Description
Easy cheesy bacon ranch chicken bake recipe—juicy chicken breasts loaded with creamy cheese and crispy bacon. Perfect low-carb dinner!
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
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4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
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1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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1 tablespoon butter
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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total), pounded to ¼-inch thickness
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Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
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½ teaspoon garlic powder
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½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
For the Ranch Cream Cheese Topping:
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4 ounces cream cheese, softened
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¼ teaspoon garlic powder
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¼ teaspoon onion powder
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¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
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½ teaspoon dried chives
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4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (yellow, white, or a mix)
For Garnish:
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Chopped fresh parsley
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Sliced green onions
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
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In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Remove from skillet and set aside, keeping the bacon grease in the pan.
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Add vegetable oil to the skillet with the bacon fat. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
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Cook chicken in the hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, until golden. Flip, add the butter, and cook for another 2 minutes until browned.
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Transfer the browned chicken to the prepared baking dish.
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In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, and chives until well combined.
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Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture over each chicken breast.
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Sprinkle half of the cooked bacon on top of the cream cheese layer.
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Top each piece with shredded cheddar cheese.
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Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
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Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining bacon, parsley, and green onions.
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Serve warm.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 servings
- Calories: 524 kcal
- Sodium: 668mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 37g
- Cholesterol: 161mg