Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! His favorite food was fried chicken, but I’d like to think he’d be a fan of this dish, too. 😊 Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken is SO easy and packed with flavor! You can use boneless/skinless breasts or thighs and your favorite shredded or sliced cheese. I used mozzarella on this batch, but it tastes as great with an Italian blend, smoky provolone, or even a Mexican blend. Use what you have on hand. I’ve not tried it with Parmesan, but imagine it would be equally delish. 😋
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken Tips
To keep your chicken breasts as juicy and tender as possible, filet them like you would a butterflied beef or pork tenderloin, but cut each piece all the way through. That’s easiest accomplished by using partially frozen breasts. Trim away all the fat, lay the chicken breast on its edge. Cut straight down the middle using a steady sawing motion with a sharp carving or filet knife. However, be very careful not to cut your fingers!
And don’t be afraid to add more ranch dressing to the chicken than the pictures show. Marzetti’s Classic Ranch dressing is preservative-free and only has 1g carbs per serving! These images are from the first time I ever made this dish. Additionally, you can put the bottle on the table and let your diners add more to their individual servings.
(Images are from 2 different pans. 🙂 )
Created by Melissa Woolard | Culinary Craftiness
Ingredients
- 4 boneless/skinless filleted chicken breasts or 8 thighs
- 1 lb. bacon
- Salt & pepper
- Smoky Hungarian Paprika
- Ranch dressing
- 2 cups shredded or sliced mozzarella or smoky provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- For easier clean up, line a large jelly roll pan with foil. Spray with cooking oil.
- Lay chicken pieces out on pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides. Squirt or spoon ranch dressing on top of each.
- Cut strips of bacon in half and lay 2 or 3 pieces on top of each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with more paprika.
- Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until bacon is crispy. Remove from oven and top chicken with approximately 1/4 cup of shredded cheese or break sliced cheese pieces in half and pile on.
- Return to oven for 7-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- Serve with more ranch dressing, if desired.
To sum it up, boneless-skinless chicken breasts are one of the most versatile meats that goes well with a variety of applications. For example, the flavor profile of Keto Green Chili Chicken is completely the opposite of Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken. Both are fantastic and easy for weeknight’s, as well as fancy enough to wow dinner guests. And perfectly keto if you’re keeping to a low carb eating lifestyle! So serve it with riced cauliflower and butter broccoli for a deliciously filling meal!😃
Happy eating!
