This Ranch Grilled Chicken turns out moist, flavorful, and perfect every time. We serve this all summer long, hot off the grill. The ranch marinade adds tons of flavor and moisture to the chicken, helping it stay tender and juicy.
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If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you might have noticed that I have a thing for ranch dressing.
I was born and raised in the Midwest, so basically ranch dressing flows through my veins. Our homemade ranch dressing is legit the best thing ever.
Can’t stop, wont’ stop, sorry not sorry.
Anyway, the weather outside has been glorious and I’ve been grilling every chance I can get. We do a lot of grilled chicken in the summer and this ranch grilled chicken is our go to. I can’t believe I haven’t shared it before now!
You’re going to love how flavorful this chicken is and it’s totally kid friendly – what kid doesn’t love ranch?
Ingredient Notes:
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Chicken – For this recipe I am using boneless, skinless chicken breast. You could also use boneless chicken thighs for this if that’s what you prefer.
Ranch Dressing – While we think our homemade ranch is the best, store bought will work fine too.
Oil – You can use either avocado or olive oil in this recipe. Both are tasty.
Worcestershire Sauce – It doesn’t take much of this sauce to add lots of savory flavor to any marinade!
Buttermilk – It’s going to add even more of that ranch flavor to the chicken marinade and help make the chicken more tender. Make your own buttermilk by adding a splash of vinegar to whole milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. Otherwise, you can just swap this for regular milk if that’s what you have on hand.
Apple Cider Vinegar – This is a great way to add some flavor and it helps to break down the surface of the chicken which tenderizes it and allows in more of the flavor from the marinade.
Hot Sauce – You can use any brand you prefer. We love Frank’s Red Hot! It’s not too spicy so it won’t overpower the ranch flavors in the chicken. The final product will NOT be spicy at all…this just balances the flavors.
We really love the flavors in ranch dressing and it’s perfect as a marinade for grilled chicken.
The ranch flavor is a great way to change up the usual BBQ or teriyaki grilled chicken.
The buttermilk and ACV both work together to help tenderize the chicken so the final product is juicy, tender perfection.
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is fully cooked! Easy for beginners & absolutely worth the low cost. Just stick it in the thickest part of the meat to check for doneness. This thermometer is also magnetic so it’s easy to store right on the side of the fridge or oven for easy access! Get it on Amazon.
How To Make Grilled Chicken With Ranch:
Mix – Whip up your marinade by mixing together some bottled or homemade ranch dressing with a good bit of avocado or olive oil. Seems weird, but trust me.
Add in some buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, parsley, hot sauce, a sprinkle of salt. Whisk well and you’ve got your marinade!
Marinate – Toss your chicken into the marinade and be sure to coat every bit of the chicken.
You can marinate your chicken for anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours. I’m usually not super on top of my game, so the chicken usually gets 30 minutes to an hour in my house.
Grill – Toss the chicken on the grill and cook for 5 minute or so per side, depending on how thick your chicken breasts are. I’ve linked to my favorite meat thermometer above!
We obviously serve with a little extra ranch dressing for dipping, but like I said: ranch dressing flows through my veins. 😉
Ranch Chicken Marinade:
We love the ease and clean up of marinating chicken in plastic bags. Just toss it all in, mush it together, and pop it in the fridge. Couldn’t be simpler!
If you use plastic bags, these little bag holders make it so simple!
Of course, plastic bags aren’t the most environmentally friendly route. You can also marinate your chicken in a glass baking dish or these reusable bags.
What To Serve With Low Carb Grilled Chicken:
Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad: This one goes with anything off the grill!
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese: One of my favs!
Air Fryer Vegetables: So easy to make this in an air fryer for a quick side dish!
Loaded Radishes: If you haven’t cooked radishes before, you have to try these!
Cauliflower Salad: Wait until you see what I load this one up with!
Low Carb Chicken Dinner eBook!
Feeding your family AND sticking to your diet is about to get a whole lot simpler!
Eating low carb doesn’t have to mean cooking one meal for yourself and another meal for your family! With Family Friendly Chicken Dinners, you’ll find 14 of my favorite chicken recipes that the entire family will love!
