This Bacon Ranch Chicken has juicy chicken smothered in a zesty ranch sauce with crispy bacon and diced green onions! This dish pairs well with mashed potatoes and green beans!
Cut the bacon in half and place it in a deep 12-inch skillet. Cook it slowly over low heat until crispy on each side. Reserve the drippings and set aside. Roughly chop once cooled.
Cut the chicken in half lengthwise to create two thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and use a meat tenderizer to pound it to 1/2-inch thicken. Pat dry, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, then with Italian seasoning. Use a pastry brush to brush each side with bacon drippings.
Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside. Wipe away any dark spots from the skillet.
Add the sauce. Gradually bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the chicken along with any juices from the plate. Spoon the sauce on top. Cover partially and allow it to heat through for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven broiler to 400°F (or a low broil).
Top the chicken with shredded cheese and sprinkle the chopped baconover the dish. Transfer to the oven for 2 minutes, or just until the cheese is melted. Watch it carefully during this time.
Important! Be sure to get Ranch seasoning mix for this recipe, not Ranch dip mix, they do taste differently and have different uses. I use 2 tablespoons, slightly less than a 1 oz. package to ensure the sauce isn't too salty.
If you're not a ranch lover- don't worry. Ranch seasoning adds a lot of zesty, savory flavor to this sauce, but it doesn't make it taste like bottled ranch dressing.
Cream of Chicken Soup: For ultimate flavor, make this using my Homemade Cream of Chicken recipe. You can freeze it for future recipes, 1 batch is the equivalent of 2 cans. You'll never use a can again!
Sodium- Consider using low or no sodium cream of chicken soup to control the salt content in this recipe if preferred.
Shred your cheese from a block for best results, it will melt and taste better than packaged shredded cheese. I love using Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese.
Make sure you add the cheese over low heat, if the base is too hot, the dairy will separate and the consistency will be gritty. This goes for all sauces and soups.
Chicken: If you are using smaller chicken breasts, you can use 4 instead of 2 for this recipe.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do freeze and reheat well!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.