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!
Lisa Matarazzo says
This cheesy ranch chicken was absolutely delicious!!! I love your recipes. Thank you so much!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
So happy to hear it, thank you!
Leslie says
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. Flavor, filling all good. My grand kids think it’s the bomb!
Making it right now.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for letting me know that even the kids loved it!
Karyn says
This is so reminiscent of the chicken and rice my husband’s grandmother made for Sunday dinner. I’m not a fan of putting stuff in the oven and leaving it while I go to church, so I didn’t (like she did) 😁 but the flavor is there! It is perfect and so yummy. Of course I had to make a side of real rice for husband, but I blended it with the cauliflower rice for serving to him. Baby steps…I am slowly dragging him into the lower carb world. Thank you!
Mellissa Sevigny says
That’s such a smart strategy – you’ll get him on board yet! 🙌🏻😂
CATHY OBRIEN says
I was curious about adding the riced cauliflower in this recipe. Do you just add it dry to the mixture and it will cook okay?
siobhan says
Good question. Too bad there’s no answer.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’m not sure what you mean about the dry cauliflower rice? If you are following the recipe exactly then it will turn out as intended. Raw cauliflower has a lot of liquid in it that will come out during cooking. The chicken also will release a lot of liquid. Paired with the other ingredients and seasoning in the recipe, it makes a thick, cheesy sauce.
Kara says
This is such a great recipe. I ate it every day for dinner for 4 days and now I want to make it with salmon fillets on top. Thank you!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Ooooh I love the salmon filets idea!