FAQ’S:
It’ll likely take about 5 to 10 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the chicken and the heat of your grill. It’ll be safe to eat when the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees.
Any leftover chicken can be stored in your refrigerator in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days.
You can freeze this ranch grilled chicken in a freezer safe container or bag for about 3 months! Thaw before reheating in the oven.
MORE RECIPES WITH RANCH FLAVOR!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
- Buffalo Ranch Chicken
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken
- Baked Ranch Chicken Recipe
- Ranch Nuts
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
- Baked Ranch Cheese Ball
- Baked Ranch Pork Chops
Ranch Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Add everything but the chicken to a mixing bowl and whisk well to combine.
- Add the chicken breasts to a 9×13 baking dish or gallon zip top bag and add the marinade. Stir well to coat the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. The longer the chicken marinates, the more flavorful it will be.
- Heat the grill to a medium heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting much of it drip off the chicken, and add it to the hot grill.
- Grill for 5-10 minutes per side, until cooked through, depending on the thickness of your chicken.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Stefanie says
This is marinating as I write this, I can’t wait to try it! The ranch is to die for! May I ask if you think this would work in the air fryer as I don’t have the grill out of storage just yet?
Thankyou so much!
Karly Campbell says
I think that it would, but I haven’t tried it!
EC says
I loved the flavor of this recipe a question could you make this recipe and freeze it before grilling ?
Karly Campbell says
Hello! I haven’t tried this, but I think it would work just fine. 🙂
Sara says
Could I substitute almond milk in place of buttermilk?
Karly Campbell says
Sure! The dressing will be more runny, so you might just add the almond milk until you hit the texture you want.
Sara says
Thanks! I actually decided to use sour cream on a whim and it totally worked. We had this tonight and the flavor is amazing! 🙂
Buffie Davis says
I know this says to grill the chicken but would I still be able to cook the chicken in a skillet or bake it instead?
Karly Campbell says
We’ve only tried this on the grill, but I think it’d be fine in a skillet.
Phyllis Harrell says
Dear Karly: Do you have a recipe for Ranch Dressing? Most commercial ones are made with soy bean oil which I cannot tolerate. Thank you
Karly Campbell says
I sure do! You can find it here: https://thatlowcarblife.com/best-ever-ranch-dressing/
Nancy McKee says
Can you make the marinade and store it i the refrigerator for future use? I think I would love to have this on hand.
Karly Campbell says
Hi Nancy! I think it’d keep fine in the fridge for maybe a week or so. 🙂
Lisa says
Made the Ranch Grilled Chicken and the Cucumber/tomato/feta salad last night. Delish! Did have recipe for each as there is only two of us, and there was still enough for lunch left overs today. Will be trying more of your recipes soon.
Lisa Swanson says
Hi – just found your site, going to try the ranch chicken and cuke/tomato/feta salad tonight (or the lemon caper chicken – can’t decide, I want both). Anyway, looking at the nutritional content of the ranch chicken – is 71g of protein correct? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything this high.
Karly Campbell says
Hi Lisa! That’s based off of 3 pounds of chicken breasts making 6 servings – so about 8 ounces per piece, which is around 70g protein. If your chicken breasts are smaller, the nutrition will differ. 🙂
Hope you give all three recipes a try at some point – they’re all so good! Haha! 🙂
Sue says
Can I use olive oil?
Karly Campbell says
Sure!
Justina Robinson says
I was wondering if you thought after marinading the breast if they could be vacuum sealed and put in freezer for future meals? It’s just me and my husband and I like doing food prep so that we can just pull out make quick dishes.
Karly Campbell says
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would probably work fine! 🙂
Dori says
That sounds amazing!!! Perfect for this weekend !
Tracy says
That looks and sounds so delicious! Instead of just straight ranch, have you ever tried saving a smidge of marinade for dipping prior to adding the chicken? I’m loving all those ingredient components. Can’t wait to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing!!
Karly Campbell says
I have, actually! We prefer the ranch, but the sauce is good too! 🙂