Recipe: Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Broccoli Bowls

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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updated Feb 3, 2020
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Credit: Christine Han
The superstar slow cooker strikes again with this tasty combination of brown rice, white beans, chicken, and broccoli florets.

Serves4 to 6

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(Image credit: Christine Han)

Sitting down to a comforting meal, especially one made in the slow cooker, is the savior of busy weekends when you have lots of things to do around the house but not a lot of time for cooking. This Italian-inspired rice casserole has tender brown rice cooked with Parmesan, chicken broth, onions, and oregano, and it’s layered with reliably juicy boneless chicken thighs, fresh broccoli florets, and a can of cannellini beans.

Scoop into bowls and enjoy this all-in-one meal that has protein, veggies, and starch — perfect for pairing with a glass of crisp white wine.

(Image credit: Christine Han)

Cook in Stages

This slow cooker recipe doesn’t take all day to cook because the rice would turn mushy. Instead it’s done in two stages. Start with cooking the rice in an aromatic broth with Italian herbs and chunks of tender chicken, then stir in a can of creamy cannellini beans, Parmesan, and broccoli during the last hour so that the rice is cooked perfectly but the broccoli isn’t overcooked. This recipe is great when you’re at home but still don’t want to do a lot of hands-on cooking, and the reward is a one-pot meal that makes for great leftovers.

Tester Notes

After getting some feedback from readers who have made this recipe, I retested the recipe based on their suggestions and have revised the recipe to slow-cook in two stages. Stirring the rice is critical for even cooking, and that’s a great time to add in the broccoli so that it stays more vibrant.

– Christine, September 2017

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Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Broccoli Bowls

The superstar slow cooker strikes again with this tasty combination of brown rice, white beans, chicken, and broccoli florets.

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 cups

    low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 1/2 cups

    long-grain brown rice

  • 1 cup

    water

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, diced

  • 2 cloves

    garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon

    dried Italian herb blend, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme plus 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon

    kosher salt, plus more as needed

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 1 pound

    boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 1

    (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1/2 cup

    grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

  • 1

    large broccoli crown (about 12 ounces), cut into large florets

Instructions

  1. Place the broth, rice, water, onion, garlic, herbs, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes if using in a 5-quart or larger slow cooker and stir to combine. Spread out the the rice mixture so that it is in an even layer and submerged in liquid. Season the chicken with salt and place in an even layer over the rice. Cover and cook 3 hours on the LOW setting.

  2. Add the beans and cheese, stir to combine, and spread back into an even layer. Place the broccoli over the rice in an even layer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more on the LOW setting. Serve topped with more Parmesan.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Filed in:
beans
Canned Goods
Cheese
Chicken
Cooking Methods
dinner