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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.
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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!
Loved this, so yummy even my picky eater loved it. I only had maple bacon on hand but oh my I will make it with the maple again but i will double the sauce. We had it over rice. Thank you for such a quick and easy dinner.
So happy you and your picky eater enjoyed it! Thanks, Jeanne!
This was SO spectacular!! I followed it exactly as written except I doubled the sauce since everyone was raving about it! And then I added some Parmesan cheese because I didn’t wait long enough to let it get to the thickness I wanted (I had already put the chicken back in the pan). And also I didn’t have any fresh parsley and I didn’t want to go to the store because I had everything else I needed. I actually just chopped up some fresh rosemary I had growing. This recipe is so simplistic but yet so elegant. I would definitely serve it to guests. And I was actually watching Monday Night Football so I didn’t have all of my attention on the meal and it still turned out amazing! I have posted so many of your recipes lately…thank you!! I absolutely LOVE one pot dishes! And so does my daughter since her chore is doing the dishes. Thank your sister for making you come up with a Touchdown!! 😂
I’m thrilled you enjoyed this so much, Debbie! 🙂 My sister liked this comment haha.
This was so amazingly delicious!!! I served it with melt-in-your-mouth potatoes. They’re our favorite potatoes but this sauce took them even further over the top!!!! The sauce is amazing! I will be making this again for sure.
Excellent!! 🙂 Glad it was a hit, Dani. Those potatoes sound good too!
This was so easy and delicious. Even my picky 10 year old liked it. Thanks for the recipe!
That’s great!! You’re welcome! 🙂
Had to try this for supper tonight and it was a hit! Great recipe!
Thank you very much, Paulette!! 🙂
This looks delicious and can’t wait to try it
Hope you love it! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Delicious! Made it tonight and loved it. The flavors are awesome and it is definitely comfort food! Yum!
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for your review!
So easy to make with ingredients that I had already available! This was delicious and my family loved it!!
Excellent! Glad it was a hit!
I followed the recipe exactly as written. Sauce was perfect! My family loved it. Will definitely make again
Yay!! Glad you liked it, Katie!
Can I use 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy whipping cream?
I don’t recommend it. There’s a chance it may curdle. If you do, I’d definitely cook it on a lower heat than suggested. The sauce may not thicken as well either.