Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
The ease at which it took to make this one pan dish was phenomenal and mouth watering!
Hey Heather,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
This was good would make it again. I used the optional pickled jalapeno it does add flavor. Used coconut milk instead of cream no real difference. If cooking chicken thighs recommend 35-40 minutes. Served with rice. Great one pan meal!
Hey Deanna,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
It was another hit in this household. Served with a simple lemon butter orzo and an arugula beet salad for a little color. My only mistake was foregoing bread, because everyone was looking for something to sop up more sauce! Loved the quick and easy prep, too.
Hey Liz,
Love to hear this! Thank you for making this recipe and your comment! Have a wonderful week!!
Hi Tieghan,
I was confused by the same thing Erin was. In your directions it says, “…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…” Is the homemade ranch spice mix separate from the spices listed? If so, where can I find this recipe? There was no hyperlink and no additional info in the recipe.
Hi Elle,
Sorry for any confusion, the ranch mix is the parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, and paprika. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This one was soooo good! I’m not a great cook so followed the directions as best I could. I used ranch seasoning plus the herbs listed (I was confused because in the description it read “my homemade ranch seasoning and…then also listed all the seasonings to be added). I also pounded out my chicken a little to make sure they were all the same thickness and I used a 9×13 dish. My cream cheese also wasn’t easily spreadable on the chicken even though it was room temp. But it all worked out and this dish did not disappoint!
Hi Erin,
So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a wonderful week! xx
I didn’t add the salsa verde, I added a little bone broth instead and it was delicious.
Hi Kelly,
Thank you so much! I’m so glad this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for your comment! xT
Five stars! This recipe turned out beautifully. I followed the recipe exactly although I left out the optional pickled jalapeños. I used canned coconut milk instead of the heavy cream and chicken breasts instead of thighs. The recipe was very easy to follow and received rave reviews from the whole family. I served it over wide egg noodles since it was a cold damp day here in Western NY. Thank you Tieghan! I always find your recipes so easy to recreate and consistently get two thumbs up from the whole family. Please keep creating!!
Hey Lynn,
Awesome!! Thank you so much for your kind message and making so many recipes:) Love to hear that your family enjoyed this dish! xT
Hi! Mine came out kind of curdled and watery. The only difference was I used chicken tenders instead of whole breasts and light cream instead of heavy since it was all I had on hand. Could that be what the issue is? Thanks!
Hi! Mine came out kind of curdled and watery. The only difference was I used chicken tenders instead of whole breasts and light cream instead of heavy since it was all I had on hand. Could that be what the issue is?
Hi Deanna,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you had some issues. My guess was the light cream caused this, I would also try to bring your cream to room temp before using it. I hope this helps! xx
Thank you for responding! It was still really good. I will definitely try it with the heavy cream and bring to room temp first!
Could you make this recipe in a slow cooker?
Hey Emily,
Totally, that should work nicely for you! I hope you love this dish! xT
The directions for this recipe need some fine-tuning and clarification. And it’s always helpful to have SOME idea of how large a baking dish is needed. I’ve made this twice, and both times the chicken was nowhere near done at 45″. Next time, I plan to brown the chicken and will precook the broccoli and onion to have them release some of their liquids ahead of time so the casserole isn’t too watery. I’ll put the chicken, onions and broccoli in my largest casserole dish and then pour over all the other ingredients, mixed together, and bake covered for 30″, uncovered for 15″ and hope the browning will get it to done in 45″. It tasted quite good, but the process needs work.
Hi Kathryn,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you are having some issues with the chicken cooking through, they might be much larger pieces than what I am using. Let me know what works best for you next time! xT
Not ranch like at all… and not to the caliber of normal HBH recipes
Hey Laura,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
I made this tonight! It was delicious, creamy, and comforting. I served over noodles and loved it! Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Thank you so much Bailey:) Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you and I appreciate you making it! xT
Do you cube the chicken before tossing it or bake it whole?
Hi Shae,
I bake this chicken whole for this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xT
This is so easy and flavorful! Didn’t have all the seasonings so used a pack of ranch seasoning and it turned out great!
Thanks so much, Lila:) I’m so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT