Easy creamy bacon ranch chicken bake recipe with juicy chicken, melted cheese, and crispy bacon – perfect for low-carb and keto meals.
4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total), pounded to ¼-inch thickness
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
For the Cream Cheese Ranch Topping:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon dried chives
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (white or yellow)
For Garnish:
Chopped fresh parsley
Sliced green onions (scallions)
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon pieces and set aside, but keep the bacon fat in the skillet.
Add vegetable oil to the skillet with the bacon fat and heat.
Season the pounded chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika on both sides.
Working in batches if needed, place chicken breasts in the hot skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip the chicken, add butter to the skillet, and cook for another 2 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet.
Arrange the cooked chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, and dried chives. Mix well until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture evenly over each chicken breast.
Sprinkle half of the crispy bacon pieces over the cream cheese topping.
Top each chicken breast with shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Remove from oven and garnish with the remaining bacon, chopped parsley, and sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
A delicious, low-carb, and keto-friendly chicken dish featuring tender chicken breasts with a creamy ranch-flavored cheese topping and crispy bacon bits, baked to perfection.
Find it online: https://www.joyliciousrecipes.com/crack-chicken-recipe/