Pickle Ranch Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken breasts marinated in tangy pickle juice and ranch spices, baked to golden perfection.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1.5 lbs)

→ Marinade

02 - 1 cup dill pickle juice (240 ml)
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Seasoning & Coating

04 - 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix or 2 tablespoons homemade blend
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
07 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - ½ teaspoon onion powder

→ For Baking

09 - Cooking spray or additional olive oil for greasing pan

→ Optional Garnish

10 - Fresh dill, chopped
11 - Sliced pickles

# Directions:

01 - Place chicken breasts in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Pour dill pickle juice and olive oil over them, ensuring even coating. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours to enhance flavor.
02 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking dish or line with parchment paper.
03 - Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Discard the marinade. In a small bowl, mix ranch seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, and onion powder. Evenly coat both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning mixture.
04 - Place chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. Lightly spray or drizzle the tops with cooking spray or olive oil.
05 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
06 - Optionally garnish with chopped dill or sliced pickles. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Chicken stays incredibly moist thanks to the pickle juice marinade, even if you accidentally overbake it by a few minutes.
  • Ranch and dill flavors do the heavy lifting while you do absolutely nothing, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore.
  • The whole thing comes together in about an hour from start to finish, including marinating time.
02 -
  • Pat the chicken completely dry after marinating, otherwise the seasoning won't stick and you'll end up with bland patches instead of an even crust.
  • A meat thermometer is your friend here, because chicken breasts cook fast and it's easy to overbake them if you're guessing.
03 -
  • Invest in a simple meat thermometer so you stop guessing whether the chicken is done, it removes all the anxiety from weeknight cooking.
  • If you don't have a zip-top bag, a shallow glass dish covered with plastic wrap works just as well for marinating.
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