Dill Pickle Ranch Smash Chicken Tacos
with Crispy Cheese Lace & Creamy Pickle Ranch Drizzle
Serves: 4 people
Makes: 8 tacos
Time: ~30 minutes
Ingredients
Smash Chicken
1 lb (450 g) ground chicken
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp ranch seasoning mix
1 tbsp olive oil or butter (for cooking)
Crispy Cheese Lace
1½ cups shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
(Cheddar gives more crisp, Colby-Jack melts beautifully)
Tacos
8 small flour or corn tortillas
1 cup shredded lettuce
½ cup diced dill pickles
Optional: sliced red onion or jalapeños
Dill Pickle Ranch Cottage Drizzle
¾ cup cottage cheese
¼ cup ranch dressing
¼ cup chopped dill pickles
1–2 tbsp pickle juice (to taste)
1 tbsp fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)
½ tsp garlic powder
Black pepper to taste
Blend until smooth and creamy
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Pickle Ranch Drizzle
Add cottage cheese, ranch, pickles, pickle juice, dill, garlic powder, and pepper to a blender.
Blend until completely smooth.
Taste and adjust salt or pickle juice.
Refrigerate while cooking tacos.
2️⃣ Prepare the Smash Chicken
In a bowl, mix ground chicken with garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and ranch seasoning.
Divide into 8 equal balls (about golf-ball size).
3️⃣ Cook the Crispy Cheese Lace
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Sprinkle about ¼ cup shredded cheese directly into the pan in a circle.
Let cook until melted and edges are golden and crispy (about 2 minutes).
4️⃣ Smash & Cook the Chicken
Place a tortilla directly on top of the melted cheese.
Press one chicken ball onto the tortilla and smash flat with a spatula.
Drizzle a little oil around the edges.
Cook chicken-side down for 3–4 minutes until golden and fully cooked.
Flip and cook tortilla side for 1–2 minutes until warm and lightly crisp.
Remove from pan and repeat for all tacos.
Assemble the Tacos
Top each taco with shredded lettuce.
Add diced dill pickles.
Drizzle generously with pickle ranch sauce.
Optional toppings: extra dill, onions, or hot sauce.
Tips & Variations
Extra crispy: Use cheddar only for the cheese lace
Spicy: Add cayenne or crushed red pepper to chicken
Low-carb: Use low-carb tortillas
No blender? Mash cottage cheese very well and whisk hard
