Now that you have your ingredients ready, let’s dive into the steps for making this delightful Bacon Ranch Chicken. It’s as easy as pie, and I promise you’ll feel like a culinary superstar!

Step 1: Cook the Bacon
In a large, oven-safe skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and set it on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat in the skillet.

Step 2: Sear the Chicken
Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high. Place the chicken in the hot bacon fat and sear for 4-5 minutes per side, until a beautiful golden-brown crust forms. The chicken will not be cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.

Step 3: Build the Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 60 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape all the delicious browned bits from the bottom. Whisk in the ranch seasoning until dissolved.

Step 4: Create the Creamy Base
Add the cubed cream cheese and whisk continuously until it has completely melted into the sauce and the mixture is smooth. Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the heavy cream and sour cream until everything is well combined and the sauce is creamy and uniform.

Step 5: Combine and Simmer
Return the seared chicken and the cooked bacon to the skillet, nestling the chicken into the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of each breast. Let it simmer gently for 5-7 minutes, allowing the chicken to finish cooking and the flavors to meld.

Step 6: Add Cheese and Finish
Preheat your oven’s broiler. Sprinkle the shredded Colby Jack or cheddar cheese evenly over the chicken. Transfer the oven-safe skillet to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and slightly spotted with brown.

Step 7: Garnish and Serve
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (the handle will be hot!). Let it rest for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives or parsley and extra crumbled bacon. Serve immediately, spooning the abundant creamy sauce over the top