One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice
This One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice is a comfort food classic! It’s gluten-free and easy to modify to make dairy free.
I love a one-pot dinner any time of year. Anything that cuts down on time and dishes is always a winner for me. In the winter, I love making recipes like my French Onion Chicken and Rice, and now that spring is in the air, I wanted a version that felt a little bit more seasonal.
This recipe takes the classic combination of broccoli and cheddar and makes it into a protein-packed, easy weeknight meal! It’s gluten-free and easy to modify to make dairy-free.
This quick & easy Broccoli Cheddar is the perfect one-pot weeknight meal. Throw it together in under and hour, and enjoy a hearty meal.
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- One pan wonder! My one pot chicken and rice recipes are always popular on my blog because they’re so easy and homey, and this one is no different. It comes together so quickly and only requires on pan for a whole dish that includes a protein, veggies, and rice.
- Goat cheese is lower in lactose. This recipe uses goat cheddar instead of cow dairy. Goat cheese is not lactose-free, but goat cheese is lower in lactose than regular cheese. It truly depends on the person, but as someone who is on the moderate side of lactose intolerance, I find myself able to tolerate goat cheese in moderation with a lactose enzyme like Hilma.
- Classic flavor profile. You can’t beat the comforting taste of broccoli cheddar, made even better by adding chicken & rice into the mix!
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Jasmine rice.
- Broccoli.
- Chicken broth.
- Goat cheddar cheese.
- Yellow onion & Garlic.
- Chicken breast.
- Salt & pepper, dried thyme, dried parsley.
Substitutions & modifications
- Chicken thigh. This recipe should also work just fine with cubed chicken thighs.
- Nutritional yeast. If you want to leave off the cheese but still want a cheesy flavor add a few teaspoons of nutritional yeast to taste!
- Spinach and peas. Frozen spinach and peas would be a great addition to this recipe if you’re looking to add more greens. Simply add the spinach and peas at the end before adding the cheese.
How to make Broccoli cheddar chicken and rice
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Using a large deep pan, add the onion and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.
Step two. Add the chicken to the pan and season with salt, pepper and dried herbs. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side to lightly brown.
Step three. Push the chicken and onion to one side of the pan. Add the rinsed rice and chopped broccoli and saute for 2 minutes.
Step four. Pour the broth and lemon juice into the pan. Bring to a boil and cover, reducing to a simmer and allowing to simmer for 15 minutes.
Step five. Replace the lid and turn the heat off for 5 minutes, allowing the rice to steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cheese and replace the lid for another 5 minutes to allow the residual heat to melt the cheese.
Step six. Remove the lid and serve topped with chopped parsley
Michelle’s Tips & Tricks 🤓
- Leave off the cheese if you’re dairy free and sub nutritional yeast. This recipe is still plenty yummy without cheese, trust me! Add a touch of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
- Chop the broccoli finely. You don’t want huge chunks of broccoli florets in the recipe, so be sure to chop the broccoli extra fine.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! This chicken is cooked a bit ahead of time, but it’s still safe to cook these together as long as the entire dish is cooked through to 165 F
You can keep this in the fridge for 3-4 days!
You don’t need as much cooking liquid to make cauliflower rice as you do rice, so this recipe would take a lot of tweaking. You can easily use the same flavors with sauteed cauliflower rice.
Other chicken dishes to try…
If you tried these Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2.5 tbsp avocado oil divided
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb chicken breast cubed
- salt and pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- 1 cup jasmine rice rinsed
- 1.5 cup broccoli florets
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup goat cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Using a large deep pan, heat 2 tbsp of avocado oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the chicken to the pan and season with salt, pepper and dried herbs. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side to lightly brown.
- Push the chicken and onion to one side of the pan, and add ½ tbsp of oil to the other side. Add the rinsed rice and chopped broccoli and saute for 2 minutes.
- Pour the broth and lemon juice into the pan while simulataneously scrapping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Season further with salt and pepper, gently stirring. Bring to a boil and cover, reducing to a simmer and allowing to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid to gently stir and check the chicken for 165 F for doneness.
- Replace the lid and turn the heat off for 5 minutes, allowing the rice to steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cheese and replace the lid for another 5 minutes to allow the residual heat to melt the cheese. Alternatively, you can melt it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown further.
- Remove the lid and serve topped with chopped parsley.
