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Weeknight-easy and crowd-pleasing—this creamy ranch chicken bakes up with creamy ranch-seasoned chicken, a salsa verde kick, tender broccoli, and plenty of parmesan. Just mix, bake, and spoon everything over rice or potatoes for a cozy dinner with hardly any dishes. You’ll have the perfect dinner that can be enjoyed on busy weeknights.
The ranch seasoning is homemade (so much fresher), the sauce is rich with a touch of cream, and the leftovers are even better the next day.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- One dish, minimal prep, family-friendly flavor.
- Creamy, tangy ranch sauce with a little heat from salsa verde and jalapeños.
- Flexible: use chicken breasts or thighs and serve with rice, orzo, or potatoes.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: Use either boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs here. Either one is great. My mom loves chicken breasts, but my brothers enjoy the thighs. I’ll usually use a mix of the two! Cut into even pieces for consistent bake.
Homemade ranch seasoning: Dried parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, paprika.
Cream cheese + cream: Bring both to room temp so they fold in smoothly and reduce curdling risk.
Salsa verde: Tomatillo-based; choose mild or medium heat. A thicker, chunky style yields a richer sauce.
Pickled jalapeños: Add tangy heat; dice small to distribute.
Broccoli: Small florets cook through in the stated bake window; very large florets can stay firm.
Recipe Inspiration
I’m finally sharing one of our favorite dishes of the month: my baked ranch chicken recipe! This has become a favorite with my family, it’s just simple, delicious food. It’s not fancy, it’s not complicated, and it’s definitely not the prettiest dish in the world. But it sure is yummy!
This recipe began with my idea to create a dinner with my favorite homemade ranch seasoning mix. It’s sounded so yummy!
Growing up, ranch dressing was always my favorite. I often snacked on carrots and ranch dressing after school. It’s the yummiest!
The details
Coat the chicken well: Toss until every piece is evenly coated with softened cream cheese and ranch spices—no dry spots.
Now, toss the chicken with cream cheese and my homemade ranch seasoning spice mix. Then add dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill, garlic powder, and paprika. Toss well to really coat the chicken. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature or it will not mix easily.
Layer smart: Next, add the onion, then salsa verde, pickled jalapeños, and cream. Or try using canned coconut milk, yum. Mix in the parmesan, then arrange broccoli on top so it steams and stays bright.
The salsa verde is the secret here. It adds just the right amount of spice to the sauce. We love the flavor!
Bake to “just done”: And now you bake. In about 30 to 40 minutes, you’ll have perfectly cooked spicy ranch chicken and broccoli in a very deliciously creamy sauce.
Pull when chicken is opaque and tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
Stir everything together before serving to coat the broccoli.
All you have to add is steamed rice. Orzo pasta would be really nice too. I also love serving this with my honey beer bread on the side.
Sauce texture: If sauce looks thinner than you’d like, let the pan rest a few minutes; it thickens as it stands. A handful of parmesan off-heat also adds body.
How are the leftovers?
They taste even better the following day. The flavors have time to mend, and the sauce is that much more intense. Just store in an airtight container.
You could even add some crispy bacon to the top. I’m sure that would be so great too!
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes, add it straight from frozen on top so it steams; expect a slightly softer texture and a bit more moisture in the sauce.
My sauce looks separated..what happened?
Cream sauces can split if boiled hard. Stir well after baking, let rest a couple minutes, and whisk in a small splash of cream to bring it back together.
Breasts or thighs—what’s best here?
Both work. Breasts are lean and slice neatly; thighs stay extra juicy and are more forgiving if slightly overbaked.
How spicy is this?
It depends on your salsa verde and jalapeños. Choose mild salsa and skip (or seed) the jalapeños for a gentler sauce; add more for extra heat.
Looking for other easy family dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken and Broccoli
One Pot Buffalo Chicken “Helper”
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
One Pan Autumn Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Easy Southern Style Baked Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Cheese Stuffed Pasta Bolognese Bake
One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake
Lastly, if you make this One Pan Creamy Parmesan Ranch Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pan Creamy Parmesan Ranch Chicken
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 534 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños (optional)
- 1 cup heavy cream, or canned coconut milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons cold, salted butter, sliced
- 3 cups chopped broccoli
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.2. In a baking dish, toss together the chicken, cream cheese, parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, and paprika. Season well with salt and pepper. 3. To the chicken, add the onion, then pour over the salsa verde, jalapeños, and cream/milk. Add 1/2 cup parmesan. Stir until creamy and well-mixed. Arrange the butter, then broccoli on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Gently stir to combine. Top with 1/2 cup parmesan. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over steamed rice or orzo for a complete meal. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 21, 2024
Do you cut the chicken into chunks or leave whole to toss with the cream cheese and spices? It seems to me it’d be easier to do if you cut it up, but will doing so affect cook times?
Hi Stephanie,
I left my chicken whole for this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi! I love your recipes! I have fresh chives and parsley, could I use that instead of dried? Thanks!
