Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

This Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole combines brown rice with broccoli and chicken, no canned soup in sight. Best of all, this recipe uses just 10 ingredients and one pan.

Other chicken and rice recipes we love are this slow cooker chicken and rice and chicken and rice in Instant Pot.

Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Healthy chicken and rice recipes for dinner are my jam. I also love this combination in soups like healthy chicken wild rice soup, Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup or Instant Pot chicken and rice soup.

Using brown rice, omitting canned soup, and using yogurt makes this a delicious yet healthy chicken and rice casserole that the whole family will enjoy!

This recipe has actually been one of the healthy casseroles I’ve been making for years. However, initially, it involved searing the chicken in one pan, cooking the rice in another, and then combining them in a separate dish to bake in the oven. I was giving myself extra work (and dishes!) for no reason! Now, this one-pan dish uses minimal effort for maximum flavor!

By omitting tinned soup, it means we can control sodium and fat levels better. Instead, it relies on yogurt and a low-sodium broth. Plus, this healthy chicken and rice recipe offers everything you need; protein, fiber, and healthy fats.  

The resulting chicken broccoli rice casserole is creamy, cheesy, tender without being mushy, and packed with flavor. Better yet, even with 1.5 lbs of broccoli, I’ve yet to hear a child complain about eating their greens when it’s dished up as part of this chicken and rice casserole.

Best of all, this healthy chicken and rice casserole is comforting and hearty enough for winter yet light enough to enjoy year round.

For a lower carb treat, you might also enjoy this cauliflower fried rice.

Why This Recipe Works?

• Unlike many chicken and rice casserole recipes, this healthy version contains NO condensed soups (to avoid excess salt and preservatives!)
• This healthy chicken and rice casserole comes together in a single Dutch oven pan. Fewer dishes = less cleanup = happy me!
• When combined with the creamy sauce, chicken, and cheese, even veggie-skeptics will find it hard to find fault with this broccoli rice casserole.
• This recipe requires under 10 minutes of hands-on prep and then is ready to shove in the oven and bake to bubbly, creamy perfection!
• This healthy chicken broccoli rice casserole is creamy, cheesy, savory, salty, and utterly delicious!

You may also love these 65 healthy chicken recipes!

Ingredients You Will Need

This healthy chicken and rice casserole recipe requires just 10 simple ingredients—most of which are likely already in your kitchen, including:

• Chicken: Use boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed. Breast tends to be drier than thighs, though use what you have.
• Rice: I like to use jasmine or brown rice as they’re a little tougher and remain as individual grains even after baking. Short grain rice will be mushier (though still delicious). I haven’t tried the healthy chicken casserole recipe with wild rice or white rice, but I’m not sure it would work well.
• Broth: Use low-sodium vegetable broth, chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth. I used organic low-sodium bouillon cubes to prepare vegetable stock.
• Oil: I used avocado oil, but any neutral cooking oil will work.
• Broccoli: Fresh broccoli, cut into smaller florets, is best. However, you could also use frozen broccoli.
• Yogurt: Use 2%+ fat yogurt for the best and creamiest results. Avoid skim yogurt as it lacks flavor and won’t provide enough creaminess.
• Cheese: Use marble cheese or any hard shredded cheese like cheddar, parmesan, colby jack, etc.  
• Spices: This chicken broccoli rice casserole uses a combination of oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Green onion (scallions): to garnish.

Keep reading below (after the recipe how-to) for more information on healthy chicken and rice casserole add-ins and seasoning variations!

How to Make Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole

• Preheat large Dutch oven: First, preheat the oven to 400 F. Then on the stovetop preheat the large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a bit of oil.
• Sear the chicken: Add the raw chicken, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the rice: Add the rice and stock to the pan and stir, bringing to a boil. Then, add the broccoli over the top (do not stir), cover, and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
• Add the ‘sauce’: Remove the pan from the oven, add the yogurt, chopped green onion, and stir well. Then sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake (or broil) until the cheese has melted. Then serve and enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

• Cooking the broccoli your way: When baking the recipe as written, the broccoli will come out very tender (but not mushy). If you prefer broccoli with a little ‘bite,’ then blanch the broccoli separately and add it to the dish at the same time as the yogurt.
• Using pre-cooked chicken: To save on prep time further, you can swap out the raw chicken for chicken leftovers. I recommend shredded chicken cooked in Instant Pot, baked chicken breast, or Instant Pot chicken breast (or thighs). If you’re using pre-cooked chicken, reduce the baking time slightly. It may be best to use instant rice/ quick-cook rice when using pre-cooked chicken- though I haven’t tried it.
• Using the best pan: I use this Lodge Dutch oven pot, and I love it. Dutch ovens cook food evenly and quicker than other baking dishes and help you make simple one-pot meals from stovetop to oven!

Optional Add-In’s and Variations

Below are a few optional ‘add-ins’ and seasoning variations for this healthy chicken and rice casserole.  

• Mayonnaise: You can add just a little mayonnaise to the chicken broccoli rice casserole for extra creaminess. I recommend adding 2-3 tablespoons.
• Mustard: Another simple way to enhance the flavors in this healthy chicken and rice casserole is with a bit of dijon mustard. Just 1-2 tablespoons is enough to add an extra dimension of flavor.
• Cream cheese: Like the mayonnaise, using just a little cream cheese in this healthy chicken and rice casserole can enhance the creaminess without adding too much fat to the dish.
• Other vegetables: There are several vegetables you could add to this healthy chicken casserole recipe. These include mushrooms (sauté with the chicken), peas, spinach, cauliflower, finely chopped carrots, celery, green beans, etc.
• Seasonings: Feel free to experiment with the dried herbs used in the dish. You could also experiment with seasonings like Cajun seasoning or curry powder to give the healthy chicken and brown rice casserole a flavor boost!

FAQs

Serving Recommendations

This healthy chicken and rice casserole is a hearty enough meal on its own. However, you could enjoy it alongside some garlic bread or a leafy green salad.

You could also serve this with additional veggie sides like sauteed zucchini, Instant Pot corn on the cob, garlic green beans, or baked asparagus, or roasted cauliflower.

Making It in Advance

Meal prep: You can freeze this healthy chicken and rice casserole before or after it’s baked. If cooking from frozen, add an extra hour to the baking time. Otherwise, allow it to thaw first, then bake as written in the recipe. You can also prep the broccoli up to a day in advance, chopping it up and storing it in an airtight container.

Storing: Allow the chicken broccoli rice casserole to cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze: To freeze, cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.   

Reheat: You can reheat smaller portions in the microwave or the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes or until warmed through. After reheating, you might want to add a bit more yogurt to bring back extra creaminess. Sprinkle fresh herbs, too, as they always add another layer of flavor to the healthy chicken casserole recipe.

More Healthy Casserole Recipes

• Healthy chicken broccoli casserole with pasta and no canned soup!
• Ground turkey quinoa casserole so good and simple.
• Turkey pasta bake with kale but no one will complain!
• Healthy Mexican casserole with layers of tortillas, meat and veggies.
• Mexican chicken and rice is a one pan pantry staple deliciousness.
• Skillet enchiladas in one pot in 30 mins.