Bacon Ranch Chicken and Rice is an easy, super flavorful, and kid-friendly dinner recipe! Packed full of tender chicken, crisp bacon, ranch seasoning, white rice, and gooey cheese – this one pot meal makes dinner a cinch.
Bacon Ranch Chicken and Rice
One of my all-time favorite things to do is take a classic just like chicken and rice and “revamp” it into something new. There are so many flavor possibilities when it comes to chicken, and this is one of our new favorites! Like most of my one pot recipes this comes together really quickly, with everyday ingredients. This bacon ranch version is full of diced chicken, crispy bacon, onion, garlic, cajun spices, ranch seasoning, and cheese…and of course, rice! It’s a hearty casserole made right in the skillet that’s sure to bring comfort to the kitchen table any day of the week!
Check out more cozy one pot dinner ideas like this Crockpot Cowboy Casserole or Philly Cheesesteak Casserole!
Can I add veggies to this dish?
You sure can! If you want to add something green to this dish try adding in some broccoli florets or peas (fresh or frozen will work!) You could also throw in some fresh spinach. For even more veggie add ins try some carrots and corn. You could even throw in a can of veg-all or a frozen vegetable medley to make things even easier!
How To Make Bacon Ranch Chicken and Rice
- Fry. In a large skillet (or dutch oven), fry up the diced bacon over medium-high heat until cooked through. Remove the bacon from the pan to a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb any excess grease. Drain grease from the skillet.
- Cook. Add the diced onion and chicken, the garlic, cajun seasoning, chicken seasoning, paprika, salt (if using), and pepper. Pour in a splash of olive oil and cook until the chicken is golden brown on all sides.
- Add. Add the rice, ranch mix, and chicken broth to the chicken mixture.
- Boil. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer. Cover and simmer for 17-20 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Stir. Turn off the heat and stir in the cooked bacon along with the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted.
- Serve. Serve while hot with some extra shredded cheese on top and enjoy!
Storing Bacon Ranch Chicken and Rice
Store leftover chicken and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months! Just let it cool completely and store in a freezer safe container. Thaw in the fridge and heat in the microwave or oven until warm.
Ingredients Notes for Bacon Ranch Chicken and Rice
- Bacon – Diced and cooked to your preferred level of crispiness.
- Olive Oil – Just enough so the chicken and onion don’t stick to the pan. Avocado oil also works.
- Onion – One large yellow or white onion, diced.
- Chicken – You want the chicken cut into bite-sized pieces. Get them as close in size to each other as possible to ensure even cooking.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder, Cajun seasoning (I prefer the no salt version), all purpose chicken seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper, and a packet of ranch mix. Although the ranch mix is pretty salty so you could cut out the extra salt completely if you’d like.
- Rice – It’s best to use long grain rice for this recipe, not minute/instant rice. If you use quick cooking rice, it will cook too quickly and become mushy.
- Chicken Broth – I like to use low sodium, but use what you have. Vegetable broth can be substituted in a pinch.
- Cheese – I like to use freshly shredded cheddar cheese because it melts so much smoother than the bagged kind, but you can use what you have or whatever makes this meal easy for you!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Bacon Ranch Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 6 Slices Bacon Diced
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion Diced
- 1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt To Taste
- Pepper To Taste
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Cup Long Grain White Rice
- 1 Packet Ranch Mix
- 2 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through. Remove bacon from pan to a plate using a slotted spoon. Wipe any excess grease from the pan.
- Add the onion, chicken, and seasonings to the pan. Cook until chicken is golden brown on all sides.
- Add the rice, ranch mix, and chicken broth to the chicken mixture.
- Bring mixture to a boil then turn heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 17-20 minutes until rice is tender.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cooked bacon and cheese until melted.
- Serve immediately.
I swapped the ranch dressing with chicken tonight sauce. I used chicken and mushroom . My son doesn’t like rice and he absolutely loved this easy food ?
Would I be able to incorporate ranch dressing instead of a seasoning packet?? ? thanks!
Hello! This sounds fantastic. Is there a modification that i can make it in my instant pot?
I made this tonight and it’s pretty good. I definitely don’t think you need 1 large onion. Next time I make this I will only use half of a medium one. I also add frozen broccoli to mine and enjoyed that. Thanks for the recipe!
Yikes* I only have instant minute rice at home… is there a particular way to cook it so it doesn’t get mushy? Or should I go buy some long grain rice? (:
You can still make it with minute rice, you will just want to use the amount of liquid (broth) and cooking time listed on the package 🙂
Delicious! All five of my kids liked this. Two of them normally won’t eat rice, and they both had a second helping!
This is now on my two week rotation because the fam enjoyed it so much! 3 boys, 4 with the hubs and everyone is happy!
I had A left over garlic/butter rotisserie that needed to be used . The chicken was well seasoned so I omitted the ranch,otherwise I followed the recipe. It was a hit , not to mention fast ! I will be using the recipe as it was written next time !
Would this recipe work well to freeze?
And would it work using whole grain brown minute rice?
I made this for my family tonight and they loved it! Thank you!
Do you happen know what the nutritional values are for this recipe?