This dump and bake chicken broccoli casserole is the one-dish dinner that makes weeknights simple.
Uncooked rice, diced raw chicken, cream of chicken soup, broth, and frozen broccoli go straight into one baking dish — no boiling, no sauce pan, no standing at the stove.
Your family will love this dump and bake chicken broccoli rice the moment it comes out of the oven — rice perfectly cooked, chicken tender all the way through,
and broccoli that stays just right because it goes in frozen, not thawed.
Why You’ll Love This Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Uncooked rice cooks directly in the dish — No boiling, no rinsing, no separate pot. The cream of chicken soup and broth create exactly the right amount of liquid for long-grain white rice to steam and absorb during the covered bake. One of the cleanest no-boil dump and bake dinners in the category.
- Raw chicken cooks alongside the rice — Diced small, it reaches 165°F at the same rate the rice finishes cooking. No browning, no pre-seasoning required — though a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder stirred in takes it to another level.
- Cream of chicken soup is the shortcut that works — Unlike the RecipeTin Eats version which skips canned soup entirely, this recipe embraces it. The condensed soup provides the creamy base, the seasoning, and the right liquid ratio all at once. This is the dump and bake recipe for nights when you want something genuinely effortless.
- Frozen broccoli adds moisture and nutrients — Added frozen, it releases liquid as it bakes that helps the rice cook evenly and prevents the casserole from drying out. Keep it frozen when it goes in — thawed broccoli releases too much liquid at once.
- 10 minutes of prep, hands-off after that — Mix, cover, bake. One of the most requested dump and bake recipes for busy weeknights because the oven does all the work while you do everything else.
Ingredients For Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Long-Grain White Rice – Uncooked and added straight to the dish. Long-grain white rice is the only variety that works here — it absorbs the soup and broth at exactly the right rate during the covered bake. Brown rice, instant rice, and wild rice all behave differently and won’t give you the right result.
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup – The creamy base that does the work of both a sauce and a seasoning in this dump and bake recipe. It provides body, savory flavor, and the right liquid ratio for the rice without any extra prep steps.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth – Combined with the soup to give the rice enough liquid to cook through. Low-sodium is the right call here — the condensed soup already carries a significant amount of salt.
- Raw Chicken Breast – Diced into small pieces and mixed through the rice. Small, even pieces are what make this dump and bake chicken recipe reliable — they reach 165°F at the same rate the rice finishes cooking. No pre-cooking needed.
- Frozen Broccoli Florets – Added frozen directly from the bag. They release moisture slowly as they bake, which keeps the rice hydrated and the casserole from drying out on top. Baby florets are the right size for an even bite throughout.
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
This is the dump and bake rice casserole that proves the method works just as well without pasta. Uncooked long-grain white rice, raw diced chicken, frozen broccoli, and cream of chicken soup — assembled in one dish, covered, and baked. No pre-cooking anything. No second pan on the stove.
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Servings: 4
Notes
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breast, diced small
- 2 cups frozen broccoli florets (kept frozen until use)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the prepared baking dish, stir together the uncooked rice, condensed cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth until combined. Add any optional seasonings here.
- Add the diced raw chicken and stir to distribute evenly through the rice mixture.
- Scatter the frozen broccoli florets over the top. Do not thaw them first — add them straight from frozen.
- Cover the dish very tightly with aluminum foil. No gaps. The steam is what cooks the rice.
- Bake covered for 45–55 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Taste a grain of rice to check — it should be fully cooked with no crunch remaining.
- If the rice needs more time, recover and return for another 5–10 minutes.
- Rest covered for 5 minutes before serving to let the rice finish absorbing any remaining liquid.
- Long-grain white rice only: This recipe was developed and tested specifically for uncooked long-grain white rice. Brown rice, wild rice, instant rice, and short-grain rice all absorb liquid differently and won't cook correctly here. Don't substitute.
- Keep the broccoli frozen: Frozen broccoli releases moisture slowly as it bakes, which helps the rice cook evenly. If you use thawed broccoli, it releases too much liquid at once and the rice ends up waterlogged. Add it straight from the freezer every time.
- Dice the chicken small: The smaller the pieces, the more reliably they cook through at the same rate as the rice. Aim for roughly ½-inch cubes. Large chunks of chicken will still be cooking when the rice is done.
- Glass or ceramic takes longer: Metal pans conduct heat more efficiently than glass or ceramic. If you're using a glass or ceramic baking dish, add 5–10 minutes to the covered bake time and check the rice earlier than you think you need to.
- Cooked chicken works too: Use about 2 cups of diced or shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie works great) and reduce the covered bake time slightly. The rice still needs the full time, so check it rather than going by the chicken.
- Can I use brown rice or instant rice instead?No — and this is the one rule this dump and bake rice casserole is non-negotiable about. Long-grain white rice is the only variety that absorbs liquid at the right rate for the covered bake time and liquid ratio in this recipe. Brown rice needs more liquid and more time. Instant rice would turn mushy. Wild rice behaves differently again. Use long-grain white rice every time.
- Why does the broccoli need to stay frozen?Frozen broccoli releases its moisture slowly and evenly as it bakes, which helps keep the rice hydrated throughout the covered cook. Thawed broccoli releases all its liquid at once, which creates an uneven moisture distribution — waterlogged rice at the bottom, dry rice on top. Keep it frozen right until it goes into the dish.
- How do I know when the rice is done?Taste it. The rice should be fully tender with no crunch remaining, and most of the liquid should be absorbed. If it still has a firm bite, recover the dish and return it to the oven for another 5–10 minutes. Glass and ceramic dishes take longer than metal pans, so if you’re using one of those, start checking later and add time accordingly.
- Can I use cooked chicken instead of raw?Yes — use about 2 cups of diced or shredded cooked chicken. Rotisserie works particularly well because it brings its own seasoning into the dish. The rice still needs the full bake time since it goes in raw, so don’t reduce the oven time — just check the rice for doneness as you normally would.
- Can I add other vegetables?Yes. Frozen peas, frozen corn, or diced mushrooms can all be added alongside or instead of the broccoli. If you’re adding larger vegetables like frozen mixed vegetables, keep them frozen when they go in. The same slow-release moisture principle applies.
