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!
Stephanie says
Hi! I love your recipes!! Is the chicken bone-in or no?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I usually do bone in thighs but boneless will also work!
Julie G says
My hubby dislikes eating chicken on a bone so I will go boneless. I wonder if I should therefore reduce the cooking time and if so, how will that affect the rice?
Caroline says
Will be making this tonight.. can I use frozen riced cauliflower. If so do microwave before putting everything together
Morgan Gibson says
So yummy. My kids who don’t like cauliflower rice loved it.
Joyce says
This is really delicious and so easy. I actually used packets of the shelf stable cauli rice and it turned out great. Melissa your recipes always work, and I really appreciate the effort you put into testing them and sharing them!
Tara Jones says
I made this recipe for dinner tonight exactly as written and it was absolutely delicious!! The only difference was that I browned the chicken thighs first because they weren’t completely thawed yet. It took about 30 minutes in the oven. My husband liked it so well he said I should add it to our dinner rotation. So that is a successful recipe indeed!
I agree with the other readers that this way of making the cauliflower rice would make a perfect side dish for any meat. But it was extra good in this recipe because the rice got to absorb those chicken juices. Thank you for such a phenomenal recipe. 😊
Marcia says
Yummy! I added onion and chopped peppers cuz it’s the year of the peppers at my house also added extra parsley, chives dill weed and some ground dried green onion. Oh my GARSH! So good. My 25 year old son raved about it too. Thanks Melissa
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sounds delicious Marcia – so happy it was a hit with the entire family! Thanks for taking the time to rate and comment on the recipe – I really appreciate it!
Cindy S says
Love the new format! There’s not as much to scroll through! Yay
Mellissa Sevigny says
Less scrolling is always a win in my book – thanks Cindy!
Theresa says
How long would i cook it if the chicken was frozen?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Not sure – I think it would take so long though that the cauliflower would be complete mush and you might still have raw chicken in the middle. Probably best to use at least partially thawed chicken for this recipe.
Vickie says
Made this in the crockpot for dinner tonight!!! Yummy 😋 my husband said this is a keeper!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yay! So happy to hear it!
Jen says
I love crockpot option! Earlier in in the comments it wasn’t recommended, so I’m glad to see someone tried it! How long did u cook it for? On high? Low?
Bucko says
Delicious! It is on my weekly list. Can I just omit the chicken for a side dish and cook at the same time and temp?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I would think so – may have to add a tablespoon of olive oil and a little chicken broth to get a similar flavor and texture though.
LIZ Y Santiago says
I make this almost every week. This week I am trying it with broccoli rice.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Great idea!