Get my Cookbooks! Creamy Bacon Chicken
This Creamy Bacon Chicken is an easy skillet dinner with flavorful sauce that you can serve with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans. The roux for the sauce is made with bacon drippings, ensuring that there is a presence of bacon with every bite!
Be sure to try my Bacon Ranch Chicken recipe next!
Creamy Bacon Chicken
Anytime I have an opportunity to make a roux with bacon drippings, I take full advantage. It ensures that there is the perfect touch of flavorful bacon with every bite! This sauce is so good over some creamy mashed potatoes or even baked potatoes with roasted vegetables.
See how easy this is to make and be sure to check out my PRO TIPS below!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Cut the bacon into thirds and cook it low and slow in a skillet until crispy. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon drippings and roughly chop the bacon once cooled.
Slice the chicken into 3 thinner slices. Season with salt/pepper and Italian seasonings. Sprinkle and rub with flour. Sear in olive oil for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside.
Add the garlic and bacon drippings to the skillet that you cooked the chicken in. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pan. Add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture in splashes, stirring continuously.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer until it’s near your desired thickness. Reduce heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese if desired.
Add chicken back and spoon sauce on top. Heat through for 5 minutes or so, top with chopped bacon and fresh parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans.
Pro Tips
- Shred the cheese from a block instead of using packaged cheese as it will melt creamier and taste better.
- If using smaller chicken breasts, consider using 3-4 instead of 2 large.
- Consider using low sodium chicken broth to control the sodium content. You can also omit the chicken bouillon but it does add a nice depth of flavor.
- Greens and Beans make a great side dish with this, along with homemade mashed potatoes!
Tips For Searing the Chicken
- Adjust the heat up and down slightly throughout the cooking process for a nice even sear and golden color.
- We want brown (not black) remnants left in the pot. The “fond” left in the skillet gives a lot of flavor to the sauce.
- I would rather cook chicken at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period of time than at a super high temperature that can cause burning and oil splatter. Start at medium -high and decrease heat slightly as needed. You can always increase it again later.
- If the chicken is sticking to the pan, it’s not ready to be moved and is still developing a crispy crust. Allow it to release on it’s own to avoid tearing the surface of the chicken.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- This is the Le Creuset skillet I used in this recipe, (and in 90% of my recipes). It’s pricey, but it conducts heat really well and is oven safe. The size is perfect and the quality is great.
- Kitchen Tongs– makes it easy to handle the chicken when searing and even easier to flip individual mushroom slices as they cook.
- My Favorite Chef Knife
Try These Next
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- Chicken Enchilada Soup
-
- Bacon Ranch Chicken
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- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
-
- Easy Ravioli Sauce
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- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
-
- Bacon Mac and Cheese
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Creamy Bacon Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ chicken bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup heavy cream
Chicken
- 6 strips thick cut bacon, high quality
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- Salt/Pepper
- 6 tablespoons flour, divided in half
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
Prep Work:
- Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Prepare the Bacon:
- Cut bacon into thirds and cook in a large skillet over low heat until crispy on each side. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 3 Tablespoons clear drippings to make the roux. Roughly chop the bacon once cooled.
Prepare the Chicken:
- While the bacon cooks, slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound it to ½ inch thick. Pat it dry.
- Season each side with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of flour and rub it over the surface of each side.
- Heat olive oil in a large, high-walled skillet over medium-high heat. Sear 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside. Wipe any black residue from the pan but leave the brown remnants as this will add flavor to the sauce.
Make the Sauce:
- Add the garlic and reserved bacon drippings to the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in. (Note: 3 tablespoons of butter can be used instead, or a combination of both if you don’t have enough drippings.) Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
- Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. (If you add it too quickly, the roux will “break” and the sauce will be thin.)
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer until it’s near your desired level of thickness.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the parmesan cheese until smooth.
- Add the chicken back and spoon the sauce on top. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or so, uncovered.
- Top with chopped bacon and fresh parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans.
Notes
- Gruyere cheese can be used instead of Parmesan for a little gourmet flair. The cheese can also be left out completely if preferred.
- Consider using low sodium chicken broth to control the sodium content. You can also omit the bouillon but it does add a nice depth of flavor.
- If using smaller chicken breasts, consider using 3-4 instead of 2 large.
- Greens and Beans make a great side dish with this, along with homemade mashed potatoes!
Tips For Searing the Chicken
- Adjust the heat up and down slightly throughout the cooking process for a nice even sear and golden color.
- I would rather cook chicken at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period of time than at a super high temperature that can cause burning and oil splatter.
- If the chicken is sticking to the pan, it's not ready to be moved and is still developing a crispy crust. Allow it to release on it's own to avoid tearing the surface of the chicken.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- This meal does freeze well. I reheat from frozen in the microwave, you can also thaw overnight and reheat leftovers in a lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350 ° for 20-25 minutes.
Made this last night with mashed potatoes and asparagus and it was delicious! My husband and son loved this, especially the bacon 😉
Wonderful! I’m so happy that you loved it Lisa!! Thank you!!
This was fantastic!!! This will be on our monthly rotation
That makes me so happy Shannon, thanks so much!🩷
Can I use better than bullion?
Yes! 🙂 That is what I use to make my broth (1 tsp + 1 cup of water), and for the 1/2 bouillon cube. (1/2 tsp.)
Yum! This was so delicious and it goes perfect with mashed potatoes.
I’m so happy you liked it Alexandra! I agree, mashed potatoes are the perfect side! Thanks for the review!🩷
The sauce is so good with Parmesan cheese mixed in it. I will make this dish again. Thank you.
I’m so happy that you loved it Deb!! Thank you so much for the review, I really appreciate it!! 🙂 -Stephanie
Hello! What can I substitute the chicken bouillon with?
Hi Brianna, the chicken bouillon can be skipped if you don’t have it but I don’t have a substitution option for that. It just adds more depth of flavor 🙂
Made this recipe tonight, my husband and son absolutely loved it! Thanks so much, it will now be a part of my family’s weekly dinner. Yum!
I’m so happy it was such a hit with the family Vanessa, thanks so much for the great review!💖
Loved it. I googled “chicken bacon,” in hopes of using up that which was in the fridge, and this recipe popped up. I pretty much followed the recipe as written except that I doubled the serving size; seemed to convert fine. Thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome Robert, I’m so happy you liked it! Definitely a great way to use up some bacon 😋 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!