Description
Creamy Ranch Chicken is a delicious, comforting dish featuring juicy seared chicken breasts smothered in a rich, velvety ranch-infused sauce. This recipe combines simple ingredients and quick cooking techniques to create a flavorful weeknight dinner that's easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5–8 oz. each)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Sauce
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 (1 oz.) packet ranch seasoning mix
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Season both sides of the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear the chicken: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and sear them on each side until they turn golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Make the roux: Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet. Stir in 1 tablespoon of flour and cook for about one minute, stirring constantly, to form a roux.
- Build the sauce: Gradually pour in 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth while scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and 1-ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix. Stir continuously until the sour cream and ranch seasoning have fully dissolved and the sauce is smooth.
- Simmer the chicken in sauce: Return the seared chicken breasts along with any accumulated plate juices back to the skillet. Spoon the ranch sauce over the chicken. Let the chicken simmer gently in the sauce on low heat until heated through and the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly, about 5-7 minutes.
- Serve: Transfer the chicken breasts to serving plates and spoon extra sauce over them. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot and enjoy your creamy ranch chicken.
Notes
- Use smaller boneless, skinless chicken breasts (around 5-8 oz.) for even cooking; if using larger breasts, slice in half lengthwise to make cutlets.
- Full-fat sour cream is recommended to avoid curdling in the sauce and to keep it creamy.
- For added flavor, sprinkle crispy chunky bacon bits on top or stir them into the sauce before serving.
- Scrape up the browned bits from the pan carefully when making the sauce to add more depth of flavor.
- Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or steamed vegetables to complement the creamy sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
