Skip Salt And Pepper: Add A Packet Of This Seasoning To Fried Chicken For 10x The Flavor

Many home cooks' pantries are like Aladdin's cave when it comes to ways to add flavor to dishes. That jar of nutmeg? It's brilliant for amping up sausage gravy, while a slick of hoisin sauce puts a new spin on your roasted pumpkin. Of course, the dish many of us love to play around with is fried chicken, and ranch seasoning is among our go-to methods for getting both the meat and the crispy breading full of oodles of flavor. In other words, you get two bites at this particular cherry, because you can use the same packet in the marinade and the coating.

Whatever you're soaking the chicken in before it's cooked, it's worth being generous with your ranch seasoning when dosing it into the marinade. That way, the blend of bright, earthy, and savory herbs and spices can really get to work on the meat and skin. Sprinkling ranch seasoning into the dry coating as well doubles down on the flavors infused into the meat, resulting in fried chicken that tastes amazing with every bite.

Pairing ranch seasoning and fried chicken will deliver 10 times the flavor, but it's also worth noting that many packet mixes are heavy on the salt and MSG. A tiny bit of the latter can give you gourmet chocolate chip cookies, but if you're watching your sodium intake, bear in mind a mere quarter teaspoon of store-bought ranch seasoning can have around 60 milligrams of salt.

We have Steve Henson to thank for the culinary gift that is ranch seasoning and dressing. He came up with it while working in Alaska in the 1950s and took the developing recipe for a blend of herbs, buttermilk, and mayonnaise with him to his ranch in California. Henson sold packets of ranch seasoning until the Clorox company bought the business in 1972. The first bottles of ranch dressing appeared in stores around a decade later, eventually becoming the country's favorite condiment.

You can make your own ranch seasoning at home by mixing up pantry staples such as dried dill, parsley, and chives with onion and garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. But why mess around trying to get that inimitable ranch taste right when you can just rip open a packet? Even better, add some buttermilk and mayo to the mix, and you can use the dressing as a marinade for fried chicken too, dolloping a reserved amount on the finished chicken.

The array of herbs in ranch seasoning are perfect for other dishes, too. Add a little to chips and dips for a sparkling snack combo, and know that it's brilliant for giving steamed or roasted veggies a little extra kick. Next time you make mashed potatoes with tinned cannellini beans, pop in a little ranch seasoning to make them even tastier. You can also use ranch seasoning in stews and soups, but if you're making croutons for the latter dish, sprinkle some on the bread for the tastiest crunch.