Ranch Chicken
Juicy and tender Ranch Chicken has a crispy golden crust made from cornflakes, Parmesan cheese, and zesty ranch flavoring.
Looking for a stress-free weeknight meal? You just hit the jackpot with my easy Ranch Chicken. In under an hour and using only 5 ingredients, you’ll have a delicious chicken dinner waiting for you. I’m a big believer in the idea that less is more, especially as a busy mom. This easy recipe saves you time, stress, and money!
RANCH CHICKEN
The best part of homemade Ranch Chicken is its crispy, golden crust. In this recipe, the chicken breasts are dipped in melted butter to help the coating stick, then coated with a zesty ranch seasoning blend. While Hidden Valley Ranch is the most popular choice, you can use any ranch seasoning your family loves. The chicken is baked to perfection, creating a crunchy, flaky exterior while keeping the inside juicy and tender. Serve this crispy ranch chicken alongside roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or ranch roasted potatoes for a cozy, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner.
Find my expert tips on how to make homemade ranch chicken below! Don’t forget to tag me in all of your creations @lifeinthelofthouse on Instagram or Facebook. Let’s stay connected. ❤️
Why You’ll Love This Easy Ranch Chicken Recipe:
- Simple Weeknight Meal: This recipe bakes in under an hour and uses 5 simple ingredients, making it a simple lunch or dinner for busy weeknights.
- Crispy & Golden Crust: We all love a crispy, crunchy, and flaky crust, and this ranch chicken recipe delivers every time!
- High-Protein: This is a fun and delicious way to get protein in for the whole family.
- Reheats Well: Use this oven-baked ranch chicken over the top of salads, inside a wrap, or for any meal-prep purposes for a quick lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces, each)
- 1 packet ranch dressing/seasoning mix (I use Hidden Valley)
- 1 cup crushed corn flakes
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup salted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Mix the ranch seasoning, crushed corn flakes, and Parmesan cheese together in a shallow dish.
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish. Dip each chicken breast into the melted butter, and then place in the ranch/corn flake mixture. Toss the chicken in the mixture to coat the chicken.
Once all the chicken has been coated, place it in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle any remaining seasoning mixture on top of each chicken breast.
Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Serve chicken warm and enjoy!
Servings
Serves 4.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover ranch chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm in a 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes or use an air fryer for 5-7 minutes until heated through. Avoid microwaving if possible. To freeze, let it cool completely, place leftovers in a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat directly from frozen in the oven or air fryer as desired.
Holly’s Tips for The Best Ranch Chicken Recipe:
- Use High-Quality Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for even cooking and easy breading. Pound thicker breasts slightly to ensure they bake evenly and stay juicy.
- Make It Extra Crispy: Crush the cornflakes finely, but leave some small pieces for texture if you want it extra crispy. Mixing them with Parmesan and ranch seasoning creates a crunchy, flavorful crust.
- Melt The Butter: Dipping chicken in melted butter before coating helps the seasoning and cornflakes stick while adding richness. For a lighter version, you can use olive oil.
- Make It Your Own: Use your favorite store-bought ranch seasoning mix or homemade blend. My family loves to use classic Hidden Valley Ranch mix.
- For A Lower-Calorie Version: Use olive oil or a light butter substitute instead of salted butter, reduce the amount of Parmesan used, and consider baking smaller portions of chicken.
- Bake Uncovered: Keeping the dish uncovered allows the coating to crisp up beautifully, giving you that golden-brown, crunchy texture everyone loves.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely. You can coat the chicken in the ranch/corn flake mixture and refrigerate it for a few hours before baking. Bake just before serving for the best taste and crust.
No. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs also work for this recipe and remain juicy. Just adjust the baking time slightly, as thighs may take a few extra minutes to reach 165°F internally.
To make Ranch Chicken vegetarian or vegan, replace the chicken breasts with plant-based alternatives like tofu, tempeh, or seitan. Use a vegan butter or olive oil in place of regular butter, and swap the Parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast or a vegan Parmesan. Choose a vegan ranch seasoning or make your own blend of dried herbs and spices.
