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This baked ranch chicken recipe is sure to become a family favorite. Easy ranch chicken breast is topped with ranch dressing, mozzarella cheese, and crispy bacon. What’s not to love about that?
Ranch flavors are definitely reader favorites here at Wholesome Yum (who doesn’t like chicken bacon ranch casserole, slow cooker crack chicken, and cheesy ranch dip?!), so this cheesy bacon ranch chicken fits right in. With only 4 common ingredients that you probably have in your fridge and a such a popular flavor profile, the whole family is going to love this dish.
This is one of the few chicken breast recipes where I don’t find it necessary to brine the chicken first. Smothering it with ranch, cheese and bacon is more than sufficient to keep it moist. But, if you’re curious or want to try my brine technique prior to cooking, it never hurts. You can learn about it in my basic baked chicken breast recipe.
How To Make Baked Ranch Chicken
You’ll love this baked chicken with ranch dressing! Here’s how to make it:
- Season chicken. Place chicken breasts into a stoneware baking dish, and season with salt and pepper.
- Add ranch. Spread ranch dressing all over the chicken breasts.
- Add cheese. Top the chicken evenly with fresh mozzarella.
TIP: Feel free to experiment with any cheese you like! Cheddar or jack cheeses would also be delicious.
- Bake chicken. Cover the baking dish with foil, making sure it’s not touching the cheese, and bake. Take it out to remove the foil about halfway through – see below.
- Add bacon and finish baking. Remove the foil, sprinkle with chopped cooked bacon, and bake uncovered, until cooked through.
FYI: Wondering why we only add bacon halfway through? It’s so that it doesn’t slide off. I tested this ranch chicken recipe with the bacon on there from the start, and much of it ended up off the chicken. You can definitely put it back on after if you want, but by placing it closer to the end, it stays on and stays crispy.
- Rest and garnish. Let the chicken rest, then drizzle with more ranch and a sprinkle of parsley, if you like.
Ranch Chicken Breast FAQs
Can you bake chicken with ranch dressing?
Of course! This keto cheesy bacon ranch chicken will show you that you can, and that it’s delicious!
Is cheesy bacon ranch chicken keto?
Yes, since this is baked ranch chicken without breadcrumbs, it’s naturally low carb. In fact, this cheesy chicken dinner has just 2.2 grams net carbs per serving.
But if that’s not important, don’t even think about it: everyone would enjoy it, even without any special requirements.
Can you use chicken thighs?
Yes, you can! You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on their thickness, and whether you use bone-in chicken thighs or boneless. You’ll want to keep the foil on until 10-15 minutes before they are done.
How to tell when ranch chicken is done?
The most reliable way is to use an instant read meat thermometer, or a probe thermometer (this will beep when it reaches the right temperature!).
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken Storage Instructions
Can you make it ahead?
This baked ranch chicken without breadcrumbs is best made fresh, but you can prep this dish ahead to make it come together quickly:
- Make ranch dressing. Use my ranch dressing recipe.
- Cook bacon and chop. The quickest way is bacon in the oven.
How to store baked ranch chicken breast
Store this ranch chicken in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Can you freeze it?
You can try freezing this ranch chicken, but the texture of the ranch might change a bit, so it’s not recommended. It’s so quick anyway, you might as well make it fresh!
Reheating instructions for oven baked ranch chicken
If you have leftover baked ranch chicken breast, reheat it in a 350 degree F oven for best results, but the microwave works fine, too.
What To Serve With Ranch Chicken
In my opinion, creamy ranch chicken breast pairs perfectly with simple vegetable side dishes. Try it with:
- Zucchini Noodles or Spaghetti Squash – For a healthier low carb pasta and chicken dish.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts – These take about the same amount of time as oven baked ranch chicken, so they are perfect to place in the oven side-by-side.
- Sauteed Broccoli or Sauteed Zucchini – You can make either of these sides in parallel, while you have the ranch chicken in the oven.
- Classic Wedge Salad – You can never have too much bacon, am I right?
- Cauliflower Mac And Cheese – If you’re really a cheese lover (like me!), pair your cheesy baked chicken with an equally gooey side.
More Cheesy Chicken Recipes
If you like this baked ranch chicken recipe, you might also like some of my other chicken dinner recipes:
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole – If you like this bacon ranch chicken, you’ll love the same flavors in a casserole, with veggies added.
- Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken – Crispy prosciutto on the outside; goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs on the inside. So good.
- Keto Chicken Parmesan – Crispy breading, a layer of cheese, and flavorful marinara make this simple chicken meal a family favorite.
- Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken – This dinner has so much flavor, it’s hard to believe it takes just 5 ingredients to make.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps – You’ll be surprised what we’re using to wrap these!
Tools To Make Baked Ranch Chicken
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Stoneware Baking Dish – This baking dish can take this ranch dressing chicken recipe from oven to table and will last for years.
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer – Easily tell if your chicken bacon ranch bake is cooked through. This is my favorite one, as it reads super quickly.
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken Recipe
Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers that made this also viewed these recipes:
Baked Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken Recipe
This EASY baked ranch chicken recipe needs just 4 ingredients + 10 minutes prep! The whole family will love this cheesy bacon ranch chicken breast.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
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Place the chicken into a stoneware baking dish, so that the pieces are just barely touching, but not crowded. Spread 1 tablespoon ranch dressing over each chicken breast. Top each with 2 slices of fresh mozzarella.
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Cover the baking dish with foil, so that the foil is not touching the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.
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Remove the foil. Sprinkle chopped bacon on top of the chicken. Bake, uncovered, for 10-15 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
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Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of ranch over the chicken.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 ranch chicken breast
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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21 Comments
Elnora Harness
this looked so good and the smell was wonderful, but when I served it the chicken was tough what did I do wrong? They were large breasts but all I could find, they were so large it took one for 2 people to get full I still have 3 left can they be frozen for next week? my star rating is for this one only taste is a 4 being able to eat 2 help me I am going to leave a 3 so sorry
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Elnora, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. This recipe was developed using medium chicken breasts, they may have been lacking flavor using large. When using larger-sized breasts, I like to brine them first, which helps to tenderize the protein. The method I use for brining can be found in my tutorial on juicy baked chicken breast. I hope this helps!
Amanda G.
Unfortunately, this recipe did not work out for me. The chicken was still raw, even after following cooking times, and the cheese slid off in the oven. Hoping I can get it right on my next try!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Amanda, Sounds like you used larger chicken breasts for your meal. I used medium-sized breasts, which are about 5-6 ounces. If you used larger breasts, then you will need to increase the cook time.
A. Runnels
This one didn’t work out for me. I was excited to try it but the chicken came out raw even following cooking times, and the cheese fell off during cooking.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi A. Runnels, Sounds like you used larger chicken breasts for your meal. I used medium-sized breasts, which are about 5-6 ounces. If you used larger breasts, then you will need to increase the cook time.
Melody
This recipe satisfies the whole family. No need to make something different if you are the only one low carbing.This chicken melts in your mouth. I would order it at a restaurant it’s so good. My family loved it. They said a few times,”mmm this is good.” That’s always nice to hear. Thanks Maya for easy quick dinners even those picky eaters may love.
ann
Would this recipe work in a crock pot and could it be made with cut up cooked chicken leftovers?’
Looks amazing!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Ann, I have not tried this in a crock pot. It may work, but you will probably want to reserve the mozzarella to add in the last hour or so of cooking. Please share how it turns out if you decide to try it!
Melody
I made this for the first time tonight for my family. They really enjoyed it. I’m trying to transition all of us over into eating a keto type of diet. Your wisdom, recipes, and we have teaching is going to make that much easier. Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
Angel
My whole family loves this didlsh. Even my mother, who dislikes chicken!
Jane
This is the first recipe I’ve made from your website. It was fabulous! I look forward to telling you that again, and again, and again. I especially appreciated your side dish suggestions and how to handle leftovers.
Lynda Pedersen
This was amazing!! Even hubby raved about it. I made mashed potatoes for him and your zucchini french fries for me as side dishes, along with a side salad. I did make your ranch dressing which was so good, will leave a separate review for that.
Judy Banas
This recipe was easy to make, mouth-watering to look at and even better tasting. The ranch dressing was amazing.
Corrie
This was delicious. Really easy to make. At the end I added more ranch, more cheese and some bacon and let it rest in the oven. A new staple in our house. My husband and I really enjoyed it.
I have gotten so many recipes from this site!
Robin Skulina
This dish is AMAZING!! My husband loved it too. So easy to make and I shredded the leftovers into a tasty chicken salad.
DAwn
This was very good. I highly recommend making the ranch from scratch. I used organic bottled ranch in a pinch and it was good, but the recipe for ranch is so much better. And don’t be shy with the salt and pepper on both sides. Will definitely make this again, but with smaller chicken breasts – I only had large.
Jen
This was DELICIOUS!
wilhelmina
This was an instant family favorite! So very delicious and easy to put together!
Sandi
My kids love anything ranch and they absolutely loved this chicken.
Lauren Kleiman
I love that this only has 4 ingredients, making this a perfect recipe for a busy weekday.