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.
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.
FAQ’s and tips
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.
This ranch chicken recipe can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
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.
More quick and easy dinners
- Barbecue biscuit cups
- Smashed burgers
- Southwest chicken and rice
- Chicken with tomatoes and mozzarella
- Sun dried tomato chicken
- Chicken taquitos
- Quesadillas
Ranch Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes
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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or spray with cooking spray.
- Pat chicken dry and salt and pepper. Rub a little brown sugar on both side of each piece of chicken, working it under the skin. Place on rimmed baking sheet.
- Scrub carrots and potatoes. Cut potatoes into quarters and place on rimmed baking sheet along with carrots in a single layer.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with ranch dressing and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place in oven and cook until internal temperature is about 160º, about 30 minutes.
- If you want to use breasts and thighs, you may need to remove the breasts earlier and cover with foil while the thicker pieces cook.
Video
Notes
- You can leave out the brown sugar all together and still have delicious chicken.
- If you want to use a mixture of chicken pieces, just adjust the cooking time.
- This is great for leftovers, and freezes well.
- If you don’t want to use packaged ranch make your own seasoning.
Nutrition
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! I would love to see your creation.