Add A Packet Of This Iconic Seasoning For Fried Chicken Packed With Flavor

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Do you love preparing simple fried chicken at home but wish there was a convenient way to imbue this classic American food with more concentrated flavor? While you can certainly add varied amounts of five or six dried seasonings to your dredging flour or breadcrumbs, consider using a packet of dried ranch seasoning instead for an all-in-one, flavor-loaded upgrade. Since you can easily make unforgettable Alabama-style BBQ chicken with a packet of this flavorful seasoning, using it to enhance your next batch of pan- or oven-fried chicken is just as simple. What's more, you can use powdered ranch to enhance fried chicken in more ways than one.

Whether you're using Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing and Recipe Mix or another variety from your neighborhood grocery store, powdered ranch seasoning contains ingredients like dried buttermilk and various spices like onion, garlic, dill, and salt, which conveniently gives plain chicken a brighter, more impactful flavor. In terms of preparation, start by using this versatile seasoning to create an easy marinade. Simply cover raw chicken pieces in buttermilk and a portion of your seasoning packet (assume 1 ounce of seasoning for 10 pieces of chicken) in a resealable plastic bag. Then all you need to do is marinate your chicken for up to 24 hours prior to cooking.  

You can also add some of this seasoning to your dredging flour or breadcrumbs for a more flavorful coating. Just combine 1 ounce or so of seasoning with either ingredient, then coat each piece of chicken evenly before frying.

Another way to season fried chicken with powdered ranch is to add some directly to each piece of meat after frying. As soon as you remove the hot chicken from your frying pan, simply sprinkle on some dried ranch powder. Because fried chicken is both moist and hot immediately after frying, the powdered seasoning will absorb and almost melt into the chicken's hot and crispy skin. You can even spice up the flavor of your store-bought ranch by using a jalapeño-flavored ranch seasoning packet or adding some cayenne pepper to the mix.

Aside from adding ranch seasoning directly to your chicken, you can also use it to make a creamy, bright-tasting dipping sauce. For a thicker sauce, mix some ranch powder into a few spoonfuls of sour cream. Or, for a thinner sauce better for dipping crispy pieces of fried chicken, add dried ranch to combined buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, and a small amount of mayonnaise.

All in all, while there are plenty of ways to flavor fried chicken with dried ranch seasoning, be mindful of how much you're using to upgrade your go-to fried chicken recipe. In most cases, you only need a small amount to elevate the flavor of this signature dish. Also, because most varieties of dried ranch contain salt, you may not need to season your fried chicken with any other spices besides this flavorful, all-in-one solution.