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!
Elle V. says
Best recipe to make use of cauliflower rice! So many keto recipes are over the top rich, this was perfect. Sooo delicious and definitely didn’t miss the carbs.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Couldn’t ask for better feedback, thanks Elle!
Edith Collins says
I “thought” I hated Cauliflower rice. This was FANTASTIC! I cut it in half because it was just the two of us. The whole meal cost less than $10.00 to make.
Thanks you for another healthy favorite.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Always thrilled to help another person appreciate the potential in cauliflower rice Edith – thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it!
Joy says
Love this recipe! The first time I made it, it reminded me of one of our favorite dishes pre-keto life, Caraway Chicken. The second time I made it I added a tablespoon of caraway seed. Spot on and SO good!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Love the addition of caraway Joy, thanks for sharing I can’t wait to try this!
Dawn says
Question if recipe done with regular rice and additional water will the rice cook properly uncovered? I have always done baked rice covered tightly. Has anyone tried this with regular rice? I love the keto version but some in the family prefer regular rice. Thanks
Mellissa Sevigny says
Good question Dawn and I’m not sure – I’m trying to remember if my mom covered chicken and rice or not and I believe she put foil over the pan. You could cover it for the first 20 minutes or so and then uncover to crisp the chicken skin at the end and that might work well. Let us know if you try it and find a way to make it work!
Annalee says
Yes! The rice will cook! Add a can of broth. Cover. Also….put mayo on chicken skin so it will crisp up when covered.
My mom made chicken & rice all the time! I LOVE this version! Can’t wait!
Candy Lind says
It would be nice if the serving size at the top of the recipe (which would have a full leg quarter) and the bottom of the recipe (which contains only one thigh) would match.
Matthew Kirchhoff says
I have made this recipe several times, both with breasts and thighs. How can you go wrong though? It’s chicken, ranch seasoning, cheese, cream cheese, over cauliflower rice. All delicious things in one dish!
Kelly Smith says
I’d like to make this with leftover (chopped) chicken. Do I need to make any adjustments in the ingredients or cooking instructions?
Ellen says
Yum, this recipe is great! And I had leftover too. I used frozen califlower rice (just drain after cooking before putting in pan) and chicken breasts pounded thin as that was what I had on hand. Easy and delicious. Melissa, I’m restarting Keto and your recipes make me feel like I’m not missing out on anything. I so appreciate your cookbooks and your newsletters. Thanks.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Ellen, your comment made my day!
Kathy says
Melissa,
This is the Broken-Arm-Lady. Thank you so much for reconnecting me. I love your recipes. I wanted you to know that the day before I broke my arm I had made a big batch of your cabbage soup because I love to have it in the freezer for a quick easy, tasty meal, plus this is cabbage time in Florida. It has proved to be an absolute treasure. Yum. Thank you for such wonderful recipes.
Sandy says
Is there a slow cooker version for this recipe?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry, no. You could try it but I really feel that the crispy skin on the chicken is important to the overall dish.