Crunchy Monterey Ranch Unfried Chicken
A lighter, healthier way to enjoy all the best parts of fried chicken: salty, well-spiced crunchy coating, juicy, tender insides. Plus, there’s MUCH less mess and time involved with this process – win-win.
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 TBSP olive oilÂ
- â…” cup panko breadcrumbs
- â…” cup Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 heaping TBSP ranch seasoning/salad dressing mix (such as Hidden Valley Ranch)
- 4 chicken breasts
- 6 to 8 tsp plain yogurt
- Salt and pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.Â
- In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, panko, jack cheese, and ranch seasoning; stir until everything is moistened.Â
- Put the chicken breasts on a cutting board and pat them dry with paper towels. Set a piece of plastic wrap over top and, using a heavy-bottomed glass or pan, pound them to half of their original thickness. Season generously with salt and pepper. Spread each on one side with some of the yogurt. Mound the ranch/panko mixture on top of each chicken piece, using the yogurt like glue. Press firmly so the mixture adheres!
- Carefully transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and golden brown; 12 to 15 minutes.Â