This Grilled Ranch Chicken will be the star of your next BBQ with its bold, smoke-kissed flavor and enhanced juiciness thanks to a secret ingredient. Plus you’ll love how quickly this 3-ingredient main comes together.
I happily grill chicken all summer long, like it’s going out of style. It’s such an easy protein to grill (really!) and is the perfect flavor vehicle. When I want simple, bold, and predictably delicious, it must be Grilled Ranch Chicken. It only requires 3 ingredients - chicken, a Ranch seasoning packet, and my secret ingredient to imparting flavor (quickly!); dill pickle juice!
Dill pickle juice makes THE BEST brine, especially for this Easy Grilled Ranch Chicken recipe, because 1) it’s in your fridge, ready to go, and 2) the dill flavor is complementary to ranch seasoning, because dill.
I’m using 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast here, but feel free to use other cuts. And the ranch seasoning? You already know. Hi, HVR fan here (Hidden Valley Ranch). You can, of course, feel free to use whatever ranch seasoning you’d like - you’ll need about 2 tablespoons.
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Don’t be Afraid to Grill and Serve Chicken!
Let’s address the pink elephant in the room/blogosphere. I know plenty of people who are either hesitant to prepare chicken for others or straight up avoid doing so. The obvious fear here is accidentally getting your guests sick - the fear of salmonella is strong, and rightfully so. Educate yourself with a visit to the USDA poultry preparation page to brush up on safety protocols because knowledge is power! And confidence-building.
Salmonella aside, the next biggest fear is serving up dry chicken. But I got you covered here! A quick pickle-brine beforehand aids with moisture retention, as does removing your chicken from the grill when it hits an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
So don’t be afraid to grill and serve chicken! Brush up on your safe raw chicken handling skills. Then practice with this Grilled Ranch Chicken recipe - you’ll get to enjoy the delicious results while nailing down some simple techniques to ensure moist grilled chicken - every time you make it!
How do you make Grilled Ranch Chicken?
Assemble your three ingredients and let’s get ready to grill some easy, super delicious ranch chicken breasts.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 3 chicken breasts)
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice (I used Claussen)
- 1 (1 ounce) package Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
- Cooking spray
Instructions
Note: The Grilled Ranch Chicken recipe instructions provided below are for gas grilling.
Place a chicken breast on a cutting board. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the thickest part of the chicken out until you achieve a uniform thickness throughout. This will ensure even cooking on the grill. Repeat with each chicken breast.
Add the chicken breasts to a plastic bag, along with ¼ cup of pickle juice. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and use your hands to help evenly distribute the seasoning over each piece of chicken through the bag.
Let the chicken marinate in the ranch pickle juice mixture for 30 minutes - 1 hour; that’s all the time you need!
Preheat your grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (a mediumish heat setting).
Spray your grill grates liberally with cooking spray, then add each chicken breast. Put a lid on it. Grill for 5-6 minutes per side, flipping once in between. Toss leftover marinade.
Total grilling time will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are - cook to an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove from the grill. Carryover cooking will take care of the rest.
Let the Grilled Ranch Chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting or serving.
Hint: Oil your grill grates well before adding the chicken to the grill or it will stick.
Substitutions
This Grilled Ranch Chicken recipe is about as easy as it gets, but you can make a few adjustments, suggested below.
- Dill pickle juice - It MUST be dill pickle juice. Other than that, you are open to using whatever brand you like (I prefer Claussen myself).
- Ranch seasoning - I usually have HVR dry seasoning packets on hand, but use whatever brand you’d like. Or, make your own! Please note that you need to use dry seasoning here, and not bottled dressing.
- Chicken - Chicken breasts can wind up dry on the grill, but the pickle juice brine gives it a leg up on juicy results. Go ahead and use any skinless cut of chicken you’d prefer - around 2 pounds is perfect for 1 dry ranch seasoning packet. If you’re preparing more chicken than that, double or triple the recipe.
Variations
Give your Ranch Grilled Chicken a twist with these suggested variations.
- Spicy - Add a pinch or two of chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to heat things up.
- Garlic-ier - Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the Ranch seasoning to make it garlic-forward.
- Other types of Ranch - Try out other variations of Ranch seasoning, like Spicy Ranch or Fiesta Ranch.
Serving Suggestions: What to Serve with Grilled Ranch Chicken
Serve up sliced Grilled Ranch Chicken breasts solo, or use it to make fantastic sandwiches or tacos; like these Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos. Or maybe even keep that grill fired up and make yourself a Grilled Chicken Quesadilla.
If you’re looking for some complementary sides, try pairing with Grilled Spinach, Cruciferous Crunch Salad, Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip, Simple Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, and Ranch Cheesy Potatoes with Hash Browns (go Ranch or go home!).
Equipment
Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover Grilled Ranch Chicken breast in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Top Tips for Juicy Grilled Chicken Breast
My best tip here is to marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes - 1 hour before cooking. You don’t need to marinate for any longer than that as the pickle juice brine penetrates flavor quickly.
My other best tip is to pound the chicken breasts out so they are a uniform thickness. This means even cooking.
My other other best tip is to remove your chicken from the grill when the internal temperature hits 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, the USDA wants you to cook it to 165, but let carryover cooking take care of that. Leaving your chicken on the grill until you hit 165 risks the outcome being dry/overcooked chicken.
Easy Grilled Ranch Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 3 chicken breasts)
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice (I used Claussen)
- 1 1 ounce package Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Note: The Grilled Ranch Chicken recipe instructions provided below are for gas grilling.Place a chicken breast on a cutting board. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the thickest part of the chicken out until you achieve a uniform thickness throughout. This will ensure even cooking on the grill. Repeat with each chicken breast.
- Add the chicken breasts to a plastic bag, along with ¼ cup of pickle juice. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and use your hands to help evenly distribute the seasoning over each piece of chicken through the bag.
- Let the chicken marinate in the ranch pickle juice mixture for 30 minutes - 1 hour; that’s all the time you need!
- Preheat your grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (a mediumish heat setting).
- Spray your grill grates liberally with cooking spray, then add each chicken breast. Put a lid on it. Grill for 5-6 minutes per side, flipping once in between. Toss leftover marinade.
- Total grilling time will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are - cook to an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove from the grill. Carryover cooking will take care of the rest.
- Let the Grilled Ranch Chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting or serving.
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