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Creamy Ranch Chicken

Creamy ranch chicken skillet with juicy chicken breasts in a thick, tangy ranch cream sauce. You’ll sear the chicken for golden color, simmer until saucy, then melt cream cheese for a smooth, pool-worthy finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasoning
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
Ranch sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
  • 4 oz cream cheese cubed
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 0.5 fresh chives for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear until golden, 5-6 minutes per side, reaching 165°F in the center, then remove to a plate.
Build the ranch base
  1. Cook the minced garlic in the same pan for 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant with no browning. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up browned bits.
Make the creamy ranch sauce
  1. Stir in the heavy cream and ranch seasoning mix, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir over medium-low heat until fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
  2. Stir in the dried dill. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon sauce over each breast, and simmer for 3 minutes.
Garnish and serve
  1. Garnish with fresh chives and serve right away with mashed potatoes or pasta. Spoon extra ranch sauce over the top so it pools around the chicken.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the sauce at a gentle simmer after adding cream cheese and heavy cream so it stays smooth instead of breaking. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of broth or cream. Freezing isn’t recommended because the ranch sauce may separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce cream cheese to 2 oz for a thinner, less rich sauce.