“Chicken” Broccoli Rice Vegan Casserole is ultra cheesy, creamy and comforting. Ready in about 30 minutes and made in 1 pan!
Casseroles are the perfect weeknight meal and this cheesy broccoli rice casserole with vegan “chicken” is my absolute favorite. It’s kid-approved, flavorful, creamy and full of broccoli! No one would guess it’s vegan.
I love the combination of broccoli and cheese, as you can see from this Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup or Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Twice Baked Potatoes.
This meal is so easy and quick to make. It only takes about 30 minutes to prepare, and is made with simple ingredients. I have used my Vegan Chicken, but you can substitute chickpeas or use store-bought vegan chikn (Tofurky brand is good).
Want more Vegan Casseroles?
- Vegan Enchilada Casserole
- Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Baked Ziti
- Vegan Lasagna
- Biscuit Topped Chickpea Pot Pie
Chicken Broccoli Rice Vegan Casserole
"Chicken" Broccoli Rice Vegan Casserole is ultra cheesy, creamy and comforting. Ready in about 30 minutes and made in 1 pan!
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced small
- 8 ounces vegan chicken, chopped small homemade OR tofurky, see Notes for more options
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups white rice, long grain preferred
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth
- 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 cups non-dairy cheddar style vegan cheese, optional
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pot (I used my 12-inch cast iron skillet), sauté the onion and chopped vegan chicken pieces in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Now add the rice, 3 cups of vegetable broth and coconut milk. Stir, and bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
- Add the broccoli florets once the rice is tender, and an additional 1/2-1 cup more of vegetable broth if the mixture is getting dry. Stir in the vegan cheese as well at this time, if using. Stir, cover and simmer for 5 more minutes until the broccoli softens a bit.
- Season with salt, to taste. Enjoy immediately, or sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs and place under the broiler for a few minutes.
Notes
- You can use my homemade seitan Vegan Chicken (you will only need about 1/2 the recipe), or a package of Tofurky brand chikn, OR sub with a can of chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed.
- To sub brown rice for white: It will take a lot longer to cook the rice, about 40 minutes. Add more vegetable broth or water as needed, you will probably need 4-5 cups of broth.
- I used daiya cheddar for this, but you can leave it out or use my shreddable vegan mozzzarella instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 628IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
Yummy recipe! My non-vegan dad even liked it. Will definitely be making this again. 🙂
This recipe is great! We used real chicken because it’s what we still had in our freezer, but expect our tofu bites to hold up the same when we make this again. It was still mildly coconuty as well, but neither my bf or I minded a bit because of how its sweetness complements the other flavors. Love it! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
Can sub a head of cauliflower for the broccoli?
Yes, you could do that.
I made this tonight with Field Roast brand Italian “sausage” and Daiya pepperjack shreds. So good!!! My non-vegan boyfriend thinks it’s delicious too. Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re so welcome! Glad it was good!
We had this recently for dinner and it was really tasty! My husband and teenager commented how much they enjoyed it. Thank you for another great recipe!
You’re welcome!
I just made this last night for my fussy vegan kids. One hates broccoli and the other hates mock meat. Both asked for seconds and cleaned their plates!!!! Cant wait to try more of your recipies, you are a life saver!!!!!
That’s so great!
I have extra cheese sauce after making your delicious Cheesy Broccoli Twice Baked Potatoes. I was thinking it would be tasty in a broccoli rice casserole. Do you think I could substitute it for the can of coconut milk perhaps in this recipe? I love so many of your recipes and make them often!
Yes I think that should work quite well, sounds great to me! Thank you so much, I’m glad you are enjoyed the recipes. 🙂
How much longer of a cook time for brown rice instead of white rice?
The instructions for this are in the Notes section of the recipe card. It will take about 40 minutes, and use a bit more broth/water, 4-5 cups.
Looks delicious! Simple, easy to make. I will try it.
I needed to go heavier on the seasoning , but it was a wonderful bowl of comfort food!!
I made this today with:
Lightlife Smart Chicken tenders
Daiya cheddar cheese
3 cups frozen broccoli
The frozen broccoli didn’t need any more cooking time and it’s really delicious! Even my veggie-hating toddler ate it.
That’s so great to hear!!
Just made this recipe with chickpeas. It is fantastic!
Thanks so much!! I’m so glad it came out fantastic!
Hi! Im wondering if you could use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice?
You might be able to, but I haven’t tried it. Of course it will taste a lot different!
I been vegan for 6 years. This dish was so good and tasty, being the only vegan in my family; they enjoyed this dish just as much as I did.
I will definitely make this dish again and again.
That’s so wonderful to hear!!
Thank you for the great recipe. My 3 yo loved it. Dinner was great! Easy to follow and quick to make.
I’m so glad to hear that! So glad it was good!
This is SOOO GOOD! We substituted chickpeas instead of mock chicken. My toddler loved it as well!
I’m so glad you all loved it!!
Any suggestions on a sub for coconut milk my daughters allergic to coconut..?
You can use another non-dairy milk such as almond, cashew, even soy would work, it just won’t be quite as creamy or rich but still perfectly good!
This was such a good meal. I really enjoyed it. I am the only vegan in my family and they are this entire dish.
I will definitely make this again.
Wow, that’s so great to hear!! Thanks for the comment!
I only have light coconut milk and coconut cream. Do you think the coconut cream would work?
I also only have brown rice. When I sub for white and cook for 40 minutes, would I still stir every 5 minutes?
I made chicken parm with your vegan chicken last night and am using the other half of the chicken for this dish!
Thank you!
Either would work, but coconut cream will make it richer, so I would prefer that one for the best flavor. 🙂 With brown rice, I would still stir every 5-10 minutes so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. That is awesome, I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Made this last night and it was excellent! Love that it’s one pot. Super tasty comfort food.
So glad to hear it was excellent!
So yummy!! Thanks for the recipe. I can’t wait until I try your other recipes!!!
I used deliciou chicken. I made it into nuggets yesterday, and there were a few left over that I chopped up and used!
I’m so glad it was good!!
Another quick supper! Yeah. I used morning star “chik”. Not venturing out of town for the tofurky right now. Tastes great.
So glad to hear that!
With all your awesome recipes people are beginning to think I’m a really good vegan cook!!! Boy do I have them fooled! Super easy to make and delicious as all of the many recipes I’ve tried of yours. Made it exactly as written using dayia cheese and panko breadcrumbs.
Thanks so much for the great comment! So glad you liked it!
If I wanted to make this in a 9X13 pan would I double the recipe?
Thank you!
You could, yes! If you don’t double it you could still use a 9×13 but it will be quite shallow. Enjoy!
Hi Nora,
it is such a shame that your beautiful photos don’t appear when you hit PRINT RECIPE.
I’ve been making your recipes for a while now and thought I might go ahead and tell you.
Don’t mean no negativity. Keep up the good work! Love your food!
Can we make this in the slow cooker?
It would probably work, yes, though I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how long it will take. A few hours, perhaps?