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This BAKED RANCH CHICKEN is the simple, easy, and the entire family loves it! It’s so moist and has a ton of flavor!
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My husband gets grumpy when he goes too long without red meat. He can be such a baby sometimes. 😉
He’s the same way about pork…mostly bacon. The man could live on bacon, honestly.
Chicken is probably his least favorite protein, so if I’m going to wow him with a chicken dinner, it has to be GOOD.
Enter this ranch cheddar chicken.
He was a little skeptical the first time I plated it up, but then he took a bite of this moist, flavorful, crispy-topped chicken and he didn’t speak again the rest of the meal. He was too busy shoveling it in.
What Readers are Saying!
“I made this and it was absolutely delicious. My husband and son loved it too. I had the left-over piece for lunch the next day and it was even better!” -Jenae
This baked chicken is so moist and flavorful! And it literally could not be easier to make, which makes me love it even more.
Serve it up with my mac and cheese casserole and some sauteed broccoli.
How To Make Baked Ranch Chicken:
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Prepare: This is just about the simplest baked chicken recipe there is. Only a few ingredients so it is quick and easy but still very tasty! While your oven is preheating, mix together mayonnaise and ranch seasoning.
Top: Place the chicken breasts into a baking dish, and then spread the ranch and cheese mixture on top of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle panko over the top to make a nice, crispy coating.
What is Panko?
Panko is a Japanese bread crumb that is light, airy, and crispy. It can be found in most any grocery store. We highly recommend using Panko over traditional bread crumbs in any breading recipe where you want a crispy finished product.
My Favorite Thermometer!
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is fully cooked! Easy for beginners & absolutely worth the low cost.
My Favorite Vanilla!
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is at 165 degrees! Easy for beginners & totally worth the $10 cost!
My Favorite Cocoa Powder!
This cocoa powder is Dutch-processed, giving it a rich, deep flavor and color. Hershey’s brand is inexpensive and easy to find.
Make It a Meal!
Bake: Spray the tops of the chicken breasts lightly with cooking spray, and then place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees and the Panko and cheese is a nice golden brown color. Top with some chopped parsley and serve!
My Favorite Thermometer!
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is fully cooked! Easy for beginners & absolutely worth the low cost.
Substitions:
- Don’t have any Panko? You can use regular breadcrumbs, but they won’t be quite as crispy.
- Swap the cheddar for any cheese you like. Pepper jack is always a good choice, in my opinion.
- Not sure about the mayonnaise? Sour cream should work in place of it.
- We haven’t tested it, but this recipe should work just as well with chicken thighs.
Baked Ranch Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing seasoning
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup panko
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the chicken in a large baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ranch, and cheddar cheese. Spread on top of the chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle the panko on top and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in July of 2012. It was updated with new photos and video in January 2021.
Julia says
Hi! Quick question. Is the cheese flavor predominant here? My brother doesn’t really like cheese, so I’m worried this will be too “cheesy”.
Karly says
Hi Julia!
As someone who LOVES cheese, I don’t think this is super cheesy. You can always adjust the amount, though. It comes out to about 1 tablespoon of grated cheese per breast, so I think it’s pretty mellow.
Kristin says
Made this tonight – will totally be making this again. It was fool proof and delicious. I used FF mayo and added “real bacon” to the mix. The panko on top added a nice texture.
Rowanvamp0 says
I’m wanting to make this tonight but have a question about the Panko bread crumbs. I don’t have any in my pantry but I do have regular breadcrumbs could I use it the same way in this recipe?
Karly says
Hi there!
Sorry for the late response…I’ve been traveling! 🙂
Yes, I think regular breadcrumbs would work fine, however the panko really does make things extra crunchy and delicious. If you’re in a pinch, the regular ones will work fine, though.
Hope you enjoy!
Karly
Quinn says
Wow, SO GOOD! I made it a few months ago and loved it. Made it again tonight and it reminded me why I craved it so much afterward. Delish!! I love the tang the ranch gives with the sharpness of the cheddar. It usually takes about 45 minutes in the oven for me but comes out moist and very flavorful. This has been bookmarked and will be made often.
Mary Jane says
We didn’t like this at all! The chicken did come out very moist, but we ended up scrapping every thing off the top of it
Karly says
Oh, no! Sorry to hear that!
Bree {Skinny Mommy} says
Wow this looks like a winner! I want to try and skinny it up I love it so much!
Karly says
Haha! I’ve been meaning to try it with greek yogurt instead of mayo, but haven’t had a chance yet. If you do skinny it up (haha!), I’d love to hear what you do and how you like it!
Lisa says
I made this tonight for dinner and it was a hit. I only had Fiesta Ranch powder so I used that and it was delicious.
Jill says
Made this for dinner tonight. It was sooooo good. I might try cutting back on the ranch mix a bit next time. Tasted just a little too salty.
Diana says
Love it! I may add a few bacon bits on this one!
Eva says
Made this for dinner tonight. I used the whole Ranch dressing packet – it seemed to be about 2 tablespoons. I also doubled the cheese on accident but that was a good accident. I had to broil it on high for a couple of minutes at the end because my bread crumbs were still white. Loved it! Simple and yummy!
Amber says
Best recipe ever!!!!! My husband could not stop eating it and talking about how good this meal was. It was the most simple recipe I have ever used and took about 35 min including both prep and baking time
Chelsea says
mmm!! Looks great. Desperately needed a new chicken recipe too, thanks!!
Jayna says
This recipe is definitely a keeper! It is toddler and huband approved 🙂 I also felt like it was too wet towards the bottom after it was done, so I poured off the liquid as best as I could, popped it back in the oven for another 5 minutes and it was prefectly crispy and crunchy. I also did not use any cooking spray over the top and used an entire packet of ranch dressing mix. Thanks for a great weeknight dinner recipe. This is getting added to our meal rotations 🙂
Cami says
I made a slightly different version of this the other day & it is amazing!I was already thinking of trying it with different bread crumbs & seasonings because I just love the way it turned out so moist & creamy. so thanks for the idea! 🙂
Amy says
Made this tonight. It was yummy, but mine came out wet instead of dry like the picture. What went wrong? It was still good. Kids liked it.
Karly says
@Amy,
Mine was very moist and juicy and the bottom of the dish does have a bit of juice there. The bread crumbs are crispy on top, but the bottom of the dish is definitely not. 🙂