Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs
I was honored to get a copy of a great new cookbook that was written by my friend Chris from Nibble Me This. It’s called The Kamado Smoker & Grill Cookbook and it’s filled with mouth-watering recipes, excellent photos, and great tips about smoking and grilling food.
I decided on making baked ranch chicken recipe and adapted it to work with what I had on hand. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, I reduced the marinade in half because I only cooked 5 thighs, and I used homemade seasoned salt (because I didn’t have any). I let the chicken marinate for 6 hours and cooked one side on the stovetop until it was nice and brown then placed it into the oven for 25 minutes. The chicken was AMAZING! This was one of my very favorite marinades ever and I will be putting it in my regular rotation. My son ate all of his chicken before anything else on his plate and said it was the best. The rest of us were impressed with the excellent flavor as well as how juicy and tender it was. This chicken paired beautifully with the Sliced Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad with Basil and Shaved Parmesan and brown rice I served it with.
How to Make Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs
If you don’t have seasoned salt on hand, click here for a quick and easy recipe.
Combine the buttermilk, Greek yogurt, salt, seasoned salt, turbinado sugar, minced garlic, minced onion, black pepper, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl. Add the canola oil while whisking until well incorporated. Place the chicken thighs into the marinade and seal with plastic wrap. Place into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to cooking.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat some olive oil in an grill pan or OVENPROOF cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
Flip the chicken over and place it into the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Place onto a serving plate, drizzle with the sauce from the pan, and sprinkle the top with fresh cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Equipment
- Oven Proof Grill Pan or Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 2 tsp turbinado sugar
- 2 tsp sweet yellow onion minced
- 1 large clove of garlic minced
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Zest from 1 small lemon
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)
Instructions
- If you don't have seasoned salt on hand, click the link up above for a quick and easy recipe.
- Combine the buttermilk, Greek yogurt, salt, seasoned salt, turbinado sugar, minced garlic, minced onion, black pepper, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl. Add the canola oil while whisking until well incorporated. Place the chicken thighs into the marinade and seal with plastic wrap. Place into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to cooking.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat some olive oil in an OVENPROOF cast iron skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Flip the chicken over and place it into the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
- Place onto a serving plate, drizzle with the sauce from the pan, and sprinkle the top with fresh cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
They look fingerlickingly delicious, Pam. Love the buttermilk marinade.
Looks delicious Pam and you can’t go wrong with a Chris recipe – I just posted one of his this morning as well. I’ve not seen the book yet but since he often uses his Kamado as an oven, I can imagine many recipes that can be done in the oven.
You are one smart lady – take the cookbook to someone with a smoker and grill, so he can try out the recipes, and you can bring your book home with you! This chicken looks wonderful.
I have been a huge fan of Chris’s blog and recipes for years (thanks to a link from your site) and I am so happy for him and his success. I ordered his cookbook, but haven’t had time to make any of his recipes from it yet. Thank you for “testing” this recipe, Pam! It looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
My favorite part of the chicken. The marinade looks perfect for this dish.
just tried this recipe and loved it though my cooking time in the oven was more like 15 minutes. You talk about pouring the sauce from the pan over but I didn’t end up with any sauce. Should I have cooked all the marinade with the chicken? I had thought that would stop it browning but maybe not?
True,
I had a bit of a sauce leftover in the pan after baking – from a bit of marinade and meat juices. Not much but enough to drizzle all over the chicken.
Pam
Chris is such a rockstar! I don’t doubt that these were AMAZING.
I am curious about the book, can you tell me how can I get a copy of it? I love cooking and I really wanna try cooking unfamilliar recipes. I want my family to savour a new taste everyday. Actually I have a collections of cookbook, the first book I have is Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays, it is the best seller book last 2013, and having this is an honor. Btw, kindly send me the details of where I can get the copy of it. Thanks =)
Head over to Chris’s site… Nibble Me This and you will be able to order his excellent cookbook.
Pam
Hi @Pam. Thanks for the response, I will check his blog immediately. BTW, you’ve got a great blog. I’m very sympathetic to food bloggers ’cause I am one.
I am so humbled by your comments, Pam! It’s funny, we bloggers by nature are a narcissistic bunch by definition. I mean, we think our cooking is so good that we need to share it with the world, right? But I almost can’t bring myself to read about my book because I’m bashful about it. Weird, right?
Can I marinate overnight?
Christy,
I’ve only marinate for about 8 hours so I am not sure if the buttermilk would break down the meat or not. If you go ahead and try it, please let me know how it turns out! This is one of my favorite chicken recipes.
Cheers,
Pam
Can I use bone-in thighs??? If so, what difference will it make in cooking time? This looks and sounds like a wonderful meal. I love thighs.
Thanks, Jan
Janet,
Yes – I would cook them for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until juices run clear.
Pam