This super easy Keto Cheesy Ranch Chicken and Rice is chock full of flavor and texture and cheesy, ranch-flavored goodness! A delicious budget friendly keto chicken dinner your family will request over and over again!
I’m going to be honest and confess that while the chicken thighs (or drumsticks if you’re keeping it super budget friendly) ARE delicious – crispy skin, tender juicy meat, yada, yada, yada… it’s the cheesy ranch cauliflower rice that is the star of this dish.
Hard to believe I know. But it’s true! Instead of calling this keto cheesy ranch chicken and rice, I probably should have called it keto cheesy ranch cauliflower rice – with some chicken. 😂
The top of this keto cheesy ranch cauliflower rice gets a little crunchy and chewy, while the interior is fluffy and cheesy and has a noticeable ranch flavor. It’s sublimely delicious – keto comfort food in the extreme.
So much so that I actually scraped all of the leftover cauliflower rice off of the bottoms of the baked chicken pieces in the fridge and warmed it up for lunch the next day without even bothering to add the chicken.
I eventually ate the chicken too, but was legit sad when the ranch cauliflower rice was all gone.
And don’t get me wrong, the crispy ranch chicken was also amazing – just not as amazing as that cheesy ranch cauliflower rice. Which you could absolutely make on its own – but baking the chicken thighs in the rice definitely adds extra flavor so I’m not sure it would be quite as good without the chicken juices soaked right into it.
Now let’s talk briefly about how easy this keto cheesy ranch chicken and rice is…
SO. EASY.
THE END.
Mix, spread, top, bake….
Viola – dinner on the table!
I used regular old Hidden Valley Ranch dressing seasoning for this keto cheesy ranch chicken and rice (not sponsored, just what I used) and it came out great. If you don’t have access to or don’t want to use packaged ranch seasoning, you can make your own ranch seasoning at home.
Times are tough right now, and if you’re like me then easy and inexpensive dinners that nobody is going to gripe about are all that is keeping you going. This keto cheesy ranch cauliflower rice definitely fits the bill and I’m excited for you to try it and report back!
If you’re not on keto, you can absolutely make these ranch chicken legs with regular rice instead of cauliflower rice. Simply replace the cauliflower with 2 cups of rice, and add 3 3/4 cup of water to the mix as well. Bake as directed, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through.
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Keto Cheesy Ranch Chicken and Rice
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This super easy Keto Cheesy Ranch Chicken & Rice is chock full of flavor and texture and cheesy, ranch-flavored goodness! A delicious keto chicken dinner your family will request over and over again!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 packet ranch dressing seasoning (or 3 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning)
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 6 cups cauliflower rice
- 6 chicken leg quarters (legs and/or thighs)
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, and 2 tablespoons of the ranch seasoning in a medium sized bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir until well blended.
- Add the cauliflower rice (or rice and water) and shredded cheese and stir well.
- Transfer to a 9 x 13 baking or casserole dish and spread out evenly over the surface of the pan.
- Rub the remaining seasoning over the chicken parts and place them on top of the rice.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per serving = 4g.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Keto Chicken Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh + 1 cup rice
- Calories: 545
- Fat: 39g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 42g
Need more delicious keto chicken recipes to keep your tribe happy and healthy? Here’s a fantastic collection of low carb chicken recipes with something for every taste and budget!
Karen says
This recipe was great…the chicken turned out really good. But the star of the show is definitely the cheesy ranch cauliflower rice!! It has become a regular side dish – I make it at least once a week. It goes with everything. My fav is having it with steak…way better than any garlic mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. It’s also really good with blackened salmon. I’ve used regular cheddar cheese and have also thrown pepper jack in…seriously, this is the BEST side dish!! Thank you, Melissa, for creating this and sharing with us!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Karen! I’ve been thinking that I might need to remake this cauliflower with its own post to be used as a side dish with anything!
Sandy Csiha says
Can this be adapted to a
Slow cooker?
Gary says
Oh wow, Mellissa! Another orgasmic recipe! I’ve made your recipe twice now. This last time, I used the convection setting on my oven and used boneless thighs. The cauliflower rice was crispy, golden goodness, fluffy underneath and the thighs dark on the top. I used Trader Joe’s fresh cauliflower crumbles. Steamed it in the microwave and rung it out with a tea towel. I would post a picture if I could. Heard my husband telling his mother about it on the phone the other night…😊 Despite our age she’s just not the happiest when he brags. So, thank YOU Mellissa! ❤️
Mellissa Sevigny says
So happy to hear it Gary, thanks for letting me know everyone is loving it!
Laura says
O…M…G…. This was SO good. I made it for 3 adults, one of whom doesn’t like cauliflower, so I “doubled” the recipe and made half with jasmine rice and half with cauliflower rice. I used 3.37 pounds of chicken, 2 bags of 12 oz frozen cauliflower rice (didn’t thaw as suggested), and 2 cups of jasmine rice, which I cooked beforehand (I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be raw or cooked). The jasmine rice got crunchy – which the carb eaters said was delish. The cauliflower rice was beyond amazing. Probably because there were two portions, it took a lot more the time to cook – 1.5 hours. The chicken was a little dry, so maybe next time I would coat with more of the seasoning. But overall, it was REALLY good & I will make again. There was also a lot leftover for lunch tomorrow!
Christine says
This is delicous! I used the hidden valley spicy ranch seasoning and it added a nice little boost to the flavor. I also used Mexican cheese blend and chicken breast instead of thigh or leg. This is a keeper! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Dawn says
You want to make this even better? Line the bottom of the dish with bacon!
Lisa says
Is this about 1 & 1/2 cauliflower heads, riced?
Stephanie W says
Been eyeing this recipe for awhile now and so glad I got the chance to finally make it. Holy moly….so delicious! Moist chicken and perfectly cooked rice. My oldest wasn’t happy I was making this. She hates cauliflower but she ate it all. Loved how it was made in one pan and easy prep for a week night meal. I will be making this often!
Erin says
Delicious! The cheesy cauliflower rice is heaven. Not to mention, this took very little prep time. Thanks for another great one, Melissa!
Kelly says
This is sooo good! Do yourself a favor & make extra of the cauliflower part when you make this recipe (maybe double it)… hubby and I both went back for an extra scoop of the riced cauliflower & ended up with only chicken as the leftovers! The chicken comes out really great too, but undoubtedly the cheesy riced cauliflower is the star. Also, I just set the chicken on the top my first time around & it picked up some flavor but not as much as I thought – next time around I’m going to try pushing it down into the riced cauliflower so there’s more flavor sharing :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you agree that the cauliflower is amazing in this dish! Who knew, right?!?!
Kathy Humann says
So good! So easy! Thank you for these awesome recipes!