This Bacon Ranch Chicken Cheese Dip is the chicken dip you need for every football party and tailgate. Serve this chicken ranch dip with corn chips for the ultimate crowd pleaser.
One-pot
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: Why searing chicken in bacon fat is key
Worth It: Guaranteed hit that disappears before you know it
Bonus: Easy to customize
Celebrate football sunday with this creamy chicken ranch dip
I am growing to love football and I have always LOVED the snacks that people serve during football games especially the dips. I could make a full meal out of just different appetizers and I would be very happy.
I’m especially fond of warm dips cooked in a cast iron skillet like this bacon ranch chicken cheese dip. All of the ingredients are prepared right in this skillet.
They are then mixed together in that same skillet and baked until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
You might have heard of this dip as crack chicken dip before. That is because it is truly addicting!! Make this for a crowd of guests for the big game and see how quickly it is devoured.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this dip hot from the oven. Garnish the top with some green onion, parsley, or fresh dill and some of the leftover crispy pieces of bacon.
I like to use fritos, tortilla chips or celery sticks for dipping, but there are so many amazing options for this chicken cheese dip. For a low carb option serve this dip with a bowl of cut veggies like bell peppers or broccoli florets.
To make your spread a little fancy, serve this dip with crostini that you toast in the oven with a bit of olive oil and salt. It is also delicious spooned on top of a buttery ritz cracker.
Serve it warm or cold!
I prefer to serve this dip warm out of the oven, but it also works as a delicious cold chicken dip. On a busy game day it may be easier to prepare this ahead of time and serve it cold!
Instead of baking it with an extra layer of cheese on top, just bake it without the extra cheese and allow it to cool completely. Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Serve it with crisp cold veggies like carrot sticks or ritz crackers.
Ingredients
- Bacon – cut strips of bacon into thin pieces and then fry until extra crispy. You will mix some of this into the dip and sprinkle some of it on top after cooking.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – to cut down on the total time you can use a rotisserie chicken and shred the breast meat. Then you wouldn’t need to sear it just mix it into the baking dish.
- Ranch dressing or dip seasoning packet – I like to use the Hidden Valley Ranch dip seasoning, but you can also make your own ranch seasoning blend.
- Sour cream – Use greek yogurt in place of the sour cream to add a little extra protein to this dish.
- Cream cheese – I use a brick of cream cheese, but you could also use a tub of whipped cream cheese. It will mix into the sauce easier.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Mix shredded cheese into the warm crack chicken dip and sprinkle it over top for a super cheese dip.
Ingredient Substitutions
Feel free to use precooked bacon crumbles in this chicken bacon ranch dip. I prefer to use fresh bacon because then I can sear the chicken breasts in the warm bacon grease for added flavor.
You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Just be sure to use about a pound worth of meat either way.
To save time you can use a rotisserie chicken instead of raw boneless skinless chicken breasts. Shred the meat off of the breasts of the rotisserie chicken and skip the steps for preparing shredded chicken breasts.
Instead of the store bough ranch dressing mix you can make your own ranch seasoning mix at home. Use about 1oz worth of the homemade blend in place of the seasoning packet. I do not recommend using liquid ranch dressing.
In place of the cheddar cheese you can use mozzarella cheese or any other stringy shredded cheese that melts easily.
Add a little spice to this chicken dip recipe by mixing some hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the dish. Just be sure to taste as you go because the spice will increase as the dish cooks!
How to make
Step 1: Brown the bacon
To begin, preheat the oven and cut bacon strips into smaller pieces. Then, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until it is golden brown and crispy (Image 1).
This will take about 7 minutes. Saute the bacon frequently to avoid burning. Turn the heat off and remove the bacon from the pan and the majority of the bacon grease (Image 2).
Step 2: Sear the chicken breasts
Next, return the heat to medium and carefully place chicken breasts in the pan. Cook the chicken breasts for 8 minutes on each side or until they are cooked all the way through (Image 3). The internal temperature should be 165F.
Check that the chicken is cooked all the way through with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165F.
Then, remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: Mix seasonings into the creamy base
Reduce the heat in the pan to medium-low. Put cream cheese, sour cream, ranch seasoning and some of the cheddar cheese in the pan (Image 4). Stir constantly until a creamy even sauce remains.
Then, remove the pan from the heat. Cut the chicken breast into cubes and add cubbed chicken breast and most of the cooked bacon to the cheese mixture. Set aside some of the crispy cooked bacon for later (Image 5).
Step 4: Bake it all together with extra cheese on top
Stir the dip to combine fully and top with the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese (Image 6).
Finally, bake in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes until the cheese on top is fully melted and bubbling. Top with green onion, fresh herbs, and the leftover pieces of crispy bacon.
Storage and reheating
Once fully cooled, cover any leftovers with saran wrap or tinfoil or transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes, until warmed through. Feel free to add more cheese on top before reheating.
Check out these other delicious dips you can make for gamy day!
This recipe was developed by Courtney Spiegl. You can find her on instagram @courtney_made.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Bacon Ranch Chicken Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 8 strips of bacon
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1lb total
- 1 packet of ranch dip seasoning or ranch dressing mix or 1oz homemade ranch seasoning blend
- 16 oz full fat sour cream
- 8 oz block of cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese – separated into 1 cup and 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and cut bacon strips into smaller pieces. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until it is golden brown and crispy – about 7 minutes. Saute the bacon frequently to avoid burning.
- Turn the heat off and remove the bacon from the pan and the majority of the bacon grease. Return the heat to medium and carefully place chicken breasts in the pan. Cook the chicken breasts for 8 minutes on each side or until they are cooked all the way through.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat in the pan to medium-low. Put cream cheese, sour cream, ranch seasoning and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese in the pan. Stir constantly until a creamy even sauce remains.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Cut the chicken breast into cubes and add cubbed chicken breast and most of the cooked bacon to the cheese mixture. Stir to combine and top with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes until the cheese on top is fully melted and bubbling. Top with green onion, fresh herbs, and the leftover pieces of crispy bacon.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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