To make Ranch Chicken gluten-free, replace the crushed corn flakes with a gluten-free cereal or gluten-free breadcrumbs, and ensure your ranch seasoning mix is labeled gluten-free, as some brands may contain hidden gluten. The rest of the ingredients are gluten-free.
Craving something similar? Bake my delicious Chicken Pillows.
Wanting something different? Try my Onion Crispy Chicken and Italian Stuffed Chicken next.
Searching for more chicken dinners? You can’t go wrong with these highly-rated recipes: Crock Pot Creamy Ranch Chicken, Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken, Alice Springs Chicken (Outback Copycat), and Chicken Noodle Bake.
Have you made this Ranch Chicken recipe? 🍗
Leave a review, and don’t forget to tag me in your creations on Instagram and Facebook! @lifeinthelofthouse! #RanchChicken #LifeInTheLofthouse
Ranch Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces, each)
- 1 packet ranch dressing/seasoning mix
- 1 cup crushed corn flakes
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Mix the ranch seasoning, crushed corn flakes and Parmesan cheese together in a shallow dish.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish. Dip each chicken breast into the melted butter, and then place in the ranch/corn flake mixture. Toss the chicken in the mixture to coat the chicken.
- Once all chicken has been coated, place in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle any remaining seasoning mixture on top of each chicken breast.
- Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered, or until the internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Serve chicken warm and enjoy!
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YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My mouth is watering just looking! What time will you be here to make it?? Ha ha ha! You are an exquisite Chef! Make me a tooth shaped birthday cake. My birthday is Dec. 28th. LOVE YA, T dawg
WOW, it’s been forever since I’ve made this! Looks so yummy! I’ll be making this very soon though!
Yumm looks so tasty! I have a similar recipe that came from my first cookbook EVER. Something like…cooking basics or something. Such a simple recipe but the results are awesome. You took really good pictures too 🙂
I love simplicity of this recipe, Holly! Great, no fuss dinner for a family! 🙂
This sounds so easy – I have got to try it!!
Holly, Holly, Holly…this looks scrumptious! I am adding it to my menu as wel speak!
This sounds delicious. I love ranch anything…I am for sure making this very soon!!
Holly, I am pretty sure my family are going to like this one as well! YUM!
Thanks for always showing your support to me!
Really good post!
I HAVE to make this! So easy and so delish!
I can’t imagine I haven’t seen this wonderful recipe here before. We just bought 12# of chicken breasts today…I will be fixing this pronto! =) I love all things RANCH!
Made this tonight and it is a new favorite! I didn’t have corn flakes however so I used panko bread crumbs! Still awesome 🙂
I don’t have any corn flakes either or bread crumbs. 🙁
Do you think one could use olive oil instead of butter? Looks so yummy!
Randee, I’m not too sure about that. I’ve never tried it.
I have used olive oil instead of butter and it comes out fine 🙂
Really? And either of those instead of egg to coat the chicken? If oil works, I am switching…lol
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
You can also just dip your chicken breast (after patting dry n adding salt n pepper) into ranch dressing and then dipping it into a panko breadcrumb and parsley mixture
Holly, when making this recipe, do you recommend flipping over the chicken at some point during baking?
Sasha, No I never flip the chicken, and it always turns out great! 🙂
Do you Have nutrition facts for this recipe please ???
Trying this tonight, hopefully my family will love it! I’ll keep you posted!
So i made the chicken and my family loved the flavor, but it wasnt crispy, it was soggy. Maybe i did something wrong. Will definitely make again.
This recipe was a hit at our house. My only change was cutting the chicken breast in half (I do this to just about all chicken breast recipes) and adding another 1/2 cup of corn flakes. I’ll be making this dish often.
Making this tonight. 🙂 Excited to try it.
I just made this last night and it was a big hit. I just have one question I have ranch dressing that is a jar so how much do you use? I just guessed how much it turned out ok but I think I used too much seasoning.
I think 3 Tablespoons from the large jars of Ranch seasoning mix equals the 1 oz. packet 🙂
I just made your Ranch Chicken tonight for the first time. It was DELISH!! My husband and my 12 year old twins loved it and I will be adding this to our weekly menu. Thank you so much!!
Honey and I just put it in the oven so excited to try it! It smells amazing. Put some peppers in the dish as well.
