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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!
Made it for teatime meal absolutely beautiful went down a treat with everyone. Thank you
That’s great! Thank you for letting me know, Sean!
Added a little parmesan to the sauce to thicken it up a bit. Served over roasted potatoes, it is delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
Made as per the recipe and it was delish! Thank you!
Wonderful!! 🙂
Delicious! Pretty quick & easy to make. We had it with baby potatoes & vegetables but would also have it with rice.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I found this recipe on the fly, I was short on time, and this sounded perfect for an Easter dinner. I did stray a bit and I’m pretty sure it tasted nothing like yours, but the base of it is yours! 🙂 I put this over “RightRice – Garlic & Herb” (rice made from vegetables) the whole thang was mindblowing. Thank you for the recipe & inspiration!
I didn’t have cream and the only garlic powder I have on hand also has thyme in it…([…] is cleaning out my cupboards well.) I used a cup of sour cream, 1/2 block of cream cheese, and a cup of whole milk (similar to my alfredo sauce base). I also omitted the butter, looking at the pan I felt there was more than enough bacon grease to suffice and eventually ‘soak’ up the dairy (used 6 thick-cut slices). As for the thyme, that definitely added a dimension to the sauce.
FYI – I have no affiliation with RightRice, but it was on sale at Costco when the […] hit the wall and they were out of regular rice. It is an AMAZING sneak for veggies – only down side is that it’s high in sodium, but with a dish like this one, who’s counting! 😉
Hi Hillary! I’m so pleased you were able to use the recipe as a base and tweak it. 🙂 Thanks for leaving me a comment! (I edited your comment because bloggers have been told that using buzzwords surrounding the current events can negatively impact our Google ranking so I’m not taking any chances).
I made this meal for my family this past Easter and it was an instant hit! They have been begging me to make it again so, tonight I think I’ll make it over some angel hair pasta. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for leaving me a comment! 🙂
This is going to be our Easter dinner with a side of mashed potatoes and sautéed zucchini. I haven’t made it yet, but based on the reviews I anticipate a 5-star rating. I just so happen to have all the ingredients on-hand. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe! Happy Easter!
Happy Easter! 🙂 I hope you enjoy it, Rhiannon!
This came out delicious!, quick and simple and yet packed with flavor!
Will definitely make it again, my family enjoyed it very much!
That’s what I like to hear! Thanks for letting me know 😀
Sooo good! The only things that I did differently were that I brined the chicken for about an hour in a simple salt brine (4 cups water, 1/4c. salt) before cooking and cut the breasts up into several smaller pieces while it was cooking (mostly because it was taking too long to cook the chicken and I was impatient).
My husband is a picky eater and raves about this. I could audibly hear him say, “Oh my god” from the dining room when he tried the first bite!
I’m so glad it was a hit!! Love the brining idea.
My whole family loves this delicious recipe! It’s definitely became a fave! I know it dosnt take long to cook but I’m wondering if there’s a way I could make this in my crockpot? I’ve looked for simulate recipes but none sound as good or have the same ingredients.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! Hmm… I don’t think it would work in the Crockpot unfortunately. Cream just doesn’t seem to do too well in there, unfortunately. I see it separating and/or getting weirdly watery.
Thank you! That’s what I was worried about I didn’t know if it would be possible 🙂
No worries! 🙂 Never hurts to ask.
Will it be ok if I don’t add lemon juice?
Yes! It just adds a little acid to balance it out, but it’ll be fine without.
Hi, have made this many times, and all family love it. 1st time I made it only had pancetta cubes not bacon, so used that, and I always use that now. Thanks for the recipe.
Excellent… pancetta is a great swap! So glad you enjoy the recipe. 🙂