Description
Comforting creamy ranch chicken delivers a classic dinner solution with minimal effort. Families will savor each tender bite of this simple yet satisfying midweek meal you can quickly prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (58 ounces / 1.65 kilograms each)
Seasonings and Herbs:
- Salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)
Cooking Liquids and Thickeners:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 (1 ounce / 28 grams) ranch seasoning packet
Instructions
- Tenderize chicken breasts to an even 1-inch thickness, ensuring uniform cooking. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Preheat large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine butter and olive oil to prevent burning while enhancing flavor. Sear chicken 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown, creating a crisp exterior. Transfer chicken to a separate plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Melt remaining butter in skillet, then sprinkle flour and whisk continuously for one minute to eliminate raw flour taste and create a thickening roux.
- Gradually pour chicken broth into skillet, whisking and scraping pan’s bottom to incorporate flavorful browned bits. Add milk, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and ranch seasoning mix. Stir until sauce becomes smooth and uniform.
- Return chicken and accumulated juices to skillet. Coat chicken with sauce, reduce heat to low simmer. Cook 5-7 minutes until sauce thickens and chicken reaches complete doneness.
- Optional: Garnish with fresh parsley for color contrast and subtle herbal note before serving hot directly from skillet.
Notes
- Use plastic wrap or a resealable bag when pounding chicken to prevent splatter and mess while achieving uniform thickness.
- Mix ranch seasoning with other dry spices before adding to create more even flavor distribution throughout the sauce.
- Substitute whole milk with skim milk and use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to reduce overall calorie content while maintaining creamy texture.
- Replace wheat flour with cornstarch or gluten-free flour blend to make the recipe celiac-friendly without compromising sauce consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg