Dill Pickle Ranch Smash Chicken (Print View)

Juicy chicken with ranch and dill pickle, crunchy cabbage, and crispy cheese lace in gluten-free tacos.

# Components:

→ Chicken Filling

01 - 1 pound ground chicken
02 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
03 - 1 teaspoon paprika
04 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
05 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Tacos & Toppings

06 - 8 small gluten-free tortillas
07 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella or Jack cheese
08 - ½ cup chopped dill pickles
09 - 2 tablespoons pickle brine
10 - 1 cup shredded green cabbage

→ Ranch Cottage Cheese Sauce

11 - ½ cup cottage cheese
12 - 1 teaspoon ranch seasoning
13 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the chicken.
02 - Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add seasoned chicken mixture, breaking it apart with a spatula. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a clean plate.
03 - In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, ranch seasoning, and fresh lemon juice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until assembly.
04 - Warm tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat or directly over a gas flame until pliable and warm. Stack and cover with a kitchen towel to maintain heat.
05 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle approximately 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese in a circle slightly larger than a tortilla. Cook for about 2 minutes until melted and golden with a lacey texture. Carefully place a warm tortilla on top, press gently, and cook for 30 seconds. Flip and cook another 30 seconds, then transfer to a plate with cheese side up. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese.
06 - Top each cheese-crusted tortilla with a generous portion of cooked chicken, a handful of shredded cabbage, chopped dill pickles, and a light drizzle of pickle brine.
07 - Add a dollop of ranch cottage cheese sauce to each taco. Serve immediately while cheese is crispy and components are warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crispy cheese lace is addictive—crunchy, salty, and way simpler than it looks.
  • Dill pickle and ranch is that unexpected flavor combo that makes people stop mid-chew and ask what you did.
  • Ground chicken stays juicy without any fussy brining or special tricks.
  • Ready in thirty minutes flat, which means you can actually pull this together on a weeknight.
02 -
  • The cheese lace won't be perfectly round and that's exactly right—craggy, uneven edges actually stay crispier than a smooth circle.
  • Don't flip the cheese lace tortilla too early or the cheese will slide right off; wait for those crispy, golden edges to form and it becomes sturdy enough to handle.
  • Pickle brine is magic in small amounts but overwhelming in large ones—a drizzle is all you need to brighten the whole thing.
  • Cottage cheese sauce must be completely blended smooth or people will see chunks and assume something went wrong, even though it tastes fine; smooth = impressive.
03 -
  • Non-stick skillet is genuinely important for the cheese lace—a regular skillet will stick and you'll lose the lacey structure when you flip.
  • Warm your tortillas right before assembling, not ten minutes early; they firm up as they cool and lose that pliability you need to fold without cracking.
  • If your cheese lace keeps breaking when you flip, your heat is too high or you're flipping too early—medium heat and patience are your friends here.
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