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Creamy Ranch Chicken

Creamy ranch chicken made in one ranch chicken skillet, with juicy chicken breasts simmered in a thick tangy ranch cream sauce. The sauce stays smooth and rich thanks to cream cheese melting slowly, and it pools generously over each piece.
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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: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasoning
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 tsp Salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder to taste
Ranch cream sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, 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
  • 0.25 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 the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden, reaching 165°F in the center; remove to a plate.
Make the ranch sauce base
  1. Cook the minced garlic in the same pan for 30 seconds, stirring to prevent browning. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits.
Thicken the sauce
  1. Stir in the heavy cream and ranch seasoning mix, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cream cheese cubes and stir over medium-low heat until completely 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.
Serve
  1. Garnish with fresh chives and serve hot over mashed potatoes or pasta.

Notes

For the smoothest ranch cream sauce, melt the cream cheese over medium-low heat and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer (avoid boiling). Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently to avoid splitting. Freezing is not recommended due to cream texture. If you need a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half (sauce will be a bit thinner but still tangy).