Making this tonight. Although I don’t have cornflakes so I am trying with breadcrumbs. Crossing my fingers it taste as good as yours looks and sounds!
Could you use chicken tenders (strips) ? If so how long would you cook that?
Yes you could. I would reduce cooking time just a little. It depends on the thickness of the tenders.
How much time should i reduce it to ? Have thin slices of chicken breast!
Aside from the glass baking pan, what can be used ? (Unfortunately, i do not own a glass one.) Thank in advance !
JP, you could honestly use any baking sheet or pan to bake it in! 🙂
It’s in the oven right now and smells delightful! can’t wait to dig my chops in!
this is soooo delicious I made it tonight! Thank you so much for the recipe!
found you pinterest, I’m trying the recipe right now! However, I used drumsticks instead so I hope it turns out the same!
We had this a few weeks ago at my mom’s house and I’ve made it for my own family twice since then. We all love it! Even my picky sons (ages 8 and 5). It’s packed with flavor, and the chicken is perfectky cooked. I substituted “I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter” to save on calories, and it was just as awesome. 🙂
I just made this now. Fantastic
great recipe! thank you for sharing. I have made this recipe with olive oil and used flavored panko breadcrumbs. Butter sounds so good! A must try!
Made this not that long ago. My cornflake mixture didn’t stick as beautifully as pictured, but it’s the taste that matters most. This chicken had a TON of parmy-ranch flavor. One chicken breast was enough because I think it was almost too flavorful, but it wasn’t bad, just strong flavored! I would rate this a 8/10. I’d eat it again.
My husband and I absolutely love this dish. I came across it on pintrest, and now we probably have it at least once or twice a month to spice up our chicken routine. It is so quick and easy and incredibly delicious. I like to slice my chicken breasts in half to make thinner cutlet-like pieces (that way they cook in half the time). I also always sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top of the chicken before baking for extra crunchy yummi-ness. I definitely recommend making this recipe…it is perfect!
We love this Ranch chicken! Making it right now as a matter of fact. How do you gets your chicken to come out so nice ‘n golden?
I mistakenly bought garden onion dressing instead of ranch (the packages look the same) and OMG was it delicious! Please try it next time you make this dish. You won’t be sorry!
I have made this a few times now…. savory deliciousness. 🙂
You can ramp up the recipe even more by substituting regular mayo (Hellman’s) for the butter, and then dribble some melted butter onto the chicken before putting it in the oven. YUM!
I made this last week and it was the best chicken I have ever had out of the oven!! Crisp on the outside and unbelievably tender on the inside. My boyfriend asked for it again this week, which is rare, lol. Great recipe!
Does it work on boneless pork chops?
I’m actually trying his with boneless pork chops tonight, will let yall know how it is.
This recipe was delicious! It will definitely be on dinner menu again.
has anyone tried frying the chicken on both sides then baking it? i wonder if that will be good or not…
Made thIs tonight and WOW!!! So delicious! Thanks for sharing! I usually have to dip my chicken in something but not with this recipe, lots of flavor!!!
DELICIOUS !!!! will make again…..and again
My boyfriend made this for me tonight and we both thought it was fantastic!! We will make this many more times.
I just found your site last week and this was my first recipe of yours. You have a new follower! I have about 20 of your Monday Menu Planning posts pinned. Can’t wait to explore more of your stuff!
Has anyone tried to prepare the chicken a few hours beforehand and freezing it until ready to bake?? I do it with my homemade mozarella sticks but I think it might work for this too?
My family really likes this!!
LOVE this recipe!!! I make it a lot, but there have been a few times where the top of the chicken breast itself turns out crunchy… not the crumbs on top of the chicken, but the actual chicken. Does anyone know what this could be from? Thank you in advance!!
Has anyone made this with cheddar cheese instead of the parmesan cheese? I am allergic to parmesan cheese and was wondering if cheddar cheese would work
Just made this recipe exactly too the posted way and it was a smash! I’m far from anything good in the kitchen but the chicken came out absolutely beautiful, juicy, and flavorful! Rock Star for the night! Lol Thank You
Am I only supposed to add the mix from the ranch dressing ?? Or do I follow the directions on the dressing mix as well and add them all together ??
