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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.
Cindy Geilmann says
It’s in the oven right now.
Karly says
Enjoy! 🙂
Sharon Markey says
This is very similar to the Parmesan Crusted chicken recipe from Hellmans, but it has the added flavor of the ranch and cheddar that I love. Thank you for sharing.
CRains says
What an aweaome recipe! Made this tonight and the family loved it! I’ll be honest though: I have never used Panko bread crumbs before, and the little guy and I thought they smelled pretty boring, so we used crushed Ritz crackers instead. Yum!!! Though I might go with a low-sodium Ritz cracker next time. Will definitely be making again!!
Karly says
@CRains,
Glad to hear you liked it! Panko doesn’t have a ton of flavor, but it’s very crunchy. With all of the flavor from the Ranch seasoning, it works nicely. 🙂 I’m sure Ritz were great too!
Claire says
Just made a variation of this – swapped out the ranch seasoning for dry french onion soup mix (as ranch seasoning is not readily available in Australia), used multigrain breadcrumbs instead of panko, and diced the chicken instead of baking the fillet whole. Served it up with some home-made potato and sweet potato fries. Delicious! Thanks for an easy meal idea!
Jenae says
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!
Amy says
This was delicious! I would not change proportions. YUM!!!
Star Davis says
I made this tonight — it was delicious! Just wanted to say thank you for the recipe!!!! 😉
Karly says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Cori says
Made this tonight with Greek yogurt and it turned out wonderful. Thanks!
Susie says
Hey! I was wondering if I could substitute pork chops for chicken? Any thoughts? Thanks! Can’t wait to try 🙂
Karly says
I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it would work! Just adjust the baking time if needed.
Pam says
I found this recipe on Pinterest, and now your blog, you have a new follower! I made this for dinner today, hubby and I loved it! It was very moist and flavorful, there was just enough crunch from the Panko. I will definitely be adding this to my monthly meal plan. Thanks!
Karly says
So glad you liked it!
Becca Anderson says
I made this recipe tonight for dinner & it was a huge hit even with my picky eaters. I would recommend everyone make this recipe. You won’t regret it. Delicious!
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
Whoa – so making this for dinner tonight! Jason will LOVE this!
Karly says
It’s one of our favorites!
Yvonne Rodriguez says
I tried this out last night and it was soooooo good!! Thanks for the recipe.
Jana Halls says
I want to make this tonight and have all of the ingredients but the dry ranch seasoning. Would it work with regular ranch dressing instead?
Karly says
If you try it with regular ranch, I’d probably just use the ranch dressing instead of the mayo. No guarantees as I haven’t tried this myself. Otherwise, try making your own ranch powder. There are recipes all over the internet! 🙂
Megan says
We make this at least twice a month! Love it! Do you think you could do it in the crockpot?
Karly says
Hmm, I think the crunchy topping might get soggy, but I don’t know. I’ve never tried putting bread crumbs in the crockpot before. If you try it, please let me know how it works!