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One Pan Ranch Cheddar Chicken and Rice is about to become your new go-to dinner. Chicken breasts or thighs are coated in homemade ranch seasoning, then baked alongside basmati rice and broccoli for an easy, flavor-packed meal. Everything cooks together in one pan, so there’s no need to make the rice separately. Just mix, bake, serve, and enjoy—you’re going to love this one.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: chicken and rice is the ultimate comfort food. Growing up, my dad made baked chicken with rice at least twice a week—some nights even back-to-back.
To this day, he still has a handful of dishes he makes on repeat whenever I’m not around. Always his crispy tacos on Friday nights, his pasta dish, grilled steak, the occasional potato skins, and of course… chicken and rice.
They’re simple dinners, but honestly some of my favorites. He’d never say it, but he’s a great cook—and he makes an amazing broccoli cheddar pasta salad too.
When life gets busy and I’m craving his homemade comfort food, I almost always turn to chicken and rice. Sometimes I keep it classic with seasoned salt, roasted broccoli, and steamed rice. But other times, I love throwing everything into one pan with extra seasoning and vegetables—almost like a cozy casserole.
A few weeks ago, I made a cheddar ranch chicken and rice bake, and since then I’ve been making it nonstop. I even shared the recipe with my dad, and they’ve been making it while I’m traveling… which is honestly so cute.
Let’s get into the details
Ingredients
- chicken thighs or breasts
- plain Greek yogurt
- cheddar cheese
- ranch seasoning
- garlic
- dry basmati rice
- salted butter
- broccoli
Kitchen Supplies
Not much is needed here. Just a baking dish, about the size of a rectangular Pyrex pan, a cutting board, a knife, and a few simple kitchen basics. No fancy tools—just how my dad cooks.
The Steps
Step 1: Start with the chicken
The Greek yogurt and homemade ranch seasoning blend make all the difference. Toss the chicken with cheddar cheese, yogurt, ranch seasoning, and garlic until well coated.
I like to do this in a bowl first before adding it to the rice.
Step 2: Prepare the rice
Grab a baking dish, something around a 9×13-inch pan. Add the dry rice—I love using basmati—then scatter in the broccoli. Pour the water over top and add a couple of salted pats of butter.
Place the chicken directly over the rice, then bake. I don’t even cover the pan. It cooks up beautifully in about 30 to 40 minutes, though the timing will depend on the size of your chicken and your baking dish.
As the chicken roasts, the juices drip down into the rice, creating the most flavorful, chicken-infused rice. It’s so delicious—and one of my mom’s favorite bakes.
The best part is the chicken doesn’t dry out since it’s roasting over a bit of water. As the water cooks into the rice, the chicken slowly roasts, turning perfectly tender with just the right crisp.
If you want a yummy bread on the side, bake some 5 ingredient beer bread to really complete this Gerard family staple. Maybe add a simple salad for some color—and a little extra fiber too!
A comfort meal at its best!
Looking for other casserole-type dinners? Here are some favorites:
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Spicy Sesame Chicken and Ginger Rice
Lastly, if you make this One Pan Ranch Cheddar Chicken and Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pan Ranch Cheddar Chicken and Rice
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 420 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs or breasts, skin on or off
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning (homemade blend in notes)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 3/4 cups dry basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups roughly chopped broccoli
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.2. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning, and chopped garlic.3. Add the rice and broccoli to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour in 2 cups of water and add the butter. Arrange the chicken over the rice and broccoli. Season with salt, pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning.4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and the chicken is cooked through. If the rice is still firm, add 1/3 cup of water and bake for 10 minutes more.5. Serve the chicken, rice, and broccoli topped with fresh parsley or thyme.
Notes
Ranch Seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried dill
2 teaspoons dried chives
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper Mix all ingredients together
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried dill
2 teaspoons dried chives
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper Mix all ingredients together
This post was originally published on April 6, 2026
This recipe was awful. Dry as a bone and no taste whatsoever. I used chicken thighs and followed it to a T and it was literally just a waste of ingredients.
Hi Ella,
Very sorry to hear this, was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help!
Made this and leftovers were even better. How can I make this ahead of time. Would I cook all the way and just reheat? Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe!
Hey Michelle,
Amazing! Thanks for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out!
Yes, I would complete the recipe and then reheat on low covered with foil.
Have a nice week!
Followed the recipe exactly but the chicken was kind of bland. The rice was still too firm and the broccoli was harder than expected….not sure why this didnt turn out…..
Hi Janice,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
I was really excited to finally jump on the trend of one pan meals. Unfortunately, the recipe didn’t work out for me. Based on the previous reviews I decided to add chicken stock to make the rice flavorful, and covered for 35 minutes to baked. The rice was done long before the chicken. I added more water to the rice as the recipe indicated and cooked uncovered to see if that would help the chicken along. The broccoli and rice went soggy and I ended up removing the chicken and finishing it in my air fryer. Despite the recipe not working as per the instructions my family still enjoyed the flavorful chicken.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you had some issues. You do not need to cover the dish, that will make everything cook faster, if you want to try again, I would skip that part:)
I should know better than to trust one pot rice meals but gosh darn it, it looked too good so I wanted to try it. Unfortunately rice took so very long to cook that even trying to pull the chicken early, it ended up overcooking and being tough. The chicken itself didn’t have much flavor either, only the rice, and even that was very subtle. Bummer!
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
The chicken was dry and rice was not cooked all the way. I might try it again baking at 375, and use more water. I used chicken breast and will maybe use smaller pieces next time..? What are some suggestions?
Hi Joelle,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. If your chicken was dry, I wouldn’t recommend smaller pieces. Maybe try chicken thighs. You could also cover the dish with foil while baking. I hope this helps!
I’ve been using your recipes for a few years now and I haven’t had one I disliked until this one. I had high hopes but it just was not good… My non-picky husband tried to eat the leftovers the next day and he couldn’t even do it. Bummed this one wasn’t a winner for us.
Hi Melissa,
Thank you so much for making so many recipes:) So sorry to hear this one was not enjoyed. Let me know what you make next!
Soooo good!! The family loved it!
Hey JR,
Fantastic! Love to hear this dish was a hit with your family, thanks a bunch for making it!
Super yummy and easy. Will be making again!
Hey Destiny,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for making this dish and sharing your feedback, love to hear it turned out well!
Delicious- I would use more broccoli and double the yogurt sauce- it was so good!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann! Glad to hear you enjoyed this dish!
Delicious dish! I marinated my chicken in the yogurt and ranch seasoning for a few hours and used chicken broth instead of water. I had to add the extra 1/3 cup liquid after 20-25 minutes and cooked it for an additional 10 minutes covered.
Thanks a bunch, Sheri! Love to hear this dish was a hit, I appreciate you making it!
This was a complete miss. It has very very little flavor. If you are used to bland food then you will probably like this. The rice was also so dry, I would cook covered to keep the rice moist.
Hi Kelsey,
Very sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for trying it and your comment!
This was extremely bland & the rice didn’t fully cook.
Not sure why this recipe is getting all the hate. I loved it and it was the easiest yet. I did make a couple tweaks. First, I used frozen broccoli which cooked to perfection, not overcooked like some comments say. Second, I used a full ranch seasoning packet. Half on the chicken and the other half I mixed into broth (which I used instead of water) giving the rice more flavor. Will definitely make this one again.
Hey Amanda,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts—so happy it worked for you!