Tomatillo Ranch Chicken (Printable)
Marinated chicken breasts baked in tangy tomatillo-ranch sauce, finished with cilantro and lime for southwest flavor.
# What You'll Need:
→ Marinade and Sauce
01 - 1 cup tomatillos, husked, washed, and roughly chopped
02 - ½ cup gluten-free ranch dressing
03 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
04 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
05 - 2 garlic cloves, peeled
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
07 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
08 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Chicken
10 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
02 - Combine tomatillos, ranch dressing, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
03 - Place chicken breasts in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Pour half of the tomatillo ranch sauce over the chicken, reserving the remaining sauce for serving. Marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator for deeper flavor.
04 - Remove chicken from the marinade and discard any used marinade. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
05 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the juices run clear.
06 - Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Slice or serve whole, spooning the reserved tomatillo ranch sauce generously over the top. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The tomatillo ranch sauce does double duty as both marinade and finishing sauce, so you get maximum flavor with zero extra work.
- It comes together on a sheet pan in under an hour, which means weeknight dinner never tasted this bold.
02 -
- Never reuse the marinade that touched raw chicken as a finishing sauce, which is why you reserve half before it ever meets the meat.
- The sauce thickens and intensifies in flavor as it sits, so making it a few hours ahead actually works in your favor.
03 -
- Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness before marinating so they cook uniformly and you never end up with one dry end and one undercooked center.
- Roast the tomatillos under the broiler for five minutes before blending if you want a deeper, slightly sweeter flavor in the sauce.