Garlic Ranch Chicken Marinade is a quick and easy marinade that is full of flavor and makes grilling, sautéing, or baking delicious chicken a snap.
This garlic ranch quick chicken marinade is one of my go-to recipes. This recipe gets used all the time when I need some super flavorful chicken. It’s most often used to make grilled chicken to eat throughout the week on salads for my lunch. I find that if I have a container of grilled and sliced chicken breast ready to eat in the fridge, I’m more likely to throw a salad together when I’m hungry than eating the kid’s left-over peanut butter sandwiches.
I also like this chicken marinade recipe because while it is ranch flavored, it’s a subtle ranch flavor and works well when added to basically anything. Like tonight, I’m using the chicken on top of fettuccine alfredo and I’ve used it inside of casseroles and wrapped it up in burritos, too! It’s super versatile!
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Recipe tips for this quick chicken marinade
- My favorite ranch dressing mix to use for this chicken marinade is the Original Hidden Valley Ranch. I once tried Hidden Valley’s Buttermilk Ranch mix and didn’t like the results. I’ve also tried store brand ranch dressing mixes and felt the flavor just wasn’t the same.
- Grilled— This is my absolute favorite way to eat chicken, so it makes sense that this is how I typically cook my chicken after marinading it.
- Baked— Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Take the chicken out of the garlic ranch chicken marinade and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.
- Seared and Baked— This is my second favorite way to make/eat chicken– Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet (I love cast iron) over high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Sear the chicken until golden on both sides and transfer skillet to the hot oven. Cook about 10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.
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Want More Quick Chicken Marinade Recipes?
- Gorgeous Grilled Chicken Marinade
- 7-Up Grilled Chicken
- Basic Grilled Chicken
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Tools Used For Garlic Ranch Chicken Marinade:
- Lodge Reversible Cast Iron Griddle— When we moved a few months ago we didn’t bring our grill with us so I had to find an alternative until we get a new one. This pan heats up evenly and gives me the grilled taste I love. I’ll admit that it makes my house a little smoky, but it’s worth it.
- OXO Stainless Steel Tongs— These tongs take a beating in my kitchen. They go from the grill for flipping meats to the salad bowl for tossing with very little complaint. They are built like a tank and have silicone grips that make them super easy to use, even with my very small hands.
- Lodge 10″ Cast Iron Skillet— Cast Iron Skillets are your BEST friend and are totally underrated. Cast iron retains heat really well and allows you to get that irresistible sear on steaks and other meats you can usually only get at a restaurant. Pair this with the fact that they are CHEAP it’s a no-brainer.
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Garlic Ranch Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons or 1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and pour over 2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Let marinade in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours.
- Cook as desired, seasoning lightly with salt before cooking.
Rachel says
May 19, 2019 at 1:01 amI’ve tried this and it’s so delicious! I want to make it again and was thinking about using Italian dressing instead of water. Do you think it will work or taste just as good?
Rachel says
May 19, 2019 at 1:04 amOr do you think I could substitute the olive oil for the dressing?