One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice is a cheesy, easy dinner loaded with simple ingredients like chicken, rice, and broccoli. This dish is perfect for a busy weeknight when things are hectic. Only one dish to clean for this satisfying one-pan dinner recipe.

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ONE-PAN DINNERS
I’m a little late to the one-pot, one-pan party. I don’t know why I’ve been resistant but with food trends, I’m either really early or really late to try them.
For example, I think I was the last person in the world to eat quinoa.
And cookie butter…, just had my first taste ever yesterday.
Subconsciously I was trying to avoid it because it’s one of those things that I knew I would find myself elbow deep in before realizing the whole jar was gone.
Move over Nutella, cookie butter is the hot ticket in town now (thanks Heather for buying me a jar).
Anywhoooo, back to one-pan dishes. I feel no reason to ever make anything in more than one pan now.
Which is why I made this One-Pan Mexican Rice Chicken yesterday. I loathe dishes. This is a trend I plan on hanging on to for a while.

EASY DINNERS
To be honest, I wasn’t planning on sharing this dish, which is why there aren’t any step-by-step shots. But I have your back y’all. Easy dinners are hard to come by so I had to share. Especially chicken dinners (like these Baked Chicken Chimichangas).
I made it purely out of necessity trying to keep my house clean for 12 hours before I had to host Bunko so I looked up one-pan dishes so that I could keep my kitchen clean and still feed my family.
After I made it, it looked so pretty so I snapped a couple of pictures just in case. I found this recipe over at No. 2 Pencil. She has a ton of one-pot recipes that you guys should check out.

Broccoli is one of the few vegetables my whole family loves so I knew it would be a hit and it was. If broccoli isn’t a vegetable your family loves you can use spinach or asparagus.
This is the kind of chicken recipe that sits in your back pocket when it’s 5 pm and you don’t know what you’re making for dinner.
HOW TO MAKE ONE-PAN CHEESY CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, AND RICE:
- First, start by cooking your onions in a little olive oil in a 12-inch skillet. Once they’re soft you can add your seasoned chicken breast. If you’re using a rotisserie chicken you can add it later when you add the cheese.
- Next, you’ll saute your rice in a little olive oil. This gives the rice extra flavor by toasting it. Have your liquid on had because you’ll want it as soon as it’s done toasting.
- Add your chicken broth. I really like Better than Bouillon Chicken base in a can (you add water) which can be found right next to regular chicken broth.
- After the rice has been cooking for a while add your broccoli and let it steam.
- Finally, when all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice you’re ready to add the cheddar cheese. Stir 1/2 a cup in and sprinkle the rest on top to melt.
OTHER ONE-PAN DINNERS
- One-Pan Garlic Butter Chicken
- Skillet Greek Chicken Recipe
- One-Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- One-Pan Chicken Tortilla Bake
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice
- One-Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
- Italian Sausage and Peppers
- One-Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta
- Cheater Korean Beef
- One-Pan Tomato Basil Chicken Quinoa
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet
- One-Pan Chicken Spinach and Orzo
- Creamy Chicken and Spinach
- One-Pan Creamy Zucchini Pasta
- Chicken Salad recipe
- One-Pan Sausage Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced finely
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup uncooked extra long grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, (I like to use Better than Buillion Chicken base)
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pan, sauté onions in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Once onions soften, increase the heat to medium high and add chicken to the pan.
- Brown the chicken pieces and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 more minute.
- Push chicken to one side of the pan and add additional tablespoon of olive oil to other side.
- Add the uncooked rice in the olive oil and saute it for a couple of minutes.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook chicken and rice mixture covered for about 12 minutes.
- Sprinkle the broccoli evenly over the chicken and rice mixture and stir to combine.
- Continue to cook covered another 8 minutes on low, or until broccoli and rice are both tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in half a cup of cheese.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover with a lid, letting it sit for 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted.


fast EASY to follow and delisious . hubby approved !
So happy to hear that.
Very happy with this dish .. easy and delicious! I used frozen broccoli with good results. I recommend to anyone trying this to cut good sized chunks of chicken so they don’t overcook.
So happy to hear that.
Yummy …even my son gobbled it up!! Definitely a keeper!!
Aw thanks!
Delicious and Easy! Thanks for sharing!
Thank yoU!
This is yummy! So glad I gave it a try, thanks!
You’re welcome!
Love it
Excellent recipe! My better half asked me to make this, but she didn’t have a recipe. I found this one and it was fantastic. Thanks!
This was fantastic! I added more broccoli and (rotisserie) chicken than called for by a 1/2 cup and also chopped up two pieces of crispy bacon left over from breakfast (added with cheese). And bc I had it, I added some fresh grated parmesan with the cheddar (both places). Hearty and comforting, perfect on an overcast evening.
Why would you ruin this dish with all that cheese!! I mean, I like cheese and all…it just doesn’t need it. Very ‘over the top’!
Just finished cooking and it is sitting for our dinner. Will reheat a little before we serve. The taste is delicious and I’m sure my husband will love it. .
Just finished dinner and everyone loved it! Even the toddler that doesn’t like broccoli, though I did have to blend the broccoli with an immersion blender to “hide” it. Still super yummy! And we love cheese in this family so I measured with my son’s heart 😂 (he’s obsessed with cheese currently)
This was very easy and delicious. I may add a little less cheese on top next time, but really it was the picture of comfort food! 💋 loving cheese
Thank you!
This was very tasty. The only thing I would do differently is use less cheese. Maybe only 1/2 cup on top.
Otherwise this is a keeper.
Thank yoU!
How do you cut the chicken, and the broccoli, and the onion, and the garlic, all in five minutes? Not to mention measuring out the broth and seasonings. Or if you shred your cheese from a block.
These prep/cook times are absurd lol
Amen
Dice the onion, put in pan. Cut the chicken while the onion is cooking. Put it in pan. Measure out yor liquids while chicken is cooking. shred the cheese while the rice is cooking….
Delicious! We only had a few broccoli florets, so I also used up other veggies I had: Bell pepper (which I cooked with the onions) and half a carrot, which I chopped and added with the chicken. I then added the bits of broccoli as instructed. It turned out great!
Thank you!
Very good and super easy
Thank you!
Even I can make it! My wife enjoyed too.
This recipe is a keeper she says.
Thank you!
Made this dish for supper last night! It was deeeelicious! And given a big THUMB’S UP by the family! It will definitely be a RE-do!
Aw thanks Karla!
Just wondering if I could substitute orzo or another pasta for the rice. A member of my family is not a fan of rice.
Yes you could do orzo but it will be done much faster.
Great recipe very easy and was a hit with my family.
Glad you liked it!
Delicious! I added some oregano and thyme to the chicken, and a splash of white wine instead of the extra olive oil mid way. It was really delicious, and so easy. Plus my partner who has to wash up when I cook, loved the one pan to clean. He also said he liked this better than my risotto which is much more work for me so, success! Will make again for sure.
Aw thank you!
Delicious! Just made this exactly as written and thoroughly enjoyed
Thanks Chris!
A great throw-it-together and minimal-dishes-afterwards meal! I added oregano and thyme in with the chicken because the hubby likes seasonings/flavor. Definitely will keep for future dinners!
Thx!
Looking for something easy to cook and what could work with our high protein diet. I substituted chicken bone broth and quinoa. Equal amounts to recipe. Winner winner!
So happy to hear that!
Thank you for this recipe! I love one-pan meals. This was very simple to put together on short notice and I had all the ingredients. I used a cooked and deboned chicken I had put in the freezer a couple of months ago. Pulled it out and partially defrosted in the microwave and added it to the pan once the rice came to a boil. It was delicious!
Thanks Diana!
So delicious!!!! Made it with chicken thighs because that is what I had already. Sharing with friends and family.
Thanks!
This was so wonderful and the instructions were perfect. I literally re-created it to perfection. Only thing I did different is I just dumped the cheese on the skillet with the lid and let it all melt. It was so perfect. I will make this again.
Very good and easy! Only tweaked a small bit by adding some bacon while cooking the onion. Either way, I’m sure it would have been awesome without the bacon too!
Excellent and easy peasy. I used canned chicken so I’m sure it’s way better with fresh chicken, but it turned out great and was a crowd pleaser.
Thank you!
The better than bouillon adds entirely too much salt, I would literally get straight chicken broth. I had to add extra water to the rice because it was so hard. I just recommend cooking the rice separately but this is a one pan meal.
The better than bouillon has a low-sodium version which is what I use
I agree, with regular Better Than Bouillon, no extra salt is required. I would go heavy on the black pepper.
I didn’t change a thing and it was absolutely perfect! I love this recipe because my husband is lactose intolerant and every recipe we find has some type of cream added, so this is definitely one for the books and will be a staple in our family. Thank you!!
Awesome to hear!
Can you use brown rice instead?
it will need to cook longer
This is not keto if you’re using rice
Nowhere in this post said keto
This is not a keto recipe
Way to pay attention Sandy!!!Bravo.
chicken jockey