Ranch Chicken is a fast and easy meal that is kid approved and delicious! Chicken breasts dipped in ranch dressing and coated in a crispy, crunchy, savory breading make this an easy home cooked dinner! Pair it with some mashed potatoes or steamed veggies and you have a meal that everyone will love.
This Ranch Chicken, a.k.a. breaded chicken, is one of my boys favorite meals! I always double the recipe because it’s that yummy! You know it’s a good meal when they all will eat it and go back for seconds!
THE BREADING
Crispy crunchy breading on chicken is heavenly to me, and this breading does not disappoint! I use cornflake crumbs and plain bread crumbs. They each bring a little different crunch and texture to the chicken.
Bread Crumbs are easy to find. Any brand works, just get plain bread crumbs.
THE CORNFLAKE CRUMBS: I buy cornflake crumbs already crushed up. You can find them already prepared so you don’t have to crush up cornflakes cereal (although that certainly will work just fine). I buy them in a box (see below) and they are so delicious!
I find them on the aisle with bread crumbs and packaged breading mixes at my grocery store. If you can’t find the crumbs, buy the cereal and crush it yourself.
SEASONINGS FOR THE BREADING
The seasonings make this breading. We like ours a bit saltier/seasoned.
The seasonings are: garlic powder, garlic salt (yes, you need both for the perfect taste), season salt, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. The recipe reflects what I like, but you can easily adapt the flavor by starting our with less and adding more to taste.
TIP: Once the chicken is breaded, you have to remember the chicken itself will cut down on the flavor a bit. The breading may taste saltier on its own but once its on the chicken it won’t be as strongly seasoned.
The recipe I have below is pretty perfect for our taste, but you can start out with less of any of the seasonings and taste it as you mix it in. You can always add more seasoning as you go, or even add more cornflake and bread crumbs if you end up making it too salty and seasoned-it is always easy to fix.
MAKING THE EASY RANCH CHICKEN
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet …. I use a half sheet pan/jelly with parchment paper. If you do not have a half sheet pan or jelly roll pan a baking sheet works great!
Using parchment paper is the only way I will bake chicken. You can grease your pan, but I feel like the cooking spray or grease soaks right into the breading and can burn the bottom of the chicken. Plus, you have no clean up because everything stays on the parchment paper!
I put the ranch dressing on one plate, and the breading mixture on another plate.
NOTE ABOUT THE CHICKEN: I get 5-6 pieces of chicken out of 1 lb. of chicken. But you could get more or less depending on your size of pieces. Pound the chicken breasts out if needed, to an even thickness so they can cook evenly.
I take each chicken breast piece and place it in the ranch. Make sure it is fully covered, not too thick, not too thin. You should be able to see the chicken breast through the ranch dressing.
Then, take the ranch covered chicken and place it in the breading mixture, making sure it is evenly covered.
Place the breaded chicken on the parchment lined baking sheet (I use my half sheet pan). See below for the half sheet pans I use. These are the sheet pans that I use for cookies, my Banana Bars, Peanut Butter Fingers, sheet pan pizza, sheet pan fajitas and pretty much everything!
Repeat with all of your chicken pieces. Make sure the chicken is evenly spaced on the pan so they will cook evenly. Squished chicken may not cook as well or as evenly.
Bake the chicken at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
You will know it is done when the center is no longer pink, the juices run clear, or when the internal temperature is 165 degrees. (Use a meat thermometer to be safe.)
***If you want the tops of the chicken extra crispy you can place some small pats/pieces of butter on the tops of each piece of chicken for the last 8-10 minutes of cooking time.
TIP:I don’t check the internal temperature of each piece of chicken. I find the thickest piece on the baking sheet and poke the meat thermometer in that one piece. If the thickest piece of chicken is done, they should all be done.
I love my digital instant read thermometer! See below for the link to the one I love!
WHAT TO EAT WITH YOUR RANCH CHICKEN
There are a few things that are a must to have with this meal! Mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, a side salad and some type of bread. We usually have my Easy Homemade French Bread.
We also love fresh crispy crunchy garlic bread. Click HERE for my garlic bread recipe. Garlic knots are also delicious! Click HERE for my Garlic Knots recipe!
TIP: I don’t make my homemade gravy for this meal. (I love a little bit of gravy on the chicken) I use a McCormick Chicken Gravy packet (not getting paid) and it is fast, easy and delicious. The gravy (even form a packet) is tasty on the mashed potatoes and on the chicken!
Ranch Chicken is a fast and easy meal that is kid approved and delicious! Go make it tonight!
For another tasty breaded chicken try my Easy Butter Cracker (Ritz Cracker) Chicken! For a tasty side dish make my Crock Pot Party Potatoes (funeral potatoes).
If you liked this recipe please take the time to leave a comment and a star rating below! Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram!
Here are some products I used to make this recipe!
“As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases.”
Check out the latest posts from the Butcher’s Wife!
- Greek Chicken
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- White Chicken Enchiladas
- Yummy Carrot Cake
- Creamy Baked Chicken
- Easy Peppermint Dip
Ranch Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, pounded out for even thickness and cut into larger pieces *I get about 5-6 pieces out of 1 lb. of chicken (see notes)
- 3/4 cup ranch dressing
BREADING
- 1/2 cup cornflake crumbs (see notes)
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs, plain
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (bottled is fine, I prefer it)
- 1 1/2 tsp season salt (more or less to taste- see notes)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a half sheet/ jelly roll pan with parchment paper. A baking sheet works great too!
- Mix up your breading ingredients. We like our breading a bit saltier and flavorful, so start with less season salt and work your way up to the amount you like, taste the breading to know how you like it. SEE NOTES ON SEASONING.
- Place the ranch dressing on a paper plate or in a shallow dish or plate. Place the breading mixture on a paper plate or shallow dish or plate.
- Take each chicken breast piece and coat the piece in ranch dressing. Make sure it is evenly covered. You don't want it too thick or thin. You should be able to see the chicken through the dressing. You just need enough ranch to make the breading stick.
- Take the ranch covered chicken and place it in the breading mixture and make sure it is evenly coated. Place the breaded chicken on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with all chicken pieces. Make sure the chicken is evenly spaced on the pan so it will cook evenly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check it at the 20 minute mark (each oven cooks differently). You will know when the chicken is done when it is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear. The best way to make sure it is done is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees. You only need to check the thickest chicken breast. If the thickest piece is done, they all should be done.*If you want the tops of the chicken extra crispy you can place some small pats/pieces of butter on the tops of each piece of chicken for the last 8-10 minutes of cooking time.
- Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, garlic bread or a side salad.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Pingback: Easy White Country Gravy is made with 5 ingredients!