Thanks so much Chelsea!! Sure, fresh herbs would also be delicious here! Let me know if you give this dish a try! xT
Tieghan, you’ve outdone yourself. I made the uber-decadent version with the 36% heavy cream (eyes emoji), bacon, butter, and rice. Delicious comfort food to the max. The heart attack will be worth it (next time, if there is a next time, I promise to try the coconut milk)!
Hi Ian,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback:) Glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
would this make a good freezer meal?
Hi Donita,
Totally! You can follow the recipe as directed and freeze. To reheat, cover with foil and heat on low:) I hope you love this dish! xx
My daughter hates anything even remotely spicy. Will the recipe be fine if I skip the verde all together?
I used Whole Foods’ store brand salsa verde with this and found it added flavour, not spice. I’d bet your daughter won’t even notice. Perhaps skip the pickled jalapeños — more for the psychological effect than anything.
Thanks so much for sharing Ian!!
Salsa verde isn’t spicy.
Hi Roberta,
I would not recommend skipping the salsa verde…if you get a mild one it shouldn’t be spicy:) Please let me know if you give this dish a try! xT
This looks delicious! Would there be a verde substitute if you wanted less spicy?
Hi Gale,
I would just skip the jalapeños and make sure you are using a mild salsa verde and you shouldn’t have much spice:) I hope you love this dish! xT
How would you adjust the cooking time for thighs vs breasts?
Hi Francie,
As long as your thighs are boneless, you can follow the recipe as instructed:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi! Do you have a recipe for the rice using bone broth and ghee?
Hi Margaret,
Sorry, I don’t, I just made this recipe as is:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
But you mention serving it over rice, and you also say you like preparing your rice with bone broth and ghee…
I don’t have exact instructions for that, but you can always cook rice or pasta in some bone broth:) And a drizzle of ghee is always yummy to add! I hope this helps! xx
It does not really help as I was hoping you could explain your method. I will look elsewhere.
I am confused. You mention in the recipe that you serve this dish with rice, which you make with bone broth and ghee. Do you sub the cooking water with broth then add ghee? Geez Louise! How difficult is it to quickly explain how to prepare rice YOUR way to a follower?
I made this mid afternoon, stuck it in the fridge and then cooked it at dinner time. It turned out so good! I did small chicken chunks and had no dill or pickled jalapeños but it was still great. It was so easy and full of flavor. I’ll def make it again!
Love to hear this Laura!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and your comment! xT
This recipe is outstanding! The flavors are bright and fresh, with a little heat from the salsa verde and pickled jalapeños. I made this in a total rush last night and just threw everything into a baking dish, after briefly looking at the instructions. Ended up with some giant pieces of onion lol, but I’d say this recipe is foolproof. Next time I’ll cut the larger chicken breasts in half but don’t need to mess with anything else! My boyfriend is a former NYC chef and he went back for seconds. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Sara,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Don’t be a Karen complaining about FREE recipes that are almost always amazing.
In the blog portion, you say you use a homemade ranch seasoning mix. Then proceed to mention the other herbs and spices. However, in the printed recipe, in the list of ingredients, and instructions that follow, you fail to mention it. Why? There’s not even a linked or attached recipe for it. So should we just use a powdered ranch dressing mix instead? Please try to make your recipes as accurate as possible. It’s very confusing.
Hi Jan,
Sorry for any confusion! You can follow the directions exactly as written…the dried parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, and paprika all make up the ranch seasoning:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
“Now, toss the chicken with cream cheese and my homemade ranch seasoning spice mix. Then add dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill, garlic powder, and paprika.”
This is why you’re getting so many questions. A simple edit would probably remove a lot of confusion!
Thanks for pointing this out Elizabeth:) I will it edit to clear up any confusion! xx
Still confusing as no edits have been made.
“Now, toss the chicken with cream cheese and my homemade ranch seasoning spice mix. Then add dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill, garlic powder, and paprika.”
I made this recipe this evening since I had all all the ingredients on hand. When does that ever happen?! This was super easy to throw together and tastes incredible! A bit of heat from my salsa Verde but not super spicy.
Surprisingly the broccoli remained tender! People need to trust your process!
Also I chopped my chicken thighs into bite size pieces so everything was nice and creamy.
I stirred in some cooked orzo at the end before topping with the final parmesan. What a great one pan meal!!
Hi Barb,
Amazing!! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your comment:) Xx
Dear Tieghan: I have never written a review for anything on the internet. However, after reading the comments for this recipe, I felt I had to respond.
I discovered your recipes during the pandemic and because of YOU, I have become a very good cook. Your recipes have made me look so good. I get asked for copies of your recipes whenever I prepare a meal from one of your recipes for guests and I need to thank you for that. You make me look good and I need to thank you for that. Spelling mistakes and people not being able to read your recipes are moot points and totally not important. You have made my life ( especially eating) more pleasurable and I thank you for that. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!
Aww, thanks so much for your kind message Heather:) I truly appreciate you being here and making so many recipes and sharing them with others! Hope you are having a great week! xT