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This creamy bacon chicken recipe is a decadent and delicious dinner that’s easy enough for a weeknight and tasty enough for company. It’s ready in about 30 minutes!
You may also like my Creamy Bacon Pork Chops or Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta next.
Why you’ll love it
I probably don’t have to convince you too much, but chicken with bacon and cream is a great combo! The chicken is pan-fried until golden brown on the outside. When you take a bite, it melts in your mouth. And the bacon… well, it makes everything even better.
My vegetarian sister actually came up with the idea for this creamy chicken recipe, and you’ll be glad she did. It’s simple comfort food with few ingredients, and the technique is really easy. The creamy bacon sauce is so good that family and friends will lick their plates clean!
What you’ll need
- Bacon – the star of the sauce! We’re also browning the chicken in bacon grease to make it extra delicious.
- Chicken – we’re using two chicken breasts cut lengthwise into four thinner cutlets. They stay more tender and cook faster this way.
- Flour – for dredging and getting that gorgeous golden crust
- Garlic powder and pepper – seasoning the cutlets directly infuses lots of savory flavor
- Chicken broth – the base of the sauce
- Lemon juice – a touch of brightness to balance out the sauce and make it less one-dimensional
- Butter and heavy cream – this duo makes the sauce luxurious and buttery
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- An instant read thermometer is the best way to ensure chicken isn’t overcooked or undercooked. You want that perfect 165F.
- I like this butter dish to store my butter in since it has handy markings for measuring where to cut, and this airtight container is ideal for storing bacon.
- This Le Creuset skillet is the one I use, and this Lodge skillet is a budget-friendly alternative.
How to make creamy bacon chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut up the bacon, and fry until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, leaving behind some of the fat. Meanwhile, cut the chicken in half, then season with garlic powder and pepper. Dredge in flour. Brown the chicken, then transfer to a plate.
Add the broth, lemon, and butter to the skillet. Let it reduce by half. Stir in the cream. Once bubbling, return the chicken and bacon, and simmer until it’s cooked through and the sauce has thickened up as desired. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like.
Pro tip
Depending on how deep of a sear you get on the chicken, the sauce may be lighter or darker in color. That’s totally fine!
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream for something with a lower fat content because the taste, richness, and texture just can’t be matched, and it’s also less likely to curdle. Half-and-half will yield a watery sauce, and coconut milk will alter the flavor.
- You could try chicken thighs, but you will have to adjust the cooking time as needed. They may take a little longer.
- Throw in a handful of spinach near the end of the cooking time for a pop of freshness!
What to serve with bacon chicken
- Complement this chicken with some vegetables to balance the creaminess. Try my Easy Roasted Green Beans or Easy Roasted Cauliflower.
- The sauce is scrumptious over a pile of Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Roasted Red Potatoes. Pasta works too, as does rice. My Stick of Butter Rice is a fun way to change it up.
- Craving a salad with it? My Homemade Italian Dressing is the perfect pairing.
Leftovers and storage
- If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat over a low heat (slowly) in a saucepan until warmed through.
- I don’t recommend freezing creamy chicken recipes.
More easy chicken recipes
If you made this chicken with a bacon cream sauce, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Creamy Bacon Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Flour for dredging
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
Instructions
- Cut the bacon up and add it to a skillet (I use kitchen shears to make this job quick). Fry it over medium-high heat until crispy (about 10 mins). Once the bacon is done, take it out of the pan and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
- Meanwhile, prep your chicken (cut it in half lengthwise so you have 4 smaller cutlets). Sprinkle them with the garlic powder and pepper and then coat them in the flour.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook it in the remaining bacon fat over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes/side or until it's golden. If it starts to splatter a lot, reduce the heat. Once the chicken is browned, take it out of the pan and set it aside.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and butter to the pan. Let it bubble until it's reduced by half (about 3-4 minutes).
- Stir in the cream and once it starts to bubble, add the chicken and bacon back into the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce has reduced to your liking.
Notes
- The 5 minutes of prep time is to cut up the bacon, and I count the rest of the prep time within cook time as it’s done while the bacon is cooking.
- I suggest using fairly large boneless/skinless chicken breasts for this recipe since we’re cutting them in half lengthwise. If you have smaller chicken breasts, use 4 of them and leave them intact.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on July 31, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
This was delish. I didn’t have heavy cream but had Mexican crema left over from taco night. Was a hit will keep in my rotation. Thank you for sharing
I’m so happy you enjoyed it and it worked out w. the crema.
Yeah I guess you’re right sorry I will edit my recipe rating to 5 stars instead of 4 a lot of people may just like the base recipe and not want to add all of the extra salt and Seasonings I even added the Hidden Valley ranch seasoning this time as a reviewer did and it was delicious.
It’s all good! I love Hidden Valley Ranch. 🙂
It’s a pretty good base sauce, added a partial pack of hidden valley ranch seasoning because it’s a little bland. After that and some more pepper, it was great.
This recipe is awesome. Super easy to make and pairs wonderfully with some angel hair pasta and a side of peas. Highly recommend!
Note: I added half a small white onion (diced) and two clove of crushed garlic before adding the wets. Cooked until the onions were barely translucent and the garlic got some color. Sent the flavor through the roof!
Thank you so much!!
Absolutely delicious! My whole family loved it! Served it over bow tie noodles with roasted veggies on the side. My new favorite recipe! Thank you!
Fab!! Thank so much! 🙂
Not sure what happened to mine, but the cream sauce was very greasy. The flavor was good but I felt like I was eating chicken with bacon grease over it.
Hi Gail! Did you remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan? That’s just enough to get a good sear on the chicken without the sauce being too greasy. If you did that step then I’m not sure what would’ve gone wrong unless the sauce separated or something. Hmmm…
Phenomenal recipe! Made this tonight- didn’t dredge in flour because I didn’t have any, but still turned out incredible! Served it with a side of cauliflower mash. Will be adding this to my regular meal planning!
Thanks so much! 🙂
Amazing. Wouldn’t change a thing. Made steamed asparagus on the side, drizzled in the bacon sauce. I literally licked my plate clean.
That’s great to hear!! Thank you! 🙂
I made this tonight for date night in and holy smokes it is so good! My husband is the pickiest of eaters and he loved it! Thanks so much 🙂
Fabulous!! That’s great to hear.
I am just getting into cooking and this was easy and delicious! I felt very fancy making it so thank you! Followed the directions and added green beans at the end 🙂
Excellent!! 🙂 I’m so happy you found it easy to make.
Can I use cream cheese instead?
You could try, but it might be a bit dry… you may need to add more liquid if needed. And possibly turn down the heat until you can really mix the cream cheese into the sauce (make sure it’s very soft first). Let me know if you try it!