Thistle offered a modicum of resistance and even created a couple of decent openings, but it was all too easy for Rangers who might have won more convincingly if they had taken their chances.
Manager Alex McLeish had demanded a reaction from his players after the disappointment of Prague and he only had to wait just under three minutes to get it as Rangers grabbed an early lead.
Barry Ferguson played a free kick to the back post looking for Craig Moore and the big Australian got on the end of it but looped his header into the air.
Shota Arveladze headed the ball back down and Ronald de Boer hit a left foot shot which Kenny Arthur could not hold and Peter Lovenkrands could barely believe his luck as he gleefully tucked away the rebound.
In fairness to Thistle, they tried to come back straight away and only the bravery and athleticism of Stefan Klos denied them an equaliser.
Alex Burns played a great ball into Jamie Mitchell on the left side of the box and Jags man looked odds on to score but Klos raced from his line and saved bravely at his feet.
It was a scare for Rangers but it was about all they had to worry about in the first half as they dominated the Jags with their smooth passing play.
Arveladze tested Arthur with a right foot shot in 18 minutes and then de Boer flashed a left foot shot just wide in 21 minutes after Lovenkrands had neatly laid off Ferguson’s ball forward.
A second goal seemed imminent and it came in 27 minutes. Mo Ross launched a long throw from the Main Stand touchline which seemed to missed by everyone until it reached de Boer at the back post.
The Dutchman, though, still had plenty to do as the ball had come behind him but, showing excellent technique, he leaned back to send an overhead into the Thistle net to claim his fourth goal of the season.
Essentially, the contest was finished at this state but Rangers were hungry for more and might have added to their lead before half-time.
Ricksen picked out Arveladze in the box in 36 minutes the Georgian produced an excellent diving header which flew agonisingly wide of the left hand post. Then in 42 minutes the highly influential de Boer nearly caught out Arthur with a terrific left foot shot but it took a slight deflection and flew just wide.
All in all it was a decent first half performance with some of the under-achievers from last Tuesday returning to the kind of form expected of them.
There was little change after the break as Rangers continued to press the Maryhill men and the Jags found themselves found them in danger again.
Stephen Craigan was beaten for pace by Lovenkrands and brought the young Dane crashing to the turf just on the left corner of the Thistle box as Rangers attacked.
Arteta spotted the ball and hit a vicious right foot free kick which dipped over the wall and was heading for the bottom left corner but Arthur pulled off a terrific save, diving to his right.
Although Scott Paterson performed excellently at the heart of the Jags defence, his team mates struggled to cope with the quality of Rangers’ front three. Their defending was desperate at times but they managed to keep Rangers out.
They were caught out, however, by Muscat’s excellent cross in 61 minutes as Lovenkrands got in ahead of everyone to get his head on the ball but his effort flew wide.
However, eight minutes later the young Dane turned provider as Rangers produced the best move of the game to hammer home their superiority with a third goal.
Ross started it all with a crisp ball down the left touchline and Lovenkrands was off and running. He burst past David Lilley and fired the perfect low cross which de Boer tucked away with supreme confidence.
The biggest cheer of the day, however, was reserved for the introduction of Michael Mols who came on 10 minutes from the end. The fans just love the Dutchman, who was making his first SPL appearance of the season.
A goal from the 31-year-old striker would have sealed a perfect afternoon and he had a chance in 83 minutes. Amoruso burst forward to play him on on the left side of the box but he rushed his shot and Arthur was able to save easily.
He might have played in de Boer for a hat-trick in 88 minutes but his pass lacked the necessary accuracy and Derek Whyte was able to cut it out.
Still, it was a good day’s work by Rangers as they opened up a four-point gap over Celtic.
RANGERS: Klos; Muscat, Moore (Konterman 71), Amoruso, Ross; Ricksen, Ferguson (Latapy 80), Arteta; de Boer, Arveladze (Mols 80), Lovenkrands.
Subs not used: McGregor, Dodds
Bookings: None
PARTICK THISTLE: Arthur; Lilley, Craigan, Paterson, Whyte, Archinbald; Buchan, Hardie (Milne 77), Waddell (Lennon 45, Britton 63); Mitchell, Burns
Subs not used – Budinauckas, Gibson.
Bookings: Lilley (41) Britton (78)
Ref: Kevin Toner.
Att: 48,696.
Man of the match: Ronald de Boer