Incredibly Tender Juicy Flavorful Baked Cheddar Ranch Chicken Tenders Coated In The Most Amazing Ranch/cheese Cracker Breading These Chicken Tenders Are So Finger
I had seen the Hidden Valley dressing packets but never thought of having the Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix shaker on hand but now I cant live without it! You can add delicious ranch flavor to any dish with a couple shakes of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning without having to add any caloric ranch dressing and its made with no artificial preservatives !
This seasoning is convenient, pantry-friendly and easily transforms everyday meals into flavor bursting dishes. A few of my favorite recipes which are 100% not sponsored but I made with Hidden Valley® Original Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix because I love the product so much are Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Foil Packets with Ranch Crema, Skinny Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta, Lightened Up Bacon Ranch Chicken Chowder and Baked Fiesta Ranch Chicken Tacos.
I buy my Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix shaker at my local super Walmart which makes shopping easy with everything I need all in one place.
But the recipe you want to make first are these Baked Cheddar Ranch Chicken Tenders! These Cheddar Ranch Chicken Tenders arent your ordinary chicken tenders. They are SO juicy and flavorful from first marinating in a Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning buttermilk bath. They are then coated in a delectable breading of crushed butter crackers, cheese crackers, shredded cheese, more ranch seasoning, paprika and salt. Can we say AH-mazing?!
Baked Cheddar Ranch Chicken Tenders. Dip on.
Make Ahead And Storage
- Prep Ahead Prepare the cornflake and ranch mixture in advance for easy prep or freeze the chicken for later.
- Store Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze This ranch chicken recipe freezes well before and after its baked. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and flash freeze for 1-2 hours. Put the frozen breasts into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. Note: If you freeze pre-baked chicken, it may not be as crispy when reheated.
- Reheat Thaw out as many pieces of chicken that you need. Bake uncooked chicken according to the recipe. To reheat previously cooked chicken, bake at 400F for 5 minutes or until heated through.
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs The Easy Way
If you think you cant make insanely good chicken, this recipe is for you!
Ranch Baked Chicken Thighs may be the recipe with the highest combination of absurdly delicious and crazy easy I have! It seems almost unfair how simple this recipe is, and just how mouthwatering it comes out.
This recipe makes absolutely perfect chicken thighs! They have that perfectly roasted skin that has all the crispy edges. It is packed with flavor, and the meat inside is very, very tender and juicy.
Add in that it takes literal minutes to have this in the oven and cooking and it is super kid friendly, and you have all the components of a perfect family meal!
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These Keto Cheddar Ranch Chicken Thighs Are Totally Weeknight Dinner
Crispy Cheddar Ranch Chicken Thighs Aren’t those the 5 greatest words you’ve ever heard? We are digging this easy skillet dinner. What more could you want? We’ve got crispy chicken thighs, melty cheese, and the perfect ranch seasoning along with pork rind crumbs to make a deliciously crispy topping.
We love using pork rinds as a breading as they get super crispy, stick well, and also brown well. Low-carb flours like almond flour and coconut flour aren’t always the greatest options since they tend to burn. Since we’re broiling these thighs, we opted for pork rinds for their stability.
You can purchase pre-made pork rinds crumbs or make your own! Just place the pork rinds in a food processor and pulse until they resemble breadcrumbs or panko. Easy!
Chef’s Notes For Ranch Chicken Recipe
- Make sure to let chicken sit out of the fridge for 20-30 minutes before cooking. It helps to cook uniformly.
- Season chicken on BOTH sides.
- Depending on your stove or your preference , you may sear skin for 2-3 minutes, or for 6-8 minutes.
- Roast garlic along with chicken in the oven, or reserve it to add to the skillet only after roasting chicken. It’s your choice!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Can I Use Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs For Ranch Chicken Thighs
Absolutely! I go back and forth between bone-in skin-on and boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you are looking for more of a good old-fashioned piece of fried chicken, I highly recommend buying bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs will not be crispy.
Season both sides of the chicken thighs with a dry ranch dressing.
I personally love a homemade ranch dressing for this recipe. By the time you are done making your fried chicken, you will not even need a dipping sauce. The flavor is just that good!
Have a kid that loves cooking? Let him/her make the ranch seasoning while you prep the chicken. My daughter usually claims the job of mixing together the dry ranch dressing at my house.
