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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 looks divine! I will be making it this weekend for my husband and me, with some baby mini multi color potatoes and button mushrooms and possibly Brussels sprouts? I absolutely can’t wait!
Sounds good to me! Let me know how it goes! 🙂 Enjoy!
Out of the world! So delicious and easy to fix. Many thanks for the recipe
You are very welcome, Edith!! 😀 Thanks for your review!
Absolutely delicious! Always trying to find new ways to prepare chicken & I have made this twice. My 21 year old son , was home from college & could not stop telling me how good it was. I served it with mashed potatoes & green beans.
Love that!! 😀 Thank you!
I don’t know if you would know this but does this taste anything like the chicken spinach dish at Plaza Azteca?
Hi! Unfortunately I’ve never been there. Let me know if it does, though! 🙂
It will not take 5 minutes. You lie
It does take about 5 minutes to cut up the bacon. While the bacon is cooking is when you prep the rest, so I count it as a part of cooking time. I can add a note to the recipe card to make this more clear, though.
What a strange thing to say (that it’s a lie it takes 5 min of prep work). I just started cooking this (for the first time), and it took about 2 1/2 min to get my dishes out and put the bacon on the pan. I’m guessing they confused prep time with cook time. But it smells pretty amazing so far!
Hi, will this dish freeze well. It is a yummy dish and I would like to serve it for around 15 people.
Hi Rita! I don’t recommend freezing this one. Creamy sauces don’t tend to freeze/reheat very well, and the chicken is likely to dry out. This one is definitely best fresh.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome! 😀
Turned out amazing. My 2 picky kids compliment it! My older son and husband had seconds. Thank you for a delicious recipe.
I don’t know if I’ll make often because I feel like it’s not the healthiest between the bacon grease and heavy cream. But when I’m looking for something yummy and don’t care about calories or fat percentage I’ll definitely turn to this again.
I had my husband and older son helping me make dinner and it took us quite a bit of prep time as others stayed. But worth the effort and time!
You’re very welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed. 🙂
This recipe is so. . . I can’t think of an adjective good enough to describe it. I added garlic and parmesan cheese and OH My GAWD! Just absolutely beautiful!
Aww I’m thrilled to hear it! 😀 Thank you!
This was an excellent recipe, and I have now made it twice!
The second time I added some chopped fresh tarragon as I have an over abundance in my garden. It was a tasty touch.
A very easy recipe to follow and it turned out really well both times.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Anne!! You might also like my tarragon chicken: https://bit.ly/3JuVqWY
I made it with a few minor personal twists to meet the family’s taste. It was a huge hit! Not only will I be making it again, it’s going into my arsenal for guest meals. I served streamed green beans, a tossed salad, cubed potatoes, and homemade sweet rolls as sides. They complimented the chicken perfectly.
That’s so nice to hear, Joe!! Thank you!