Ranch Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes

Name: Ranch Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs with bone and skin; 1 to 2 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 lb baby red potatoes; 1 lb baby carrots; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 package ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix (1 ounce); 3 cloves garlic (minced); salt and pepper

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Ranch Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes is an easy weeknight sheet pan dinner you can prepare in 10 minutes. A baked healthy dinner that’s simple for busy nights.

Natalie is home for the summer and wants me to come up with some dinner recipes that she could prepare in 10 minutes. Not mediocre recipes, but something she would love and could also make for friends like queso chicken or taco spaghetti. Ranch chicken with carrots and potatoes is a recipe that checks all those boxes.

Regardless of your cooking skills, we all have busy nights when we don’t want to spend time in the kitchen. A chicken sheet pan dinner is just what you need when you don’t know what to fix for dinner. This only took us 8 minutes to prepare with just 5 ingredients.

Ranch chicken is so easy to put together but still has a great flavor and is not your everyday oven roasted chicken. Sprinkling a small amount of brown sugar on the chicken pieces and then adding the powdered ranch dressing, gives it just a slightly sweet and savory flavor. The carrots and potatoes take on the sweet ranch flavor that even your pickiest eater will love.

What you’ll need

Chicken thighs – for the best flavor I use thighs with the skin and bone. You can use skinless chicken breasts but the cooking time will vary so use a meat thermometer and remove them when they are about 160º.
Baby red potatoes – any potato will work but new potatoes and yukon gold are my favorite. For a time saver, buy the mini potatoes and just cut in half, otherwise, cut into 1 inch pieces.
Carrots – you can use baby carrots or regular, just cut into pieces that are about the same thickness.
Dry ranch dressing mix – you need a 1 ounce package or you can make your own ranch seasoning mix.
Pantry items – brown sugar, garlic and olive oil.

I realize that not everyone likes chicken thighs so I’ve made this with a mixture of chicken breasts and thighs. The breasts did’nt have skin so I took them out a little earlier than the thighs and covered them in foil while the thighs finished cooking.

How do you make baked ranch chicken

Step 1: Rub a little brown sugar over the chicken and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Step 2: Add chopped carrots and potatoes around the chicken and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with ranch dressing and bake.

A pan of Ranch Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes before it has been baked

All my taste testers loved this dish and Taylor said she would definitely be making this in the fall when she will be in her first apartment. Another benefit to this recipe is that you can prep it in advance. I wasn’t sure when everyone was going to be here for dinner, so I put it together and placed it in the refrigerator. It only needs to bake for about 30 minutes.

If you are in a time crunch you could do this in the morning, cover it and just take it out when you’re ready to bake.

A piece of Ranch Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes

FAQ’s and tips

Can you use chicken breasts instead of thighs?

Yes, but you will have to adjust the cooking time. If using a mixture. remove the pieces once they have reached 160º and cover with foil while the rest continue to cook.

Can you prepare this in advance?

This ranch chicken recipe can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Do you have to use a rimmed baking sheet?

The chicken will generate a lot of juice so you need a pan with sides. if you don’t have a rimmed baking sheet, then you could bake in a large baking dish.

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