How To Make 5-Ingredient Baked Ranch Chicken

Imagine crispy breaded chicken cutlets with all of the flavor of ranch dipping sauce. Now stop dreaming, because these chicken breasts are precisely that. The secret? Seasoning the toasty breadcrumbs with ranch seasoning packets to give them a bold pop of herby flavor. And you don’t have to fuss with frying, either — these oven-baked beauties get crisp and golden without ever heating up oil. Here’s how to make tender, perfectly crisp ranch chicken in less than an hour.

To prevent pale, soggy breading (a common problem with oven-baked chicken), you’ll toast the panko breadcrumbs in the oven before you use them to bread the chicken. This not only makes the breading extra crispy, but it also gives the chicken a toasty flavor reminiscent of fried chicken. Yum! Just spread the breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 375°F oven until golden-brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. You can cook the chicken on the same baking sheet, so you won’t end up with any extra dishes to wash.

Another key element that helps with crispiness? Skipping the usual three-step breading process and using mayo to coat the chicken instead. The mayo helps “oven-fry” the breadcrumbs, making them extra crunchy.

While most people think of ranch packets as a shortcut to dressings or dips, they’re a great all-purpose seasoning blend, too. This recipe uses two standard 1-ounce packets to season the breadcrumbs, giving the chicken bold, herby flavor. Most ranch packets also contain buttermilk powder, which helps add a nice brightness to the dish. For the ultimate flavor control, you could also make your own ranch powder. Just use 1/3 cup in place of the store-bought packets.

One final note: Although it feels wrong to not season the chicken breasts with salt before breading them, the ranch packets are very salty and will provide plenty of seasoning.