Summer is my least favorite time of the year to cook dinner. Something about it still being light out at 9pm makes me want to stay outside for hours. And that doesn’t bode well for cooking dinner every night. I feel like I’m confined in a cage when I’m inside cooking and everyone is outside enjoying the weather. While I try to cook outside on the grill as often as possible, sometimes it’s simply unavoidable and I wind up the lone survivor in the kitchen.
On those nights, I try to cook the quickest meal possible. This is one of those meals, made even faster if I do the prep work of cutting the chicken and bacon in advance so I can just toss it in the skillet. And I almost always have some Paleo Ranch Dressing on hand, so it’s one less thing to have to prepare.
There are two ways to make this dinner: paleo or primal. We are not hard and fast on the no-dairy rule in paleo. We avoid nearly all dairy, but on occasion we will eat some cheese or use butter in cooking. It does not have any ill effect on our bodies and we eat it in moderation. Some meals are very hard for me to make without adding some cheese and this one just needs it. Though it is actually pretty delicious without it too, I just love that extra cheesy punch. But please leave it out if you are strictly no dairy and don’t worry about how it will affect the taste, I promise it’s still great.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Skillet
There are two ways to make this dinner: paleo or primal. We are not hard and fast on the no-dairy rule in paleo. We avoid nearly all dairy, but on occasion we will eat some cheese or use butter in cooking. Feel free to leave out the cheese if dairy bothers you. It's all good.
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless
- 12 Slices Uncured Bacon
- Paleo Ranch Dressing, as much or as little as you want
- Grass-Fed Cheddar Cheese, optional, if you're not dairy-free
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears (easiest method) or a knife, cut bacon into small pieces, about 1/2" pieces.
- Place bacon in a large, cold cast iron skillet. Turn heat up to medium and let the bacon pieces cook while stirring occasionally. Cook until it's almost completely cooked, but not too crispy. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- While the bacon is cooking, trim the fat from the chicken and cut into bite-size pieces. I love using kitchen shears for this too. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Go a little light on the salt since the bacon will likely be salty enough.
- Add the chicken to the skillet after removing the bacon and cook in the bacon grease left in the pan. Cook until no longer pink. Remove from heat.
- Add the bacon back to the skillet and gently stir to mix the bacon and chicken.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese (if using) on top. Drizzle ranch over the top.
Notes
- Nutritional Facts do not include ranch or cheese, as those amounts will vary based on personal preference.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6Amount Per Serving Calories 394Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 211mgSodium 825mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 45g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate
David
Monday 24th of July 2017
The Ranch dressing recipe no longer exists.
Kendra Benson
Monday 24th of July 2017
The recipe is still there, but the link was incorrect. I've fixed it, so you should be able to get to the recipe now. Thanks for letting me know.
Amanda
Thursday 22nd of September 2016
We made this for dinner tonight and it is AMAZING!! I added broccoli florets after cooking the chicken, covered, and cooked for 8 minutes. Then did the rest of the recipe. This is truly loved by our whole family. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe:)
Jessica House
Tuesday 28th of April 2015
I put it over Quinoa. It was tasty!
Sarah Thompson
Saturday 6th of December 2014
We eat this one at our house all the time! Love the new recipe layout too.
Rob Benson
Thursday 4th of December 2014
Love this and we don't make it nearly enough.