Baked Ranch Chicken

This baked ranch chicken delivers crispy, cheesy comfort food in just 30 minutes. It’s the kind of dinner that works when you need something reliable, delicious, and ridiculously easy. Five ingredients, one dish, zero stress.

The Secret Ingredient Might Weird You Out

Did I beg my husband to trust me as he stared in horror while I slathered mayo on raw chicken breasts the other day?

Sure did.

Then I watched in amusement as he happily devoured my baked ranch chicken without a peep – he was too busy shoveling it in to apologize for doubting me. 😉

The mayo and ranch mixture might feel like an odd combo, but it keeps the chicken super moist during baking. Just have a little faith in me here.

The panko creates this golden, crispity little topping that’s honestly addictive. Such an easy way to add some crunch without doing the whole breading process.

We love a 5 ingredient chicken recipe that is both completely easy to whip up and 100% kid approved.

Serve it up with my mac and cheese casserole and some sauteed broccoli for an easy family meal.

Why You’ll Love This Baked Ranch Chicken

It’s stupidly simple. Five ingredients you probably already have, mixed together and baked. No marinating, no complicated steps, no special equipment.

The texture is perfect. The mayo-ranch base keeps the chicken incredibly moist while the cheese and panko create a golden, crispy coating that doesn’t get soggy.

It works for everyone. Kids love the familiar ranch flavor, adults appreciate how moist it is, and it’s easily adaptable if someone wants to swap the cheddar for pepper jack or skip the cheese entirely.

Ingredient Notes:

Chicken – We’re using boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe. You could swap that for boneless chicken thighs, but adjust the cook time accordingly.

Mayonnaise – Be sure to use real mayo and not Miracle Whip. This won’t taste like mayo after baking but it does add tons of juiciness to the chicken.

Dry Ranch Seasoning – Be sure to use the ranch seasoning mix and not the dip mix. The dip has a lot more sodium.

Cheddar Cheese – We’re keeping it easy with a bag of shredded cheddar.

Panko – Our favorite breading for chicken recipes! It’s so flavorful and it gets perfectly crispy when baked.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

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.

Get on amazon

How To Make Baked Ranch Chicken:

While your oven preheats mix together the mayonnaise, ranch seasoning, and cheddar cheese.

Place the chicken into a baking dish and spread the ranch and cheese mixture over the top.

Sprinkle the panko over the top. Spray the panko topping lightly with cooking spray and bake for uncovered for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to a safe temperature.

When the topping is golden brown and the chicken cooked through top with chopped parsley and serve it hot!

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.

Get on amazon

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftover baked ranch chicken in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.

Freezing: You can freeze cooked chicken for up to 3 months. Let it thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating: For best results, reheat in a 350°F air fryer for about 5 minutes to help the panko coating get crispy again. Microwave works too, but the topping won’t be as crunchy.

Make-ahead tip: You can prep the chicken with the ranch mixture and cheese up to a day ahead. Just add the panko and bake when ready to eat.

Related Recipes:

This recipe was originally published in July of 2012. It was updated with new photos and video in January 2021.