Tiana Walters My first time making a Chicken Bacon Ranch anything! Chicken Bacon Ranch has a cult-like following. It makes sense the flavors of these ingredients are oh-so-great combined, and funny how oh-so American! My Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake has incredible texture and flavor. Deeply roasted and pillowy potatoes, crispy almost burnt bacon, and darkly seared chicken bites with ooey gooey cheese, ranch drizzle, and green onion on top! YES PLEASE! I added potatoes to make it a fuller meal, and I served with a side of roasted broccoli (because this dish definitely needs some green.)
My Oh My….can’t believe it took me this long to make a Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake something. I’ve indulged in a Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake pizza… but this satisfied my junk food craving without the junk food hangover.
Lately, I have been falling off the gluten-free, dairy-free, whole 30 wagon. I’ve been enjoying food and not feeling guilty about it. But I will say my body is having some reactions, sleep sucks and energy is zero. After Halloween, I plan on doing a mini Whole 30 before Thanksgiving. This time of year is especially hard to squeeze in anything and make it work with all the excellent food, drinks, and parties happening.
The shortlist of ingredients made me want to execute things properly. So to enhance flavor, I cooked everything separately. I know crazy! Like Tiana, why do you have so much time, and do you like to clean all those dishes? I don’t know…nothing is every simple with me. Also, at the time of making this recipe, I was cooking multiple meals, so every appliance was already going so ey why not?
Now I haven’t tried it but I’m sure you could throw is all in a casserole dish and roll out. But I did make it as easy and time saving as possible by using the oven to cook the bacon and potatoes together. While that cooks you would cook your chicken in a pan. Then throw all that together with cheese on top and bake till melty!
You do you! Let me know in the comments below what you think! Am I crazy, and is this too complicated, or do you not mind? Would you like more recipes like this?
Want a more relaxed chicken dinner, check out my Chicken Bruschetta
Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 package bacon
- 5-6 small red skin potatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp ranch seasoning
- 4 oz colby jack shredded
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp paprika
- grape seed or avocado oil
Instructions
Prep:
- Trim and cut chicken up into 3/4 inch pieces.
- In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp high heat oil, 1 tbsp ranch seasoning, and 1 tbsp white vinegar. Add chicken to bowl and toss to combine. Let bowl sit out on counter top and marinate for 5-15 minutes.
- Cut potatoes into small home fry sized quarters.
- Add potatoes to a bowl. Toss in oil till coated then add 1/2 tbsp ranch seasoning and 1/2 tbsp paprika, combine.
Two Methods For Chicken Bake Ranch Bake:
- At this point you have two options – you can throw everything together in a casserole dish (cheese and bacon on top) then bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so. I have not tried this method! Or you can do what I did, cook things separately, then finish it all of in the oven. To me this enhanced the flavor ten fold. Deeply roasted potatoes and seared crispy chicken bites yum yum!! But ya…sometimes you just don't have time or the will power to clean!
So you are going to be cheffin it up tonight and everyone will praise you!
- Line a baking pan with foil and lay out bacon. Put in COLD oven, and then preheat to 400. Set timer 20 mins.
Two Options with Potatoes:
- Line a casserole dish and lay out potatoes in a single layer. Once preheated throw potatoes in the oven.
- Air Fryer Potatoes – 380 for 20 mins, shake at 10 minutes.
- Timer goes off bacon should be done (we want them almost burnt). Toss Oven Potatoes around so they don't stick and cook in 10 minute intervals until crispy and brown.
Ranch Chicken Bites:
- Preheat pan on med-high heat. Once pan is hot add chicken. Sear on each side 3 minutes until dark and cooked through.
Final Steps:
- Combine chicken, and 1/2 of the bacon into the casserole dish with you potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 10 mins at 350.
- Once cheese is melted let cool. Sprinkle green onions and the rest of the bacon on top. Drizzle ranch or put on the side for dipping. Serve!
