Bacon Ranch One Pot Chicken and Rice – The easiest and most flavorful chicken and rice recipe ever! Packed full of juicy chicken, crisp bacon, ranch, rice, and gooey cheese!
I’m back with another amazingly crave-worthy chicken and rice recipe! You guys have gone crazy for my Creamy Parmesan One Pot Chicken and Rice so it was time to mix it up with another fun recipe. 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!
Bacon Ranch One Pot Chicken and Rice:
Like most of my One Pot Recipes this comes together really quickly, with everyday ingredients, using only one pan. This dish is full of diced chicken, diced bacon, onion, garlic, ranch seasoning, and cheese…and of course, rice!
I typically dice up my bacon first. While that is cooking, I can give it a stir every once in a while and prepare the chicken and remaining ingredients.
A note, I like to use freshly shredded cheddar cheese. I find that it melts in so much better than the pre-shredded bagged stuff. Of course, you can use whichever you have readily available.
Tips for Making Bacon Ranch Chicken and Rice:
- You will want to use a large (12 inch) skillet that has a lid for this recipe. Or, you can also use a good sized pot or dutch oven with a lid.
- The first step is to cook your bacon. We like our bacon a little more on the crispy side, but, you can cook it to your preference. Then, remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate for later and wipe any grease from the pan.
- It is 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. Any long grain rice will work!
- Most of the cooking time for this one pot chicken and rice is completely hands off! You will have downtime of 17-20 minutes while the rice and chicken cook. I use this time to make a simple side salad or some green beans to go along with this dish.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Bacon Ranch One Pot 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.
Can you use rotisserie chicken for this? Or boiled? I am not confident cooking chicken on the stovetop. I always undercook or overcook. Thank you!
Hi! Yes, you can definitely use any pre-cooked shredded chicken. Just stir it into the dish at the end since it’s already cooked, no other changes needed 🙂
This is my favorite meal to make after a long work day. Super simple and easy, usually have most of the ingredients in my pantry. This is such an amazing recipe thank you!
Yummy stay at home comfort food.
Adding sour cream and pepper flakes.
It’s going to rain today so this comfort dish will be a wonderful. Sigh!
Super delicious! I would double it for a family bigger than 4. We ate it with pineapple on top and it was super good.
I added spinach
Ever try adding sausage – I would like to avoid another run to the store.
I think sausage would be great! 🙂
Absolutely wonderful. Smelled so good cooking. My husband and kids can’t get enough.
Used Pepper Jack Cheese and threw in a small can of diced green chilies for a Southwest Twist! Yummy!!
Wonderful quick meal that every one loves.
I HAVE MADE IT SEVRRAL TIMES EACH TIME IT TURNED OUT PERFECT.
Thank you
This sounds wonderful! I’ve been looking for more rice dishes to help stretch the grocery budget a bit, and this sounds like a candidate for August. I may use my own seasoning blend instead of the ranch mix, however—husband isn’t a fan. But still, bacon-y, chicken-y, CHEESE-Y goodness??? Sign me up!
Delicious, fast, and amazingly convenient. Made this with canned chicken by adding the broken up chunks with the broth, ranch mix, and rice. I highly recommend eating this with some hot sauce! Love this blog so much!!