PRO TIP: Looking to make a cheesy ranch chicken? Add nutritional yeast to your dry ranch dressing mixture!
Place the chicken thighs onto the air fryer rack.
Dry Rub Ranch Chicken Wings
These tangy, herby, and savory chicken wings are the perfect finger food for your next party.
The dry rub gives the chicken a nice flavor without being too spicy, and the ranch dressing helps to balance out the spices.
The wings can be served as is, or with a dipping sauce on the side.
For the dipping sauce, I recommend a mixture of ranch dressing and hot sauce.
This will give you a nice balance of creaminess and heat.
As for side dishes, these wings go great with celery and carrot sticks, as well as a variety of dipping sauces.
A simple green salad would also be a good option.
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How To Use Your Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven
Start by preheating your air fryer to 400 degrees. Then, use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry.
What To Serve With Ranch Chicken Thighs
When making cheddar ranch chicken for dinner, it depends on my mood for what sides I make with it. I love making veggies to go with it and a salad. Normally my go to veggies are whole roasted cauliflower, microwave baked sweet potato, Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries.
If you are looking for more sides to go with it, my kids also love Garlic Rice . If you want super simple, use a veggie steamer and make some steamed broccoli and top with butter!
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Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken Thighs
Savory chicken thighs with crispy skin are one of lifes simple pleasures. Hassle free cooking, using a sheet pan is sure to make life easier when supper time rolls around. Just add a side dish and youve got a meal your family will rave about!
Sheet pan cooking is one of my go-to methods for getting a great meal on the table during a busy week. Over the past couple of years, Ive experimented with this interesting way to cook a whole meal on one pan and I can state without question, that it works! Not only does sheet pan cooking save time in the kitchen but clean up is a snap. I usually prep all of my ingredients either early in the day or the night before Im ready to cook. Then, all I have to do is pull everything out of the fridge and Im good to go.
My newest version of chicken thighs is done with dried ranch mix and my homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning. I added in a few red onions, my fav and cooked everything in the oven until the chicken was done and the skin was golden and crispy. The seasoning adds a kick of flavor to the outside of the thighs while the meat is tender and juicy. This recipe has quickly become a much loved dish that the family looks forward to. All I do is add a salad and maybe a veggie to the menu and supper is served!
Chicken With Ranch Seasoning Recipe
Chicken With Ranch Seasoning Recipe is so easy to make, and you can change the ingredients to use fresh herbs instead of dried, or choose a different nut. The flat of chicken fingers cook up in about 15 minutes in the oven, with ranch dressing for dipping.
Chicken With Ranch Seasoning Recipe Homemade dressing for grilled chicken that is out of this world! The seasonings are so perfect, you will never want fast food again.
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Recipe Tips And Notes
- Blend creamy ingredients first. Be sure to blend your mayo, sour cream, olive oil and ranch seasoning first before adding the cheese. It helps everything to blend evenly.
- Safely cut the chicken. Place your hand on top of the chicken breast to stabilize it with cutting into the center.
- Check the cheese. Make sure the cheese starts to bubble around the edges and turn a light golden color before removing from the oven.
- Double check your chicken. All ovens are different, so make sure the thickest part of your chicken has an internal temperature of 165.
This delicious baked ranch chicken is a favorite in my house. I hope it will be a favorite of yours as well. The creamy ranch and cheese topping makes this recipe mouth watering good!
Baked Chicken With Ranch Dressing
Baked Chicken with Ranch Dressing is a classic comfort food even people who dont like mayonnaise will enjoy. This recipe is great for lunch or dinner.
Soooo, this is a sub dish for you to whip out for any occasion. It tastes delicious and can make your guests happy. Its great because you dont have to worry about it being either undercooked or burned, as long as you keep an eye on it while it bakes. I think youll love this recipe!
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Cast Iron Keto Ranch Chicken Thighs
Baking The Chicken Breasts
The recipe makes a half cup of mix which is about right for 4 skin on breasts. Lightly coat your chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle the rub on them.
I also pulled up the chicken skin to get some next to the flesh. The chicken was baked in a glass casserole that had been sprayed with cooking oil.
The oven was preheated to 375° and timer set for 45 minutes. After 35 minutes the chicken was checked for temperature, which was 133° but it wasnt browning as I wished.
Some additional olive oil was brushed on and the convection fan turned on. If you dont have a convection oven, raise the temperature of your oven to 400° to brown.
