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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
My dish looked nothing like your photos, and they always do. I wonder what happened? As a result, it was so ho hum. I should have added a lot more chicken and broccoli, because we ended up eating a lot more yummy buttered rice than broccoli or chicken. It needed a sauce or something… help!
Hi Coco,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you may have adjusted? Did you bake yours covered or uncovered?
This is not one to repeat. I used boneless/skinless thighs, baked uncovered. Added 1/3 c more water and baked covered an additional 10 minutes, per the recipe. Result was dry and not flavorful. Even the ranch dressing wasn’t detectable. Blah…
Very sorry to hear this dish was not a favorite, thanks for trying it and your comment!
This dish had really no flavor. The rice was just very dry and bland. The broccoli was overcooked and the chicken was also overcooked and dry.
Hi Lois,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
This was a miss for me. The chicken and rice lacked flavor. The rice took extra long to cook and the chicken ended up dry and tough in the meantime. I was super disappointed because I love most HBH recipes!
Hi Li,
I appreciate you trying this dish and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it did not turn out for you!
This was interesting. I followed the recipe exactly as written. The flavors were very good, and I will use that ranch seasoning for other things in the future. However, we found it very dry, and would’ve liked some type of a broth or sauce to it. I ended up putting in 2 cups of chicken stock and then 2 cups of water to fully cook the rice. It also took about 55 minutes for the rice to cook. Any ideas on how I could make a broth for this meal?
Hey Susan! Thank you for the input, it’s always helpful! If you’d like more of a broth/sauce I would add in some extra liquid to the recipe, and you could even mix some greek yogurt with some ranch seasoning if you’d like a little sauce to top it with! xT
Very bland. I was quite surprised because HBH’s recipes are usually very flavorful. I didn’t enjoy the creamy topping on the chicken either. It would have helped to have the rice cook in broth instead of just water. However, my biggest issue was how bland the chicken was.
Hey Dawn! So sorry that this recipe turned out bland for you! I appreciate the feedback! xT
We did chicken thighs, which were tender and flavorful, I let them sit in the yogurt and seasoning for about 8 hours. But the rice and broccoli were rather bland, and I already substituted chicken brother instead of water for the rice. I also added garlic, olive oil and a bit of the homemade ranch seasoning to the broccoli. I love a good sheet pan recipe, but not sure I would do this one again.
Hey Carrie, I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe! I’m glad the chicken turned out well for you though! I appreciate the feedback 🙂 xT
Very bland. I even increased the garlic and added chopped onions. Likely will not make again
Hey Abby! Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that! Thank you for letting me know, I always appreciate the input! xT
Are we covering this with foil or baking uncovered?
Hi Rhonda,
This is going to bake uncovered. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Tieghan, is there is alternative for the yogurt?
Thank you!
Hey Erica! You could use sour cream instead if you prefer! xT
This honestly could not have been any easier to make. It was a crowd pleaser- not too spiced for my three and five year old, the rice didnt get too “dirty” that they refused to eat it, even with the long cook time- the broccoli did not get mushy. The chicken was nice and tender. Husband liked it. I had added a little better than bullion gel to the rice (thought about chicken stock but didnt have) and honestly it did not need it. I also used breast tenders instead of full chicken breasts and probably more of the seasoning than it called for because I was worried it would be bland. Used extra sharp cheddar too. An all around VERY easy meal to get together, especially for a week night.
Hey Megan! LOVE to hear that this recipe was a hit in your house, and love to hear it was an easy meal to whip up! Thanks again! xT
I would love to make this with brown rice, but I know this would require more cooking time. Any suggestions on how to make brown rice work?
Hey Jen! I haven’t ever tried this recipe with brown rice so I can’t say for sure, I’m so sorry! xT
I want to make the recipe with chicken breasts, but 6 chicken thighs are not the same size or weight as 6 breasts. What total weight would you say, if I used chicken breasts. Thank you.
Hey there! I would maybe say to use 3-4 chicken breasts depending on the size of them! Enjoy! 🙂 xT
This was not good. It was bland and the chicken took a very long time to cook.
Hey Katie! Oh no I so sorry to hear that! Thank you for letting me know! xT
Thanks. Sounds great.
Thanks Marcy! Hope you enjoy! 🙂 xT