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When I need a real dinner with almost no effort, this is the recipe I come back to. Five ingredients, one pan, and it’s on the table in under 30 minutes. The ranch seasoning does all the heavy lifting — you just drizzle, sprinkle, and bake. It smells like you actually cooked something.
Why You’ll Love This
- Done in 20 minutes — thin-sliced breasts cook fast, no pounding or long oven time required
- Only 5 ingredients — all pantry staples you probably already have
- Big flavor, minimal prep — the ranch seasoning is tangy, herby, and gets toasty in the oven in the best way
- One pan cleanup — line the sheet with parchment and there’s almost nothing to wash
- Great for meal prep — reheats well and works in salads, wraps, and rice bowls all week
A Note on the Ingredients
The ranch packet is non-negotiable for the version I make. I know some people have opinions about packets — like they’re cheating or something — but honestly, that mix has onion powder, dill, buttermilk flavor, and a bunch of other things already measured out, and I am not making homemade ranch seasoning on a weeknight. Hidden Valley is what I use. I’ve tried the store brand and it’s fine but the flavor is a little flatter. That’s just my experience.
Paprika is the one I tend to be generous with. I usually shake it on until it looks like enough, which is probably closer to a full teaspoon sometimes. It adds color and a little warmth. Not spice, exactly — more like depth.
The garlic powder is mostly there because I put garlic powder in almost everything. You could probably leave it out and it would still be good, but I don’t know why you would.
Olive oil just helps everything stick and browns the edges a little. Avocado oil works too if that’s what you’ve got open.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds raw thin-sliced Chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (I sometimes use a little more — I probably eyeball this)
- 1 packet dry ranch seasoning mix, about 1 ounce
- 1 teaspoon paprika (or close to it — I don’t always measure)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
How I Make It
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. I line my baking sheet with parchment paper almost every time now because I got tired of scrubbing it — the ranch mix can get sticky and dark at the edges, and while it tastes good, it does not look good baked onto a pan. Lightly grease the parchment or just the pan if you’re not using it.
Lay your chicken out on the sheet. The thin slices can overlap a little — they’ll cook down. Drizzle the olive oil over the top, then sprinkle the ranch packet, the paprika, and the garlic powder over everything. I usually do the ranch first because it’s the biggest amount, then the others on top. Use your fingers or a brush to kind of press things in if you want better coverage. Or don’t. It’ll be fine either way.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Pull it out when the internal temperature hits 165 degrees in the thickest part. If the top isn’t as golden as you want, you can flip the oven to broil for a minute or two — I do this maybe half the time depending on how the color looks. Keep an eye on it because it can go from nice and toasty to too dark pretty fast.
And then — this part matters — let it rest for five minutes before you cut into it. I know, I know. You’re hungry and it’s already taken twenty minutes. But just five minutes. It makes a real difference in how juicy they are when you slice them. I used to skip it constantly and wondered why my chicken was always a little dry.
Switching Things Up
If you like a little crunch on top, sprinkle some plain breadcrumbs over the seasoned chicken before it goes in the oven. Just a light layer. It gives you a little texture without turning this into a whole different recipe — and it does look a little fancier.
For heat, add a pinch of cayenne or some crushed red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings. I do this when I know we’re having it over rice, because the rice kind of absorbs the heat in a good way.
If you don’t have ranch mix — or you’ve made this so many times you’re getting bored of it — try Italian seasoning instead, with a little extra onion powder and some salt. It’s a completely different flavor but the same method. I went through a phase where I was doing it that way and adding sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. That phase only lasted a couple of months and I don’t know why I stopped, actually.
One thing I wouldn’t do: swap in thick chicken breasts without adjusting the cook time. Thick breasts need 25 to 35 minutes depending on size, and you run the risk of the seasoning getting too dark before the meat is done. Stick with thin-sliced for this one.
Storing It and Actually Using the Leftovers
This keeps in the fridge for about three days. I put mine in a container with a lid — nothing fancy — and it reheats fine in the microwave if you cover it and don’t blast it on high. Thirty seconds at a time until warm works better than two minutes straight, which tends to make it rubbery.
If I remember to do it (and I don’t always), I’ll slice the leftovers before refrigerating so they’re ready to throw on salads or in wraps the next day. It’s one of those small things that makes the difference between “oh I have lunch all set” and “standing in the kitchen at noon trying to figure out what to do with a whole cold chicken breast.”
I’ve also layered slices on sandwich rolls with mayo and shredded iceberg and called it dinner a second night. No judgment.
Before You Go
Serve this with whatever you have around. Roasted Broccoli is my go-to — I’ll throw it in the oven at the same temperature on a second pan and they finish around the same time. Green beans work the same way. Rice, pasta, mashed potatoes — anything starchy that your family will actually eat.
Oh, and if you’re feeding kids or picky eaters, this one usually lands well because the ranch seasoning is familiar. That’s not a sophisticated reason to make something but it’s a real one.
I make this more than I probably admit when people ask me what I cook for dinner. There’s something a little embarrassing about a five-ingredient recipe being in your regular rotation — like you should be doing more. But some Nights this is exactly what dinner should be. Simple, done, and actually good.
5-Ingredient Oven Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb thin-sliced chicken breasts raw
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus more if needed
- 1 packet dry ranch seasoning mix about 1 oz
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly grease the parchment paper or baking sheet.
- Arrange the thin-sliced chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet, overlapping slightly if needed.
- Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the chicken.
- Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix, paprika, and garlic powder over the chicken.
- Use your fingers or a brush to press the seasonings lightly into the chicken for better coverage.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
- Optional: Broil for 1–2 minutes for a more golden top, watching carefully.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.