Baked Skillet Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli
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This is a homey recipe for chicken and rice casserole that will please everyone at the table — an easy, convenient one-dish chicken dinner that combines tender pieces of chicken, creamy short grain rice, grated cheese and broccoli florets. Everything cooks in one ovenproof pan, from start to finish — brown the chicken on the stovetop, bake and serve!
Tender baked chicken on a bed of creamy rice, with plenty of crisp-edged broccoli and cheese. That’s what this skillet chicken recipe is all about!
Anytime I pull together a one-pan chicken dinner like chicken orzo and spinach skillet dinner or chicken Marsala with cream, it feels like a huge win. When you want to cook from scratch using fresh pantry ingredients, family-style dinners with chicken are almost a no-brainer.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
About the ingredients
- Chicken: For the best flavor and texture, I recommend using chicken thighs (boneless, skinless or bone-in, skin-on) for chicken rice and broccoli casserole. Bonus: Chicken thighs stay juicy after baking. Since the chicken and rice need to bake until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked, I’ve found that chicken breasts will become dry and overcooked.
- Rice: Because everything cooks in one pan, the rice soaks up all the delicious seasonings and chicken juices. I recommend choosing a type of short grain white rice, such as arborio, sushi-style or medium grain white rice. The grains develop a pleasant, starchy texture as they cook. Brown rice won’t work as successfully — it has a longer cooking time and won’t absorb the liquid evenly.
- Broccoli: Slice the florets from a large bunch of broccoli, enough to make 4 cups. Frozen broccoli florets will work, too — no need to thaw. The edges of the broccoli tastes so good with Parmesan, and the edges get browned and crunchy while they bake.
- Dried herbs: I use Italian seasoning to add zest flavor. It’s usually a a mixture of dried basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder but will vary from brand to brand.. You can use whatever herb blends you like, or a teaspoon each of dried thyme, oregano, basil or marjoram.
- Onion + garlic: Both add aromatic flavor. Try to chop the onion very fine, about the same size as the rice grains, so it will soften into the broth as it’s absorbed by the rice.
- Chicken broth: Use flavorful homemade chicken broth, or a store-bought broth you enjoy, whether it’s lower sodium or even vegetable broth.
- Milk: I use a 2:1 ratio of broth to whole milk to add a creamy texture. You can substitute a full-fat plant based milk, such as oat milk, instead of cow’s milk.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice deglazes the pan, adding a bright hit of citrus at the same time. You can also use the same amount of dry white wine instead.
- Cheese: Grated Parmesan melts into the rice in the oven. Sprinkle on more to serve!
Cooking steps
1. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of the chicken — don’t be afraid to be generous! 2. Put the butter and olive oil in an ovenproof skillet that holds 3-4 quarts. Place over medium-high heat until the butter melts and begins to foam.
3. Cook the chicken on one side until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the pieces over, cook one more minute then transfer to a plate. 4. Pour in the lemon juice (or white wine) to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits. Stir in the onion and garlic.
5. Add the broth and milk and bring to a simmer. 6. Add the herbs and salt. The acidity from the lemon might curdle the milk, but that’s fine.
6. Add the broccoli and cook one minute. 7. Gently stir in the rice and cheese.
8. Nestle the chicken into the rice. Bake 25-30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. 9. Sprinkle more cheese over the baked chicken and rice, and serve.
Tips and suggestions:
- If you’d like to omit the butter, and use 2 tablespoons olive oil instead. Note: Avoid using butter alone, because it will burn.
- Storing: Cooked chicken and rice can be stored in an airtight container 3 days and frozen up to 1 month.
- Reheating: Heat leftovers in a covered baking dish in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or 5 minutes on medium power in a microwave. Add a small amount of chicken broth to moisten the rice it you like.
Baked Skillet Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli
This is a homey recipe for chicken and rice casserole that will please everyone at the table — an easy, convenient one-dish chicken dinner that combines tender pieces of chicken thigh, creamy short grain rice, grated Parmesan cheese and broccoli florets. Everything cooks in one ovenproof pan, from start to finish — brown the chicken on the stovetop, bake and serve!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, either boneless skinless (1½-1¾ pounds) or bone-in, skin-on (2½-3 pounds)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk, dairy or plant based
- ½ cup finely chopped onion, about ½ medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, 10 ounces
- 1 cup (225 g) arborio rice, or other short grain white rice
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, or other dried herb blend
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 (200 C) degrees.
- Season the chicken generously on both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Put the butter and olive oil in a large (3-4 quart) skillet or saute pan and place over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and begins to bubble, add the chicken thighs to the pan. Cook until they're golden on one side, 3-5 minutes. Flip them over and cook one more minute. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Pour the lemon juice or wine into the pan. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits away from the bottom of the pan while the liquid comes to a boil.
- Stir in the onions and garlic to the pan and cook about 30 seconds. Pour in the broth, milk, dried herbs, and add 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer. The milk may curdle at this point if you're using lemon juice, but that's okay.
- Add the broccoli to the boiling broth and cook one minute. Turn off the heat. Add the rice and ½ cup of the cheese and gently stir them in. Nestle the chicken pieces in the pan, adding in any juices that collected on the plate.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the rice is absorbed, 25-30 minutes. If you're using bone-in chicken, bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cooked through. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan over the chicken and serve.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Omit the butter, and use 2 tablespoons olive oil instead. Don’t use butter alone, because it will burn.
- Storing: Cooked chicken and rice can be stored in an airtight container 3 days and frozen up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 899mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 928IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 462mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
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Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
Great recipe, dare I say foolproof?! I would (and did) cover the pot for its time in the oven. There’s a ton of room to add additional veggies with either the onion or broccoli depending on type too. No leftovers.
If my husband liked it, I know it’s great! Very good.
Hi Karen! Looks delicious but I don’t see rice listed as an ingredient?
Yes, it was a typo — it’s one cup rice. Thank you!
What is the amount of rice?
Guessing 1 cup
Holly, thank you for spotting that! Yes, it’s one cup :))