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These crispy, baked Rice Krispies Parmesan ranch chicken thighs are tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Best of all, the easy dinner comes together with just 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep!
There are endless ways to prepare chicken thighs — from marinated and grilled to roasted or slow-cooked — but sometimes you just might crave the crispy, rich decadence of a classic fried chicken recipe. Today I’m sharing a version that you can feel good about! This oven-fried ranch chicken starts with boneless skinless chicken thighs that are coated in crushed Rice Krispies cereal, Parmesan cheese, and ranch dressing mix. They’re baked in the oven until golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside — no skillet frying necessary. Everyone loves crispy ranch chicken!
Ingredients for Crispy Ranch Chicken
This is just a quick overview of the 5 basic ingredients that you’ll need for a pan of crispy ranch chicken thighs. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: these stay tender and juicy in the oven — even if you overbake them slightly! That said, you can substitute with boneless skinless chicken breast if you prefer. See those instructions in my notes below.
- Rice Krispies cereal: the secret ingredient that yields super-crispy, crunchy crust on this oven-fried chicken.
- Parmesan cheese: for rich, salty, cheesy flavor that pairs nicely with the ranch seasoning and helps the breading brown in the oven.
- Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix: you just need a packet of the dry seasoning — do not prepare the dressing.
- Butter: melted butter helps the breading adhere to the chicken, adds flavor, and prevents the meat from sticking to the pan.
How do you use ranch powder?
For this recipe, you just need a packet of dry Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning powder — you do not need to prepare the ranch salad dressing. It’s a convenient blend of herbs and spices, which seasons the meat with bold flavor.
Can you use ranch dressing instead of ranch seasoning for this baked ranch chicken recipe?
No, you only want the dry seasoning for this recipe. Ranch dressing would make the breading wet and soggy, instead of the dry, crispy, golden brown exterior that we’re going for!
How to Make Ranch Chicken
Baked chicken thighs are an easy and affordable dinner option for busy families. Best of all, you only need 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep time! The complete instructions are included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Trim the chicken thighs and pat them dry.
- Prepare the melted butter in a shallow bowl. Stir together the Rice Krispies ranch breading mixture in another shallow bowl.
- Dip the chicken in the butter, and then coat the top of each thigh with the breading.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
- Sprinkle fresh herbs over top for a bright, colorful garnish.
Serving Suggestions
Dip the crispy breaded chicken thighs in honey mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce, or Ranch dressing. Ranch chicken goes well with just about any of your favorite sides, too. Here are some delicious recipes:
- Hush Puppies
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Hoe Cakes
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, or Honey Cornbread
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, 4-Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Pumpkin Spice Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Cheddar Chive Beer Bread (No Yeast, No Knead) or Honey Beer Bread
- House Salad with Candied Pecans, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, a Classic Caesar Salad, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or a Wedge Salad
- Easy Potato Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon
- Charleston Red Rice
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Cheese Grits
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
Storage
Leftovers will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To reheat the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place ranch chicken on a baking sheet and warm just until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high. Be aware that reheating the cooked chicken may dry out the meat or result in soggy breading, so it’s best when served fresh.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of chicken thighs, use boneless skinless chicken breast. To do so, pound the chicken breast to uniform thickness (about ½-inch thick). Bread the chicken cutlets as instructed, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Use crushed Corn Flakes, potato chips, or Ritz crackers to bread the chicken instead of the Rice Krispies.
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half and just bake four chicken thighs. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Drizzle honey and/or hot sauce over the cooked chicken for a nice sweet and spicy flavor boost!
- Add cayenne to the breading to make it spicy, add a dash of garlic powder or onion powder for even more flavor, or use Italian seasoning for an extra boost of herbs. Homemade ranch seasoning is a fine substitute for the store-bought packet.
- Instead of melted butter, use mayonnaise to help the rice krispies adhere to the chicken.
Tips for the Best Ranch Chicken Recipe
- I prefer to only coat the top side of the chicken with the Rice Krispies mixture, so that the bottoms don’t get soggy.
- Butter the chicken on all sides, since it adds flavor to the meat and prevents the bottom of the chicken thighs from sticking to the pan.
- Use a large rimmed baking sheet rather than a baking dish. The baking sheet allows heat to circulate around the meat a bit more, yielding crispy (not soggy) chicken.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your meat is perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F.
More Easy Ranch Chicken Recipes to Try
Ranch Chicken Tacos in a Crock Pot
4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Parmesan Ranch Chicken Tenders Recipe
30 minutes mins
Rice Krispies Parmesan Ranch Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 ½ lbs. total)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal, very lightly crushed
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 (1 ounce) packet Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, chives, or other herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to trim any excess fat from the chicken. Pat the chicken dry; season lightly with salt and pepper (don’t use too much salt, as the breading has a good amount of salt as well).
- In a shallow dish, combine cereal, Parmesan, and Ranch seasoning mix.
- Place the melted butter a separate shallow dish.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken in the melted butter and turn to coat on all sides. Shake off any excess butter, and then press the top of the chicken thigh into the cereal mixture, pressing to coat.
- Arrange the chicken on a large baking sheet. Use your fingers to press a little bit more of the cereal mixture onto the top of the chicken, if you like. Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Notes
- Instead of chicken thighs, use boneless skinless chicken breast. To do so, pound the chicken breast to uniform thickness (about ½-inch thick). Bread the chicken cutlets as instructed, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- I prefer to only coat the top side of the chicken with the Rice Krispies mixture, so that the bottoms don’t get soggy.
- Butter the chicken on all sides, since it adds flavor to the meat and prevents the bottom of the chicken thighs from sticking to the pan.
- Use a large rimmed baking sheet rather than a baking dish. The baking sheet allows heat to circulate around the meat a bit more, yielding crispy (not soggy) chicken.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your meat is perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! My son has a wheat allergy and we’re always looking for new recipes he can try too. I can’t wait to try this one!
You’re so welcome, Geri! We hope you enjoy it.
Hi, I’m going to try this breading on boneless pork chops too. I normally use “Oven Fry”, but this much better! Thanks.
My husband raved the recipe! Totally enjoyed it! Can you make this in the air fryer vs oven??
We’re so glad, Silvia! We haven’t tested it in the air fryer, but it should work. Please let us know how it goes if you try it out!
Made this dish tonight, it was very good, wife loved it!! Definitely will be doing it again!!
Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much, Jim! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Rave reviews from my hubby. He even called his daughter and read her the recipe!
We’re so glad it was such a hit!
I used breasts cut into small pieces. It was delicious. My hubby doesn’t like thighs or whole breast pieces. It came out like soft popcorn chicken and he loved it!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kimberly!