Baked Ranch chicken is an easy, hands-off recipe with just 6 ingredients and rich, amazing flavor. The chicken breasts are coated in a breadcrumb mixture and have a tender inside and a crunchy crust.
We had a fun, full weekend of soccer games, basketball practice, apple picking, a Diwali party, my daughter and I going to the Panthers game, getting together with my parents for a birthday celebration and plenty of play time, reading, puzzles and movie nights at home, too.
Yup, we packed it in!
Now, let’s talk food.
Today’s recipe for baked Ranch chicken is a new favorite go-to in my house.
The chicken has amazing, rich flavor, with a crunchy crust and is so tender and moist from the mayo mixture.
Plus, it’s just 6 ingredients and only takes 10 minutes to prep. Then it’s completely hands off as it bakes in the oven.
That frees you up to work on some side dishes, sip some wine and just take a minute.
And the flavor is just so incredible when these come out all golden brown and hot and delicious.
Plus, it’s a really kid-friendly recipe that’s also a favorite of grown-ups. And it looks and tastes so impressive, you could easily serve this to friends and family coming over.
Everyone will love this chicken!
OK, let’s get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make Ranch chicken. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on making baked Ranch chicken:
- Chicken: The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also substitute chicken thighs. (I’ve done this before.) Both work great.
- Breadcrumbs: Just regular, plain breadcrumbs work great here. I haven’t tried this with Panko breadcrumbs, but you could give it a go.
- Ranch seasoning: I use a packet of the store-bought dry Ranch seasoning and that works great. You could certainly substitute a homemade version if you want.
- Mayonnaise: You can use regular mayo or a low-fat or reduced- fat version.
- Greek yogurt: Similarly, a nonfat Greek yogurt is fine, or you can use a 2% or 5% fat yogurt. You can also skip the Greek yogurt and use a full ½ cup of mayo if you prefer.
As for making this, it couldn’t be simpler.
You’re going to combine the dry ingredients – breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and the dry Ranch seasoning – in one bowl.
Then combine the mayo and Greek yogurt in another bowl.
Dredge the chicken through the mayo mixture then coat it in the breadcrumb mixture.
Place the chicken on your baking sheet and put it in the oven to do its thing.
So simple and very hands-off.
And when it comes out all browned and crunchy and delicious, you’re going to feel like a rockstar in the kitchen.
You’ll also probably have some eager family or friends gathered around ready to dive in.
So let’s get ready to eat.
Here are a few ideas if you need some inspiration to round out the rest of your meal.
What to serve with Ranch chicken:
This rich and creamy dish goes well with tons of different sides!
You can serve it with steamed white or brown rice, a simple rice pilaf, some roasted potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes (or a microwave baked potato), or just some oven fries or tater tots.
As for a veggie side dish, steamed broccoli would be great here, as would steamed or roasted asparagus or green beans. Or you could do a simple side salad.
Tons of options to make it work for your family. Or what you happen to have on hand in the fridge or freezer. ????
Last thing, let’s talk about what to do with the leftovers.
Leftover baked Ranch chicken, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
You can reheat it in the microwave – I recommend slicing the chicken so it heats through more quickly and evenly – but the coating will lose some of its crunch.
You can also reheat this in the oven or in the Air Fryer to heat the chicken through and get a little bit of that crispy coating back.
It’s delicious either way because that chicken is just so darn flavorful!
I hope you give this a try for an easy but delicious dinner your whole family is sure to love.
(And if you do, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram; I love hearing from you!)
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
