Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken Rice Skillet is a 30-minute, one-pan dinner that is easy to make yet incredibly flavorful. A great weeknight meal and/or lunch prep!
If you’re new to my site, there are some things you need to know about me. But first of all–welcome!! There have been a lot of new people around here lately, and I’m honored that you want to spend some time with me and make my recipes.
Back to what you need to know. (1) I’m a sucker for a one-pan/pot meal. (2) I’m picky about perfectly cooked rice. (3) I think broccoli and cheddar are pure soulmates.
My support for #1 are endless on this site. Some of my favorites, though? One-Pot Louisiana Chicken Pasta, One-Pan Lemon Chicken and Rice, Arroz con Pollo. The list goes on!
Now, let’s talk about the broccoli and cheddar combo. This one has to be up there with the best combos of all time: peanut butter and jelly? Bread and butter? Pasta and parmesan?
Have you tried my Panera Bread copycat recipe for their Broccoli Cheddar Soup yet? It’s kind of life changing. And the stuffing-topped broccoli and chicken casserole is pure comfort food that I crave all year long.
Ingredient LIst for CHeesy Broccoli and Chicken Rice Skillet
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chicken
- Long-Grain Rice
- Broccoli
- Reduced-Fat Cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes
The ingredients don’t get much simpler than this, but there is something magical about this combo! Perfectly cooked rice is kind of the star of the show, though.
Look at that cheesy rice!
a great meal prep!
I get a lot of questions about what to do with the leftovers of meals like this one.
I love making Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken Skillet on a Sunday and portioning it out for my lunches throughout the week. Just microwave for about 1-2 minutes, stirring in 30-second intervals until heated through.
If you’re thinking about freezing this one, I would add the broccoli with only about 4 minutes left of the cooking time on the rice. This way, when you defrost and reheat, the broccoli won’t get soggy.
But good luck keeping leftovers around very long. I make this just for me and Jeff, and we have to make an effort to portion the servings out and put them away in the refrigerator so that we don’t eat it all.
This has become a staple in our house–and I hope the same is true for you!
more easy one-pot meals you’ll love
- One Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- One-Pan Lemon Chicken and Rice
- Arroz con Pollo
- One-Pot Louisiana Chicken Pasta
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! Leaving a starred review and comment below helps my blog grow. I’m always grateful when you can take the time to do that!
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Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 cups long-grain rice (like jasmine or basmati)
- 2 1/2 cup fat-free chicken stock
- 4 cups broccoli florets, chopped
- 2/3 cup shredded, reduced-fat cheese, divided
Instructions
- Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Coat skillet with cooking spray. Over high heat, sear chicken until browned on both sides, about 2 minute each.
- Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Lower heat to medium.
- Add onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté until they are soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add rice to skillet with the veggies and toast the rice for a minute or two.
- Add stock, remaining salt, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower to a simmer or low heat. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Remove cover and layer broccoli and chicken over the rice. Cover again and continue to cook for another 7 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/3 cup of cheese into the rice mixture. Top with remaining 1/3 cup. Cover skillet again for about 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Do you think this recipe would be fairly easy to double?
Absolutely! Might need to cook just a bit longer, so I’d check the rice after 15 minutes.
This looks delicious but my husband is only eating brown rice. Any chance you tried it with brown and know how much liquid and cook time I should add? Keep up the great work! You are so appreciated!!
Hi Heather, I haven’t made it with brown rice yet but I know that brown rice usually needs 2-3 times the liquid to rice and probably a 30-45 minute cook time. You can always follow the directions on the bag of rice as a guide for the liquid ratio and then add the chicken in when the rice is almost done. If you try it out, please let me know what ratios work best – I’m sure other readers have the same question 🙂
This recipe was a big hit! As you said, it was even better the next day. Definitely going in the regular rotation!
Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to comment, Jess – so happy you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! The rice was perfect and the broccoli was crisp and delicious! Thanks for another great recipe Geri!