Do I follow the directions from the ranch mix ? Or do I just use the mix and don’t add any sour cream ??
Just use the ranch dry.Don’t follow thE dire on back of the package.
Great tasting, Easy to make & everyone like it!!! Something different to add to the menu
Hi! So I just wanted to say this recipe was amazing! Totally foolproof.. I am a walking disaster in the kitchen and I just got so many compliments from my friends I made this for! Thank you SO SO much!
I made this last night and everyone loved it! Great, easy recipe.
Tried this tonight and it was delish! I did one thing differently from the recipe. Instead of dipping the chicken in butter, I tossed them in a ziplock with 1/2c. of plain whole yogurt in the morning. Yogurt is a non-acidic tenderizer that helps the chicken stay moist (some use buttermilk for the same reason). When I was ready to cook, I just shook off the excess yogurt and dropped the breasts into the crumb mix. Thanks for a simple and flavorful weeknight dinner idea.
This is now a go to recipe in our house! It is absolutely delish! My husband and son are two of the pickiest eaters out there. They LOVE when I make this for dinner. It tastes great, it’s easy, and fast! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!
OMG! From this recipe, I made it tonight, but I used crushed Ritz Crackers instead, no parmesean, then added Mozzarella Cheese on top for the last 5 minutes of cooking. It’s came out soooooo delicious! Definitely a new favorite for me! Chicken was so moist!
Hi – what is the yummy salad you have next to the chicken? Looks like a wedge?
Yep, it’s just an iceberg lettuce wedge with ranch dressing and tomato 🙂
This recipe is Amazing! The chicken comes out WONDERFUL and moist! I have made this half a dozen times and it has been prefect everytime. We have gotten in the habit of adding more ranch but the original is so good!
I made it but the mix did not stick well to the breast.what could I have done to make this better??
Hi Taylor, I have had this problem as well. I found that if you pop the chicken in the fridge after breading it for maybe half an hour or so, it helps the breading stick. After making breaded chicken so many times only to watch the breading slide right off, I Googled it to find a solution and this worked! Good luck!
Thank you for this recipe!! Its on the menu for this week. I hope you dont mind i shared it on my blog with link to your page
How thick were your chicken breasts? Should I cut them in half?
I made this tonight and wow this is good! I also added taco seasoning to the mix and I just left out the butter. So yummy!!
Have you ever pre bread the tenders? Like around lunch and then keep in the fridge till supper time to bake??
No, but i think it would work just fine!
Will it turn out if you cook chicken from frozen?
I don’t think so. I don’t like to bake frozen chicken. The coating will burn before the chicken is fully cooked.
I made this recipe yesterday and it was awesome. My hubby liked it.
Holly, great and I mean GREAT chicken recipe. It was everything you indicated on your site and more. Made it “exactly” as listed, no sense in tweaking recipe b4 you use it, I give it a chance. Thanks again
Holly gave credit to them in the recipe.
I just made it and it was so so so good it falls right apart and is juicy and great flavor
Did u season the chicken 1st
I do have the chicken breasts marinating in ranch dressing
What is better to use frosted flakes or bread crumbs
I was very skeptical at first but this is so good! The chicken turned out to be juicy and flavorful despite the short list of ingredients. The pictures inspired me to serve it with corn as well. Great summer lunch/dinner. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! I’m planning on cooking this tonight, I’m stuck on the ranch seasoning part lol. Do you actually make the ranch dressing or do you just use the mix? Sorry if that’s silly to ask. I’m just a little confused. I would assume I’m making the dressing?
Just use the seasoning mix!
My family loved this recipe. The chicken was moist and the breading was delicious.
Can chicken thighs be used ?
Yes, they just may need to cook longer.
I didn’t have cornflakes on hand so I used crushed ritz crackers… SOOOOO GOOD!
Easy clean up also! Def a keeper and going into my regular rotation. Thanks so much!
I love the idea of using Ritz crackers. I’ll have to try that! 🙂
Definitely a new favorite in our house. I didn’t have corn flakes so I improvised Kix cereal. Super easy to make for someone who is tired after work and also packs in a fabulous flavor! Thanks for posting!
