Crusted in a crunchy panko and savory parmesan bread crumb, Parmesan Ranch Chicken is first dipped in a zesty buttermilk ranch for explosive flavor. Perfectly moist and juicy chicken, means each bite is tender and baked to practically melt in your mouth.
With just a few minutes to prep and 30 minutes to bake, you’ve got a super-fast dinner recipe. Which makes Parmesan Ranch Chicken an easy weeknight meal! Plus all you have to do is pop your dish in the oven and then let it do all the work for you – no need to fry anything!
These chicken tenders are a yummy kid friendly, dippable finger food. Serve your Parmesan Ranch Chicken over a bed of baked brown rice or alongside easy mashed potatoes with a side of mac and cheese or corn on the cob for a delicious and simple family dinner.
🥫 Ingredients
Made with simple ingredients from the pantry, all you have to do is buy or thaw chicken for a quick and easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
- Chicken Breast Tenderloins
- Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic Salt
- Butter
(Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements and full printable instructions.)
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Firstly, pre-heat the oven to 400° F. Then go ahead and grease a glass 9x13 casserole dish and set it aside for later.
(You will want to be sure you coat the bottom of your pan well to keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom when baking later causing you to lose all the yummy bottom crust.)
Afterwards we need to prepare our dredging stations to coat the chicken tenderloins. To do this pour the ranch dressing into a wide shallow dish for dredging the chicken.
In another wide shallow dish combine the parmesan, panko, and garlic salt. Panko is a Japanese-style breading with a coarser texture. It creates a deliciously crunchy crust for chicken recipes just like this Parmesan Ranch Chicken.
Now we are going to bread each piece of chicken in an assembly-line fashion. Firstly dip each piece of chicken in the ranch and immediately dredge the chicken in the panko mixture. Once coated place your chicken in the prepared baking dish.
Repeat till all chicken is breaded and in the pan. Then melt the butter and drizzle over the chicken tenderloins.
Afterwards place the baking dish in the oven and allow your Parmesan Ranch Chicken to bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. (This instant read meat thermometer is our favorite tool to check temperatures quickly.) This should take about 25-30 minutes.
When cooked through and golden brown remove your dish from the oven. Lastly, allow the pan to rest for 5 minutes before serving to lock in the moisture for juicy and moist Parmesan Ranch Chicken.
👩🏻🍳 Make it Your Own
Substitutions
There are a handful of ways to make this dish all your own. Instead of using ranch dressing you could dip your chicken in straight buttermilk if preferred. Try substituting the panko for ritz cracker crumbs or another style of seasoned breadcrumbs. Or consider swapping the shredded parmesan for grated parmesan instead.
Try adding minced parsley to your panko breadcrumb mixture for a little extra freshness. Then squeeze fresh lemon over the dish after removing your Parmesan Ranch Chicken from the oven and allowing it to rest.
Cuts of Meat
Honestly any cut of chicken will work when making Parmesan Ranch Chicken. I personally prefer to use chicken tenderloins for it's uniformity and quicker cook time. But chicken breasts, thighs, or even prepared nugget size pieces will all do.
Keep in mind though the cut of meat you use will affect the final cook time. Full breasts will cook longer than chicken tenderloins, and nuggets need a little less time. A safe way to ensure your chicken is done is using a meat thermometer to be certain it has reached an internal temperature of 165° F before serving.
💭 Top Tips
Even Cook
If using chicken breasts to make your Parmesan Ranch Chicken you will want to pound out the breasts before breading so they are all the same thickness and can cook evenly all the way through. Pound out the thickest parts so the whole breast is about ¼ inch thick.
You will also want to be sure you coat the bottom of your pan well to keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom and cause you to lose all your yummy crust on the bottom.
Moist Chicken
Key to getting really moist chicken when baking is being sure to cook it at a high temperature and then be sure to let it rest for at least 5 minutes after taking out of the oven. This helps to lock in the moisture and ensure for the perfectly juicy bite.
🍽 Storing
Freezing
You can absolutely freeze Parmesan Ranch Chicken before or after baking if you desire. Which does make this a great option for meal prepping or make ahead meals! To freeze your Parmesan Ranch Chicken you will want to follow all of the same steps.
But instead of placing the baking dish in the oven, place it instead in the freezer. Allow the chicken to sit in the freezer for 1- 2 hours. After each piece is frozen transfer them to an airtight container. Or if wanting to pull out individual pieces for baking later try wrapping each piece in plastic wrap before adding to the airtight container.
Parmesan Ranch Chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake as normal and enjoy!
Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftover Parmesan Ranch Chicken in an airtight container. Keep in mind the breadcrumb coating will soften in the fridge. To get a nice crispy crust all you need to do is reheat your chicken in the oven again or toss it in the air fryer!
📋 FAQ's
What kind of chicken is best for oven baked recipes?
Honestly any cut of chicken will work when making Parmesan Ranch Chicken. I personally prefer to use chicken tenderloins for it's uniformity and quicker cook time. But chicken breasts, thighs, or even prepared nugget size pieces will all do.
Keep in mind though the cut of meat you use will affect the final cook time. Full breasts will cook longer than chicken tenderloins, and nuggets need a little less time. A safe way to ensure your chicken is done is using a meat thermometer to be certain it has reached an internal temperature of 165° F before serving.
Can oven baked chicken be frozen?
You can absolutely freeze Parmesan Ranch Chicken before or after baking. To freeze Parmesan Ranch Chicken follow all of the same steps but instead of placing in the oven, place the dish in the freezer after preparing.
Allow the chicken to sit in the freezer for 1- 2 hours. After each piece is frozen, transfer to an airtight container. Parmesan Ranch Chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake as normal and enjoy!
How do you keep your baked chicken moist?
Key to getting really moist chicken when baking is being sure to cook it at a high temperature and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it. This helps lock in the moisture and ensure for a perfectly juicy bite. You also want to make sure your chicken is roughly ¼ inch thick for a nice even cook. If using chicken breasts pound out the thickest parts.
Parmesan Ranch Chicken
Dipped in zesty buttermilk ranch and crusted in a crunchy panko and parmesan bread crumb, this chicken is exploding with flavor. Fast prep and a quick bake mean for an easy dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins
- 1 cup buttermilk ranch dressing
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400° F. Grease a glass 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
- Pour the ranch dressing into a wide shallow dish for dredging the chicken.
- In another wide shallow dish combine the parmesan, panko, and garlic salt.
- Coat each piece of chicken in ranch and then immediately dredge chicken in panko mixture.
- Once coated place chicken in the baking dish. Repeat till all chicken is coated and in pan.
- Melt the butter and drizzle over the chicken in the pan. Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
- When cooked through and golden brown remove dish from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Don't miss other helpful tips, recipe variations and storage information found in the full article above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 625Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1827mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 27g
Nutritional information provided is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products used and any changes made to the recipe. If these calculations are important to you, I recommend calculating them for yourself.