Ranch Baked Keto Chicken Thighs

Are all salad dressings keto?

Not all dressings are keto-friendly. Many traditional salad dressings, such as those based on honey mustard, balsamic vinegar, or sweetened dressings, tend to be higher in sugars and carbohydrates, making them unsuitable for a ketogenic diet.

However, there are plenty of keto-friendly dressing options available. These include Homestyle ranch, Keto Italian vinaigrette, jalapeño-cilantro dressing, and more. These are generally higher in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Stuffed with healthy veggies and protein, this chicken thigh recipe might be a mainstay in your keto diet! 

• It is easy and quick to prepare: With just 15 minutes of easy prep time, this recipe is a breeze to put together. Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight family dinner or hosting a gathering, you’ll appreciate how quick it is to make this keto recipe.
• This recipe is versatile: The Ranch Baked Keto Chicken Thighs can be served alongside a variety of side dishes to create a well-rounded meal.
• It’s family-friendly: Crispy chicken thighs with a saucy dressing are a surefire hit for kids and picky adults alike!

If you prefer the convenience of sandwiches made with salad dressing, consider checking out this Caesar Chicken Salad Sandwich recipe.

🥘 Ingredients

You’ll be surprised to know that this easy keto chicken recipe needs just five ingredients!

• Chicken thighs: The bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs ensure a moist and tender final dish, with the skin turning delightfully crispy during baking.
• Parmesan cheese: Grated parmesan cheese adds a nutty and savory taste to the Caesar dressing and the pork rind coating. It infuses the dish with a rich umami flavor, making it irresistibly delicious.
• Caesar dressing: This serves as both a marinade and a sauce for the chicken.
• Sour cream: A key ingredient to enhancing the creamy, rich flavor of the baked chicken thighs.
• Pork rind crumbs: This low-carb ingredient replaces the traditional breadcrumbs, creating the crispiness most of us seek in chicken.

See recipe card for quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

Chicken thighs: For a leaner option, you can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of using chicken thighs. Coat the chicken breast with olive oil to help it retain moisture.

Caesar dressing: While store-bought Caesar dressing is convenient, you can make your own by combining mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic, anchovy paste (optional), lemon juice, and grated Parmesan.

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

Discover exciting twists to this dish to better fit your taste! 

• Spicy Twist: Add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes into the Caesar dressing to spice up the seasoning of your chicken pieces.
• Zesty Lemon: Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the chicken thighs before baking to enhance the tanginess.
• Mediterranean Style: Elevate your dish with flavors from the Mediterranean by adding Kalamata olives, diced tomatoes, feta cheese crumbs, and a dash of oregano. This mix offers an herbaceous and cheesy combination to your juicy chicken thighs.

If you prefer keto chicken recipes with a shorter cooking time, consider making this Keto Instant Pot Queso Chicken instead.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

Everything you need to make this low-carb chicken dinner can already be found in your kitchen. Bring them out so you can cook more efficiently later.

• 9×9 baking dish: Make sure it’s big enough so the chicken in the oven has enough space to cook thoroughly.
• Basting Brush: This tool will be helpful in evenly coating the chicken with the Caesar dressing mixture. 
• Mixing Bowl: You will need a medium-sized mixing bowl to combine the Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese, and sour cream to make a quick and easy keto salad dressing.

🔪 How to Make Ranch Baked Keto Chicken Thighs

This baked chicken recipe needs a little hard work, but the unforgettable taste of the delicious crispy skin on the juicy chicken thighs is worth it.

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Start this easy recipe by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Season the chicken

Season the bone-in chicken thighs with pepper to taste. Place the chicken thighs in one layer in the baking dish.

Step 3: Mix the dressing

Put the Parmesan Cheese, sour cream, and Caesar dressing in the mixing bowl and thoroughly stir until the mixture is all evenly distributed like a cream sauce.

Step 4: Apply the mixture

Spread the mixture all over the bone-in thighs in the baking dish. Make sure the chicken thighs are covered thoroughly.

Step 5: Final touches

Before the chicken thighs are ready to be baked, sprinkle the pieces of chicken with crushed pork rinds to add that extra crunch.

Step 6: Cook the chicken

Place the chicken thighs in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. Return the chicken back to the oven if it’s not yet fully cooked. 

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

• For an incredibly easy boost to the flavor, add the chicken to the Caesar dressing mixture and let it marinate for 30 minutes to an hour before you start to make the keto chicken thighs.
• This chicken thighs recipe features creamy chicken juices, so let it sit after baking to allow the juices to seep into the meat again.
• To get extra creamy chicken thighs during baking, baste them with more dressing halfway through cooking. This will make for a more tender chicken.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Keto Baked Caesar Salad Chicken Thighs:

🛑 Food safety

• Don’t let raw chicken sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Ensure the utensils that touch raw chicken don’t come in contact with other ingredients.
• Wash hands after handling raw chicken to avoid contamination.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.