This spicy ranch chicken recipe uses a homemade yogurt-based dressing as both tangy marinade and creamy finishing sauce for juicy grilled chicken breasts. The magic lies in dried dill, one of the very few dried herbs that are just as good, if not better, than their fresh counterparts (fenugreek and oregano also fall into this camp).
Garlic powder and onion powder round out the dressing, resulting in a fresh, bright, and deeply savory homemade ranch with the nostalgic flavor of bottled versions, but better. Double or quadruple the dry ingredients for your very own ranch seasoning mix to shake over anything and everything.
Tips for making ranch chicken
- Can I marinate the chicken in advance? Yes. The chicken can sit in the marinade at room temperature for up to 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Can I make ranch chicken without a grill? Yes. Cook the marinated chicken in a grill pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Baking the chicken will dry it out before you develop much color, but you can successfully use your boiler like an upside-down grill. For easy cleanup, cover a baking sheet in foil, broil the chicken on high for about 8 minutes, flipping the meat every 2 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Why use yogurt in the marinade? Whole-milk yogurt helps tenderize the chicken while keeping it juicy and flavorful. It also gives the ranch dressing a tangy, creamy texture.
- Can I use bottled ranch dressing or ranch seasoning mix? This recipe recreates the nostalgic flavor of classic ranch dressing while letting you control what goes into it. Bottled dressing will work in a pinch (see which bottled ranch dressing won our taste test here), but the homemade version has a brighter, tangier flavor. We don’t recommend using a seasoning packet since it could make the marinade too salty.
- How spicy is this spicy ranch chicken? The heat level is moderate. If you’d like things spicier, scatter a few thinly sliced wheels of fresh jalapeño (or pickled jalapeño) on top of the cooked chicken. Avoid adding more hot sauce to the marinade—its potent acidity can quickly overtake the other flavors.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt, ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. dried dill, 2 Tbsp. garlic powder, 2 Tbsp. onion powder, 1 Tbsp. hot sauce, 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, 2 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl until smooth. Measure out ½ cup dressing and set aside for serving.
Step 2
If using regular chicken breasts, place 1 breast on a cutting board so a short side is toward you; holding a chef’s knife parallel to breast, slice along middle of a long side in long strokes until you’ve cut all the way through to make 2 thin cutlets. Repeat with remaining breasts.
Step 3
Add 2 lb. thin-sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts and remaining 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt to remaining dressing in large bowl and toss chicken to coat evenly. Cover and let sit at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours (chill, if marinating longer than 30 minutes).
Step 4
Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a gas grill, set one or two burners to low; for a charcoal grill, bank most of the coals on one side); lightly oil grate with vegetable oil. Using tongs, remove chicken from marinade, letting any excess drip back into bowl. Grill chicken over direct heat until dark grill marks appear underneath, about 4 minutes. Turn chicken (cutlets should release easily, but use a spatula to help release if needed) and grill, moving to indirect heat as needed if browning too quickly, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; season with more salt if needed.
Step 5
Slice each cutlet crosswise into 3–4 pieces. Spoon reserved dressing onto a platter; arrange chicken on top. Scatter coarsely chopped chives and/or dill over if using.
