You guys! This Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken checks off all of my dinner recipe must haves:
- Delicious (obviously)
- Goes great with mashed potatoes
- Kid friendly
- Reheats well
- Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside chicken
Basically it is the perfect weeknight or weekend meal that the whole family will enjoy. It isn’t complicated and doesn’t require slaving over the stove for hours. It isn’t my quickest meal, but it certainly is well worth the couple extra minutes it takes to put together.
The Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken starts with a nice bath in melted butter and dredge in breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and ranch seasoning mixed together. Next I put the breaded chicken right into my favorite cast iron skillet and lightly browned each side. To ensure the chicken was cooked through I popped it in the oven for a couple minutes, then added the bacon and cheese at the end and melted it in the oven for a couple additional minutes.
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken Tips and Tricks
One thing that I hate when eating chicken is if the chicken is thick. It creates the opportunity for weird texture and unbalanced flavor (one side is super tasty and the thick side lacks flavor). I’ve posted about this a few times before, so I’m sorry if I sound like a broken record!
To ensure you get a nice and crispy crunch full of flavor in every bite I recommend slicing your chicken in half length wise. This will obviously make your chicken thinner, but then you can also use a meat tenderizer to pound your chicken thinner as well. I did both when preparing the chicken and this is my most important chicken tip with all chicken recipes.
As I mentioned, I browned my chicken in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, I recommend using something that is non-stick or making sure your pan is well oiled if you are using stainless steel. After each piece of chicken was cooked I took a paper towel and wiped off the inside of the skillet to ensure no burnt breadcrumbs would transfer to the next piece.
I used a Simply Organic dry ranch dressing mix for this recipe. You can certainly substitute your favorite brand. Let me know how it works with other brands in the comments!
Prep Time:
Print
PinDescription
Winner winner! This Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken is a family favorite. All the best flavors in one meal. A crispy, flavorful chicken breast topped with cheddar cheese and bacon. Serve with mashed potatoes and your family will love you!
Ingredients
4-6 Tablespoons butter (melted)
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon salt
6 strips cooked bacon
1-2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
Instructions
Melt the butter in the microwave. Preheat skillet or pan on low with a coating of olive oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium sized bowl mix together breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, ranch seasoning, and salt.
Prepare chicken as mentioned above in tips and tricks if desired.
Dip each chicken breast in the melted butter, followed by the breadcrumb mix. Place each piece of chicken in your skillet to brown, cooking about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking dish. Bake chicken for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with bacon and shredded cheese and return to oven for an additional 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
