Chicken Bacon Ranch Sheet Pan Nachos
Chicken Bacon Ranch Nachos because thick cut bacon and juicy sauteed chicken on a bed of cheesy Cool Ranch Dorito’s can’t be wrong. And did I mention the “kind of homemade” Ranch dressing?
We love nachos in my house and any time I come up with a winning combination, it’s worth sharing. Outsmarting a VERY picky 8 year old, one plate of nachos at a time. These chicken bacon ranch nachos were a huge hit with my family, and I had a lot of requests for the recipe on IG stories so we finally recreated the nachos with better documentation. And by we, I mean me.
I mentioned the “kind of homemade” ranch, which I make using Mexican crema and a packet of dry ranch dressing, thoroughly mixed together. The crema is lighter than using a buttermilk and mayo mixture. It drizzles nicely!
This is my absolute favorite way to cook chicken and is my own adaptation of Julia Child’s Poulet Sauté (sauteed chicken). All you need is some butter and olive oil, salt and pepper. So easy (not the healthiest but also could be worse and we are having nachos okay?).
I bake the bacon for less of a mess, and then use the same pan and foil for the nachos. You’ll want to drain off all the excess bacon grease, but it does a great job of keeping the chips from sticking to the pan. Because the bacon and chicken will already be cooked, all you need to do is heat the nachos long enough for the cheese to melt and voila. Toss the juicy, chopped chicken in some minced fresh herbs like basil or cilantro, taste the chicken to see if it needs some salt, layer it with the bacon on top of the melted cheese, top with fresh greens, drizzle on the Mexican crema ranch dressing and BOOM! Chicken Bacon Ranch Sheet Pan Nachos.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Nachos
Ingredients
- ½ bag plain Tortilla chips
- 1/2 bag Cool Ranch Dorito's
- 1 C. shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 C. shredded Colby cheese
- 15 oz. Mexican crema
- 1 packet dry ranch dressing
- 5 slices thick cut bacon
- 1 lb. chicken breast, pounded thin or sliced in half
- 2 T. olive oil
- 2 T. butter
- 2 T. minced herbs: cilantro, basil, or parsley
- Shredded romaine or arugula
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Mix Mexican crema with dry Ranch seasoning packet and place in fridge while prepping the rest of your meal.
- Preheat oven to 425. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place bacon on pan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until crispy. Flip halfway. Decrease heat to 350 once bacon is cooked.
- While bacon cooks, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Pat the chicken dry on both sides with a paper towel and then season with salt and pepper. Once the butter bubbles and the bubbles mostly clear, add the chicken to the pan.
- Cook the chicken for about 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board until you’re ready to place it on the nachos. Sprinkle minced herbs on top of chicken and you can pour any left over juices in the pan over the top.
- Remove the bacon from the baking sheet, drain all excess fat, and then line with chips. Add the shredded cheeses and return to the oven (on 350) for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to bubble. Remove from oven.
- Chop the chicken and toss minced herbs, taste for seasoning and add salt if needed, before adding to the nachos, and then add crumbled bacon.
- Add shredded lettuce or your preferred favorite greens to top.
- Drizzle with a generous amount of Mexican crema ranch dressing.
