Ranch Crusted Fried Chicken

For anyone who reads this blog regularly, you will know that fried chicken is basically a staple in my house.  We have several different recipes with different seasonings and different kinds of bread crumbs, but hardly a week goes by that we don't eat some kind of fried chicken at least once.



When Aaron and I met he had an extremely limited diet.  I know what you're thinking, Isn't his diet still pretty limited?  You're right, but he is getting better, and he has significantly improved since the first time I cooked him dinner.  No, when we met Aaron would barely eat anything besides pizza, chicken quesadillas from Taco Bell, Kraft spaghetti dinners (the one in the green box), Velveeta shells and cheese, and fried chicken (tenders, nuggets, country fried chicken with gravy).

So obviously I would make plenty of fried chicken because it makes him happy.  This particular fried chicken is coated in a mixture of bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese (I used fresh grated Romano tonight because I had it in the fridge), and ranch dressing seasoning.  The coating is crispy and the chicken is juicy.  You could use homemade ranch seasoning if you like, but I just bought a packet.

Since I only fed 2 (2 1/2) people I only made half of the recipe, but the amounts I included are the same as for the full recipe.  The amount of breading this recipe makes is just perfect for the amount of chicken.  You'll be worried you're going to run out, but you won't, and you also won't feel like you wasted a ton of ingredients.

I enjoyed this chicken very much, but Aaron went crazy over it.  He's the authority on fried chicken in this house and he says, "Thumbs up, make it again."  I think I will.

Ranch Crusted Fried Chicken

Source: Love, Pomegranate House via Pinterest

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
1 oz packet ranch dressing mix
5 Tbsp butter, divided
6 chicken breasts

In a shallow bowl melt 1 Tbsp of the butter.  In another shallow bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, and ranch dressing mix.  Stir with a fork to combine.  Heat the other 4 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Dip the chicken in the butter, then coat with the bread crumb mixture, and place in the hot butter in the pan.

Cook on medium to medium-low heat until the crust is browned and the chicken is cooked through.

I cut my pieces kind of small so mine cooked in about 5 minutes per side.

Once the chicken is cooked place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

Serve warm and enjoy!