Lemony Chicken and Rice Casserole

Name: Lemony Chicken and Rice Casserole (One-Pan)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 (12 oz) bag frozen broccoli florets, steamed; 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained; 1 tsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes; 1 lemon, juiced; 2 (4.9 oz) bags chicken flavored rice mix; 1 packet zesty Italian dressing mix; crushed red pepper flakes, to taste; 4 cups water; 1 lb chicken tenders; 1/4 cup butter, cut into pats; paprika, to taste; grated parmesan cheese, for topping

This lemony chicken and rice casserole combines tender chicken tenders, fluffy rice, broccoli, and sun-dried tomatoes in a single pan for a balanced, flavorful weeknight meal that comes together quickly.

🌍American 🏷️Casserole 🏷️One-pan-meal 🏷️Chicken and rice 🏷️Broccoli Lemon chicken

🏷️

🏷️Sun-dried tomato

-0:00

yourbarefootneighboronTikTok

Total

50 min

Servings

6

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$23–$38

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok · by yourbarefootneighbor

-0:00

yourbarefootneighboronTikTok

Ingredients

1 (12 oz) bag frozen broccoli florets, steamed
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1 tsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes
1 lemon, juiced
2 (4.9 oz) bags chicken flavored rice mix
1 packet zesty Italian dressing mix
crushed red pepper flakes, to tasteoptional
4 cups water
1 lb chicken tenders
1/4 cup butter, cut into pats
paprika, to tasteoptional
grated parmesan cheese, for toppingoptional

12 Ingredients

Delivery in as fast as one hour.^*

Powered by Instacart

Prices vary by store

^*Service fees apply. Instacart^® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.

Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2
Steam the frozen broccoli in the microwave for about 5 minutes to soften it.
3
Add the steamed broccoli to a 9x13 inch baking dish and use a fork to break up any large chunks.
4
Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, a teaspoon of the oil from the tomato jar, and the juice of one lemon.
5
Add the two packets of chicken flavored rice mix, the zesty Italian dressing mix, and crushed red pepper flakes to the dish.
6
Pour in 4 cups of water and stir everything together until well combined.
7
Nestle the chicken tenders into the rice mixture in a single layer.
8
Cut the butter into small pats and place them over the top of the chicken and rice.
9
Sprinkle paprika over the top for color.
10
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
11
Bake for 40 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through.
12
Let rest for a few minutes before serving. Top with optional parmesan cheese if desired.

Was this recipe helpful?

Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Don't skip draining the sun-dried tomatoes; excess oil can make the casserole greasy.
Arrange chicken tenders in a single layer for even cooking; overlap only if necessary.
Use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to boost lemon flavor—it's essential to the dish's richness.
Add broccoli in the final 10 minutes of baking to keep it tender-crisp rather than mushy.

Substitutions

Frozen broccoli florets → fresh broccoli florets (add 5 minutes to cooking time)
Chicken flavored rice mix → plain long-grain rice plus 1 tsp chicken bouillon (adjust liquid accordingly)
Zesty Italian dressing mix → 1½ tsp Italian seasoning + ½ tsp garlic powder + ¼ tsp salt
Chicken tenders → boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (may need 2–3 extra minutes to cook through)