Chicken Broccoli and Rice is a scrumptious 30-minute one pot dinner that turns rotisserie chicken, broccoli, and rice into a comfort meal the whole family loves.
Chicken, broccoli, and rice is a super easy recipe for any cooking level. This almost hands-off rice skillet dinner makes a whole meal out of cooked chicken, fresh or frozen broccoli, uncooked long grain rice, chicken broth, and milk.
It's as comforting as Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo, but it's made with rice and a lightened up cream sauce. This meal also presents itself as a healthy chicken broccoli rice skillet dinner because it has no cheese. That's unusual for a dish like this, but it's so comforting and delicious, nobody misses it.
Do you need ideas to turn cooked chicken into whole meals? Grab this chicken shepherd's pie, chicken fried rice, chicken tortilla soup, or teriyaki chicken fried rice and feed your small army on a budget!
Key ingredients
- olive oil - or preferred cooking oil.
- onions and fresh garlic - use any color onion for this recipe and feel free to add extra garlic since these are the main aromatics.
- uncooked Basmati rice - or other long grain rice such as jasmine rice.
- milk - any milk fat content or other dairy liquid will work.
- chicken broth - I prefer to use low sodium chicken broth. This turkey stock would be delicious too!
- salt and pepper - adjust as needed after the skillet dinner is fully cooked.
- broccoli florets - use fresh or frozen (if thawed).
- cooked shredded chicken - excellent recipe to use chicken leftovers like rotisserie chicken, Instant Pot shredded chicken, baked chicken thighs, air fryer whole chicken, chicken breast, or the miracle that is canned chicken.
- lemon wedges - optional but highly recommended to brighten the flavor.
- fresh parsley - the perfect garnish that is, of course, optional, but always recommended.
Chicken broccoli and rice skillet instructions
* See full recipe below for full instructions.
- Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil a large, nonstick skillet.
- Add the uncooked rice and let it saute for a few minutes.
- Add the milk, chicken broth, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer 10 minutes on med-low heat.
- Add the rotisserie chicken and broccoli to the skillet. Don't stir them in, simply scatter them over the rice.
- Cover and continue simmering another 10 minutes until rice is fully cooked. The broccoli will be nicely steamed and chicken will be reheated.
- Remove the lid, toss everything together, and serve warm, garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Chicken and rice with optional cheese
Chicken, broccoli, and rice recipes are often cheesy, but this dish holds its own without it. It's naturally creamy because the rice starch mix right in to the sauce, so if has the same comforts of a cheesy rice entree. But, if you're feeling the shredded cheddar cheese, go for it!
Recipe tips and variations
- Can you use brown rice in chicken rice skillet? You can, but the liquid and cook time need to be increased enough to almost fully cook the rice before adding the chicken, broccoli, and cheese. I prefer to use white rice for this recipe because it keeps it at 30 minutes.
- Can I use instant rice for this recipe? You can, but you'll need to reduce the amount of cook time and cooking liquid on an experimental basis.
- If using frozen broccoli, thaw it completely before adding to the skillet. This will prevent uneven cooking of the rice.
- The best chicken for this recipe is any shredded cooked chicken you fancy, even canned chicken is delicious in this recipe.
- Add seasonings to your liking. Ideas include Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or crushed red pepper.
- If you're adding cheese to this recipe, you can keep it light with a little Parmesan cheese. Or, turn it into a cheddar chicken and rice skillet because yummm! Do this just before serving by topping the warm entree with shredded cheese, covering, and allowing it to melt. Easy cheesy!
Chicken Broccoli Rice Skillet
Equipment
- large skillet with lid or dutch oven
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Uncooked Basmati Rice (or other white rice), rinsed until water is clear
- 1 ¼ cup Milk, or heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cup Chicken Broth
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 cups Broccoli Florets, fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 1 cup Cooked Chicken, shredded
- 1 Lemon, sliced into wedges for serving
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat OLIVE OIL in a large, nonstick skillet on medium-high.
- Add ONION and GARLIC; sauté until tender and fragrant (about 3 min).
- Add RICE; continue heating and stirring to toast the rice (about 3 min).
- Add MILK, CHICKEN BROTH, SALT, and PEPPER; stir to combine; adjust heat to HIGH and bring everything to a gentle boil (about 3 minutes).
- Cover, turn heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Scatter BROCCOLI and SHREDDED CHICKEN over surface of rice (but DON’T stir); cover and simmer 10 more minutes until broccoli and chicken are warmed through.
- Remove lid, gently toss, and add a splash of milk as needed to adjust sauce consistency.
- Serve warm with (optional) LEMON WEDGES and PARSLEY garnish.
Traci's Recipe Notes
NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
I originally published this recipe on amandascookin.com.
Joy says
My mother and I both enjoyed this recipe a lot, and I have enough for lunch to carry me through the next 3 days. Thank you so much for sharing it. I do want to let you know it is possible to make this with brown basmati rice. Follow the directions as written up until step 5, where you will put your liquid in and then extend the time you cook it with the lid on from 10 minutes to about 30 - 35 minutes. Put your broccoli and shredded chicken in, then put the lid back on for another 10 minutes to cook the broccoli and heat the chicken. It worked wonderfully for me and it adds a nice nutty flavour, and is a bit chewier than the white, but I love it.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome!! Yes, I'll have to adapt the recipe to include brown rice once I try it out. Thanks for sharing and glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Beth says
Super easy and turned out delicious.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Beth! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. We're big fans too 🙂 Thanks for the review!