Tomatillo Ranch Chicken (Print version)
Juicy chicken breasts marinated in tangy tomatillo and ranch, baked until tender and garnished with cilantro.
# What you'll need:
→ Tomatillo Ranch Marinade and Sauce
01 - 1 cup fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and roughly chopped
02 - 1/2 cup gluten-free ranch dressing
03 - 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
04 - 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
05 - 2 garlic cloves, peeled
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Chicken
10 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
02 - In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos, ranch dressing, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
03 - Place the chicken breasts in a large bowl or resealable zip-top bag. Pour half of the tomatillo ranch sauce over the chicken, reserving the remaining sauce for serving. Seal and marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 2 hours for deeper flavor.
04 - Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off, and discard the used marinade. Arrange the chicken in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
05 - Bake on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165°F and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
06 - Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Slice or serve whole, spooning the reserved tomatillo ranch sauce generously over each portion. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro if desired.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The sauce pulls double duty as both a marinade and a finishing drizzle, so nothing goes to waste.
- It genuinely tastes like you spent hours, but the blender does almost all the work in under five minutes.
- Gluten free without any awkward substitutions, which means everyone at the table can eat without questions.
02 -
- Never reuse the leftover marinade from the chicken bag as a sauce because it has been in contact with raw poultry and is not safe.
- Letting the blended sauce sit in the fridge for an hour before marinating deepens the flavor dramatically as the garlic and cumin meld with the tomatillo acidity.
03 -
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before marinating so the thin ends do not dry out while the thick centers finish cooking.
- Blend the sauce a day ahead and let it chill overnight because the flavor transforms from good to unforgettable with a little patience.