Has anyone tried this with another type of coating? Panko, Bread Crumbs or a different type of cereal?
I believe others have commented that they used panko or other breadcrumbs with success. (yep, I read all the comments like the crazy person that I am! lol)
Holly, I saw someone else asked but I did not receive a response. Could I use boneless, skinless thighs for this recipe? Or even bone-in? I saw a few others say they used tenders or drumsticks, but nobody shared their responses. I realize the cook times will need to be monitored/adjusted.
Let me know what you think. Thanks much!
Hi Lisa, Yes you could use chicken thighs for this recipe, you will just need to adjust the cooking time. I don’t cook much with chicken thighs though so I am not fully sure how much longer you should cook them. I would always check the internal temperature which needs to be 165 degrees F. 🙂
I love this with chicken. Would it also taste as good using pork chops?
Allison, I think it would be delicious with pork chops!
Can you modify this recipe to cook in an instant pot and then maybe just use the oven to make it crispy? If so how would you add the ingredients?
Looks and sounds delicious . I’ll have to try this recipe. Thank you.
I hope you enjoy it, Sylvia!
I am making this tonight! Sounds delicious.
Can I use frosted flakes
I’m sure you could, but it would definitely bring some sweetness to the chicken. Not sure if that’s a bad thing, though. lol 🙂
I loVe this recipe! I make chIckeN tenders with it and my family Cant get enough! Thank You for sharing it!
This is highly requested in my family i would say i make it every other week…..so good
Thank you, Rebecca! My family just loves this chicken too. I make it a lot 🙂
Made this tonight and my entire family loved it! I’m not certain that has ever happened before, lol!
Made this, it was delicious!! didn’t have corn flakes or bread crumbs. Used crushed ritz instead. Husband and son said it was the best chicken i have ever made.
instead of butter i coat the chicken with mayonnaise. Real Helps the coatin mix sTick to the chicken!! Crisp and juicy, delicious!
This was very Good. The whole family loved it, including my picky 4 yr. old. It really was very tender, more than most similar recipes, not sure what made the difference, but no compLaints! Will make again soon!
Yummy
good
I love this recipe, but I swear this rEcipe used to be baked in the oven… i came bacK to find it anD now the instructions are For the air fryer? Where can i find the oven instRuctions? Not everyone Runs tO buy every new kitchen gadget lol.
Hi Melinda, I am so sorry. I don’t know how the recipe card changed. I am going to update it now to show instructions for the oven.
Just finished making this for dinner and it was really good! Swapped out cereal for panko which resulted in it not browning up very much but Cooked through so I call it a win. Will be making again!
I am making this tonight but Substituting breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs. I have made something simular with bone in chicken legs but used frosted flakes and left out the ranch and it turned out awesome. can’t wait to eat this.
This is my new favorite chicken recipe!!! It is so easy and delicious! My only modification is that I cut the chicken into bite size pieces so it makes little kid friendly nuggets. Thanks for the recipe!!! ❤️
what would you recommend to use in place of corn flakes? I am gluten free. I was thinking maybe Ranch Doritos? anyone tried that yet? 🙂
I think if you crush the Doritos chips pretty good they would work well!
My daughter’s boyfriend said “this is the best chicken I’ve ever had!” This is a keeper!
This chicken recipe is fabulous! We love it. It’s so easy to make too, which is a plus, especially on weeknights!
I made this for dinner tonight. I used chicken tenders and plain bread crumbs. smelled and tasted delicious! Will definitely make this again!
Making it tonight with roasted potatoes mixed with butter and ranch PKT they are currently in oven as they’ll take longer to bake I’ll be checking, stirring the potatoes in 15 min and adding chicken to oven. should be done about the same time. would love to add the photo, but no way for me to .
I have been one of your fans for sometime now and I have prepared many items that you feature and I have to say that they have all been no fail. I can’t wait to try this chicken recipe this week.
Thank you so much, Trudy! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes. 🙂
Holly,
I’m not that great in the kitchen, but I have to say that I tried this last night for dinner and we absolutely LOVED IT !! Thank you so much for the great recipe, will be following you closely in the future !
It’s one of my husband’s favorites!!! I make it at least once a week! Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!