Name: This Ranch Dressing Packet Makes a Crispy Chicken Dinner (Oven-Ready in 5 Minutes!)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: (1-2 lb.); (or oil of choice); (or 2 tbsp.)

crispy ranch flavored chicken thighs on a black platter — Sea Wave/Shutterstock

When you’re making a weeknight chicken dinner, it always feels like something’s got to give. Either the meal is quick to make and not flavorful, or it’s delicious and tedious. Splurging on bottles of sauce or dip to add fast flavor isn’t ideal either, especially if you’re on a budget and trying to eat healthy ingredients. To the rescue: Lora McLaughlin’s crispy, Ranch-Flavored Chicken, which is oven-ready in five minutes.

McLaughlin, an influencer, wife, and mom of three, runs the TikTok account “Lorafied,” where she shares fun and easy hacks for your home, kitchen, and life. “It’s the perfect baked chicken that couldn’t be easier,” she says in her TikTok of this recipe. Read on for the full set of instructions.

@lorafied
BAKED CHICKEN HACK 🍗 *2 Ingredient Seasoning* with my secret baking trick 🤗 EASY & Budget Friendly LORAfied Baked Chicken INGREDIENTS: Avocado Oil (or oil of choice) 1 packet (or 2 T.) Ranch Seasoning 1 packet chicken, bone-in, skin-on DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400F Line baking dish with parchment paper (for easy clean up) Coat each piece with oil Sprinkle entire packet of Ranch Seasoning over oiled chicken, turning to coat each piece Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, THEN reduce the oven to 350F for another 10-20 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165F 💗 FOLLOW ME on Instagram @lorafied 💗 FOLLOW ME on TikTok @lorafied 💗 CHECKOUT my website: LORAfied.com #bakednotfried #ketochicken #easydinnerrecipes #chickenhack #homemaker #homeec #homeeconomics #budgetmeals #cookinghack
♬ Doctor My Eyes – Jackson Browne

Cooking Tips

What will you need for this recipe? McLaughlin’s Ranch-Flavored Chicken requires just three ingredients: vegetable oil, ranch seasoning, and chicken thighs. She suggests that you use a simple glass pan or a sheet pan. Also, she recommends lining the pan with a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking, reduce the amount of oil you need, and make clean-up easy.

What ranch seasoning do you recommend? We love a classic, like Hidden Valley’s Original Ranch Seasoning Packet (Buy from Target, $1.99, prices vary). Now, this packet contains 60 milligrams (mg) of sodium per quarter teaspoon. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but the whole packet contains 1,440 mg. If you’re worried about sodium, we recommend using just half the packet. Or try MySALT Sodium Free Ranch Seasoning (Buy from Healthy Heart Market, $2.89).

What can I serve with ranch-flavored chicken? To make dinner even easier (and healthier), toss frozen veggies in and around the chicken and let them cook at the same time. The vegetables will soak up the chicken juices, oil, and ranch flavoring, making for a tasty side. Otherwise, serve with pre-washed salad and our tasty Green Goddess Dressing.