After 45 minutes the skin had browned nicely and the internal temperature was 143°. I pulled them out of the oven and kept them in the baking dish covered with foil for 10 minutes.
The chicken turned out perfect with a flavorful, crunchy skin and moist, tender meat.
This is super easy to make and gives you another way to cook chicken. Give ranch baked chicken breasts a try. Heres the printable recipe.
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Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs
Jodi / /
Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs that are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The yummy ranch flavor paired with the crunchy chicken will have your family grabbing an extra piece or two!
There are always new kitchen appliances on the market that I am often skeptical of the different products. You start to wonder which ones are worth the purchase. If you have been following the blog then you know that my crockpot and my Instant pot are my two favorite appliances.
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The possibilities are almost endless when it comes to making crockpot meals or instant pot meals for my family. I honestly never thought I would need another kitchen tool untilmy son requested fried chicken for dinner If you have ever attempted to make homemade fried chicken then you know how overwhelming and messy the experience can be. I decided to invest in an air fryer and I am SO happy that I did. It makes the perfect Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Chaffles
This chaffle is perfect for dipping in ranch dressing!
The chicken is juicy and flavorful, and the bacon adds a nice crispy element.
If you want a bit of spice, you can add some crushed red pepper flakes to the batter.
For herbs, I would recommend using parsley or chives.
They both have a mild flavor that wont compete with the other ingredients.
As for spices, I would keep it simple with just some black pepper.
As for side dishes, roasted vegetables are always a good choice.
They can be cooked in the same oven as the chaffles, so theyll be ready at the same time.
A simple green salad would also be a refreshing option.
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Are There Any Ways To Make This Healthier
Yes! Here are a few tips to make this baked chicken recipe healthier:
- Make your own creamy ranch to cut calories. Homemade always makes things a little bit better for you.
- Or make a low cal ranch dip by using powdered ranch seasoning and greek yogurt.
- You can also use lite sour cream or even greek yogurt in the sauce.
- If you are really committed to health, you can skip the bacon completely for a delicious ranch chicken recipe.
Tips To Perfect Ranch Chicken Thighs & Faqs
If youre looking for the absolute best baked chicken thighs, you need to go off the chickens temperature NOT the time listed in this recipe. Chicken thigh sizes can vary wildly, and differences in oven effectiveness, altitude, humidity in the air they can all impact your cooking time, making it shorter or longer.
Dont overcook. To avoid undercooked or dry chicken, its imperative to cook chicken to 160 degrees in the oven, and let it carryover cook to 165. Chicken is safe to eat at 165 degrees internal temperature. Check your chicken thighs regularly as they cook to monitor temperature.
Let chicken rest. Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting or serving to continue carryover cooking and help chicken rest so juices dont all rush out. To measure, be sure to insert thermometer in fattest part of meat without getting too close to bone as it will throw off temperature.
Pat chicken thighs dry. Extra liquid and moisture on the chicken will keep the thighs from crisping pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels before cooking to remove any excess liquid. This will help the fat to stick to the chicken better, and help the ranch seasoning sink into chicken for flavor.
If your chicken thighs are wet, the oil wont have a chance to really sink in, so remove any excess packaging liquid/water with paper towels.
This will allow the chicken to naturally crisp and add to the flavor of your chicken, so dont trim too much away.
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How Do I Make The Chicken Thigh Skin Crispy
There are two ways that you can get crispy skin on the chicken thighs.
With both methods, be sure to watch the chicken closely so it does not burn.
What Should You Do If You Dont Have Ranch Seasoning
Well, buy or make some! In the meantime, we have quite a few other delicious ways you can enjoy chicken thighs. These Baked Chicken thighs are easy to throw together and you can change things up with seasonings you have on hand. Or, if youre looking for something a little jazzed up, try these Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs.
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How Long Does It Take To Bake Ranch Chicken
It should take about 20-30 minutes for this chicken to be cooked through. Youll know chicken is done when its juices run clear when poked with a sharp knife and its no longer pink.
Im always careful to make sure my chicken is fully cooked, but I also am very careful to not overcook. No one likes dry chicken!!
This recipe is fool-proof because of the sour cream sauce that covers as it cooks. Ranch and sour cream cover the chicken to keep it moist while it cooks. Thats why its fool proof! You cannot mess up this recipe.