Ranch Cheddar Chicken
The quickest and easiest baked chicken with an amazingly creamy, cheesy Ranch topping!
Who can ever say no to anything involving Ranch?
Even Butters was fully onboard with the Ranch situation, as he sits here on his coolaroo, waiting to get a piece of it.
And even though the base of the topping involves mayonnaise, which sounds completely bizarre, it actually lends off the most amazing creaminess you’ll ever experience.
Mixed in with sharp cheddar and crisp Panko breadcrumbs, you’ll never have to go back to those boring chicken dinners ever again!
Ranch Cheddar Chicken
The quickest and easiest baked chicken with an amazingly creamy, cheesy Ranch topping!
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 1-ounce package Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup Panko*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cheese, Ranch Seasoning and garlic.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken in a single layer onto the prepared baking dish and top with mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle with Panko.
- Place into oven and cook until completely cooked through and golden brown on top, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
*Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I just made this tonight and it was delicious! My crew gobbled it up.
Sweet!
I made this & we loved it!! Was wondering if anyone had tried making it up ahead of time & freezing it…trying to fill my freezer with some good meals for after baby #3 arrives and would love to have this. Would the bread crumbs get soggy do you suppose? May have to just try it for myself & see but I thought if anyone had tried, it’d be nice to know how it worked out for them. 🙂
Hi Andrea! Congrats on little baby number #3! That’s so exciting! We haven’t tried freezing this ourselves, so I can’t answer with certainty, but let us know if you try it!
made this chicken dish tonight…huge hit. Husband said it was the best chicken ever!!! Thanks for sharing. Love that it only took 5 min to prepare but huge flavour. Win Win!!
That’s so great Jen! Glad you both enjoyed it 🙂
Have been making this recipe for years, and love it! It’s my boyfriend’s favorite. Tonight I made it and realized I didn’t have enough mayonnaise, so I improvised and used some plain yogurt. Honestly I had low hopes, but it turned out SO GOOD
This is one of our favorite family recipes, thank you so much for sharing! I’m trying to figure out how to make it InstantPot friendly so that I can set it before we leave for dance tonight and have it ready when we get home… I wonder if I could cook it in the sauce in the IP, then sprinkle bread crumbs on top and brown in the oven?
Just wondering if you have ever tried 🙂
I actually have not tried this in the IP yet – sorry!
Can I substitute greek yogurt for mayo
Yes.
It’s in the oven and I can’t wait to try it! Serving with loaded mashed potatoes & sautéed baby kale. I’m drooling!
Can I subsitute Ranch packet dressing for the Ranch dressing sauce?
I recommend using the Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix, not the dressing sauce.
Can mayo be miracle whip
Miracle Whip is not mayo but it can be substituted for mayo.
BTW Butter is a gorgeous dog and what a fun name!
This sounds sooooo yummy!!!! I don’t keep ranch seasoning on hand so I just combined some spices- dill, onion and garlic powders, sage, dry mustard & tarragon. I also squeezed a bit of lemon juice in with the mayo. I put everything except the breadcrumbs (“i’m out of panko) in a large ziploc and mixed it all up.
This is DELICIOUS. Such a simple and tasty recipe. I had this with mashed potatoes and gravy, it was wonderful! Your blog is my go-to whenever I start wondering “what’s for dinner?”
Delish! Everyone loved it! (a rarity at our house)
Side Dishes??
Would Italian Bread Crumbs work!
Yes, of course!
This was so good! Just the comfort food I was looking for tonight! So fast and easy. Great for hectic nights!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I will be making this often. For those that dislike the taste of mayo, you cannot taste it one bit. The flavored work well together.
This recipe has become a staple in our house. It’s absolutely delicious! It works so well with chicken and pork. Thank you for sharing!
Can I use Good Seasons instead of ranch?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Can this be made in the morning, refrigerated and baked in the afternoon – saving the bread crumbs to add just before cooking? Would the topping retain it’s flavor and texture?
Yes, that should work just fine.
I can’t wait to try this! Would drumsticks be ok?
Yes, absolutely.
Yay! Thank you! So glad I found your page
My family loved this — made it with chicken tenders as they don’t like dark meat (tho I do!) and it was delicious!
thank you! And big kisses to Butters!