep them light. Vegetable side dishes like microwave corn on the cob or sauteed green beans would be great!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- See my complete list of risotto rice varieties that work well in this recipe here! When cooking in a crockpot or slow cooker, sushi rice and brown rice hold up better than long-grain white rice.
- Do not use Minute Rice! It will turn to mush in no time at all.
- Frozen broccoli works very well in this recipe.
- To quickly melt the cheese on top, you can put the ceramic slow cooker pot under the broiler in your oven for a few minutes.
- I do not suggest trying to double this recipe. It works best as-is.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Once the leftovers have cooled, transfer them to an airtight container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing
To freeze your leftovers, portion them into zip-top freezer storage bags and squeeze out the excess air. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and enjoy within 3 months.
Reheating
Individual portions of this cheesy chicken casserole heat up perfectly in the microwave. You can also put the leftovers in a baking dish covered with foil and bake at 350ºF (175ºC/Gas Mark 4) for 10-20 minutes.
Add a splash of milk or chicken broth if needed.
❔ Can I Use Any Cheese For Crockpot Cheesy Chicken And Rice
I love sharp cheddar for this recipe (the sharper, the better), especially with brown rice. Cheddar Jack or Colby Jack would be great, too!
Any freshly grated cheese that you like the flavor of and melts well should turn out tasty.
❔ Can I Put Raw Chicken In My Crockpot
Yes. Putting raw chicken in your crockpot is safe if it's plugged in and cooking! You never want to leave raw chicken within the range of 40°F - 140°F (4.4-60°C) for longer than two hours.
Read more on the cooking temperatures for chicken here!
❔ Can I Use Minute Rice To Make Cheesy Crockpot Chicken
Sometimes, it's okay to put Minute® Rice in the crockpot, but in this case, the rice would be cooked before the chicken. By the end of the cooking time, it turns to mush.
So save the Minute Rice for later and use regular rice this time!
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📖 Recipe Card
Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup sour cream (or Greek Yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice (or risotto rice, rinsed)
- 1 lb broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prep The Chicken
- Chop your boneless, skinless 1 lb chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks or cubes approximately 1 to 1½ inches in size.
Add Ingredients To Slow Cooker
- Add 2 cups chicken broth, ½ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and seasonings (1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper) to your crockpot and stir to combine.
- Add 1 cup long-grain brown rice to the crockpot, followed by the bite-sized pieces of chicken.
- Stir to combine, then add the fresh or frozen 1 lb broccoli florets.
Cover And Cook
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through, all the broth is absorbed, and the rice is tender. Cook on high for 2-3 hours.
Melt Cheese and Serve
- Add half the 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese to your broccoli and rice and stir to combine. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top, return the lid to your slow cooker, and let the cheese melt for about 15 minutes.
- Once the cheese is melted, serve immediately. Garnish with chopped parsley, grate some Parmesan cheese, or season with a few turns of your pepper mill if desired.
Notes
- See my complete list of risotto rice varieties that work well in this recipe here! When cooking in a crockpot or slow cooker, sushi rice and brown rice also hold up better than long-grain white rice.
- Do not use Minute Rice! It will turn to mush in no time at all.
- Frozen broccoli works very well in this recipe.
- To quickly melt the cheese on top, you can put the ceramic slow cooker pot under the broiler in your oven for a few minutes.
- I do not suggest trying to double this recipe. It works best as-is.
- Once the leftovers have cooled, transfer them to an airtight container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze your leftovers, portion them into zip-top freezer storage bags and squeeze out the excess air. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and enjoy within 3 months.
- Individual portions of this cheesy chicken casserole heat up perfectly in the microwave. You can also put the leftovers in a baking dish covered with foil and bake at 350ºF (175ºC/Gas Mark 4) for 10-20 minutes. Add a splash of milk or chicken broth if needed.
Susanne says
I used this recipe exactly as directed and my brown rice was hard and completely uncooked by the time the meal was supposed to be ready. What is the trick to cooking the rice for this recipe?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Did you cook on low or high heat? The only thing I would do here is allow it to cook a bit longer, or start on high for 30 minutes before turning to low (if you cooked on the low setting). Hope that helps!