By: Stacie HassingUpdated: 3/2/24
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This Chicken Bacon Ranch dinner is a proven flavor combination and the ultimate comfort food! Crispy cooked bacon, tender chicken, fresh veggies, and ranch dressing combine on a sheet pan for a yummy weeknight dinner that will result in an enthusiastic, “Yes!” when you ask if anyone wants seconds. Make an extra batch to store and reheat yummy leftovers to enjoy throughout the week, too.
Recipe Highlights: Chicken Bacon Ranch
One of our favorite easy recipes, this Chicken Bacon Ranch dish …
- features a proven delicious combination of flavors
- comes together with minimal prep time and a total time of under an hour
- gets baked on a single sheet pan, meaning cleanup is quick and easy
- is a high-protein, low-carb dinner that’s sure to be in your regular rotation
Ingredients For This Chicken Bacon Ranch Recipe
We use our Homemade Ranch Dressing to add the best flavor to this recipe! Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Peeled and cubed sweet potatoes – any kind will work including yams, garnet yams, and sweet potatoes. Use what you have available or what you prefer
- Fresh green beans – use 12 ounces of green beans, and trim the ends
- Red onion – may sub a thinly sliced yellow onion
- Bacon – use 3 slices bacon, and chop them into pieces. Look for no-sugar bacon to keep this recipe Whole30-friendly
- Avocado oil – may sub olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme – or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – for sheet pan recipes like this one, we prefer chicken thighs, because they cook tender and stay juicy. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts, though the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the breasts
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Ranch dressing – we use our Paleo Ranch Dressing. However, traditional Homemade Ranch Dressing or store-bought Ranch also works
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Highlight: Chicken
We do our best to consume an ample amount of protein to help increase and maintain muscle mass, boost metabolism, lower blood pressure, and keep us full! And chicken is our go-to protein source for a variety of main dish recipes.
Not only is it more budget-friendly than other proteins, but chicken is also extremely versatile and nutritious, too! For example, chicken:
- Has virtually no trans fat on its own, and can be low in saturated fat, depending on the cut
- Is rich in niacin, selenium, and phosphorous
- Is an excellent source of B vitamins
Here are the steps to make this recipe today:
- Preheat the oven, and grease a large sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the sweet potatoes, green beans, red onion, bacon, and fresh thyme to the sheet pan. Drizzle the mixture with avocado oil, and toss to coat.
- Soak up as much liquid from the chicken as possible using a clean paper towel. Then, arrange the chicken in between the veggies, and brush the tops with the remaining oil.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the ingredients, and add extra thyme leaves or twigs of thyme if desired.
- Bake until you have crispy bacon and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and drizzle Ranch on top. Serve warm!
For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition information, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
Tip!
Thin Out the Chicken
For even cooking, pound the chicken into equal-sized pieces. This is particularly helpful if you’re using thick chicken breast pieces. To do so, place the chicken in a sealable bag, and use a meat mallet, rolling pin, or a small skillet to pound the thighs until they’re roughly 1/4 inch thick.
Serving Suggestions
You can easily serve this recipe as a complete meal on its own. Or, pair it with crusty bread or Gluten-Free Garlic Cheddar Biscuits and a side salad if you want to add a little more bulk.
How to Store and Reheat
Once cooled, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or, freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Then, reheat in the microwave, the oven, or in a large skillet over medium heat just until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of pasta do you use in chicken bacon Ranch casserole?
This recipe does not contain any pasta. However, it is a nutritious twist on a classic American casserole recipe that typically features cooked pasta such as penne along with a mixture of mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese baked in a casserole dish or baking dish.
How do you make your own Ranch seasoning mix?
Skip the store-bought packets of seasoning mix, and combine herbs and spices instead. For our Ranch dressing, we use a blend of dried parsley, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives, salt, and pepper. Then, we combine the mix in a large bowl with mayonnaise and full-fat canned coconut milk. Although some people like to use sour cream, which also works well.
Can a rotisserie chicken be used in this recipe?
Sure! Just adjust the baking time as needed, cooking the ingredients just until the veggies are tender and the bacon is crisp.
Recipe
★★★★★5 from 7 reviews
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sheet Pan Recipe
Featuring a favorite combination of flavors, our Chicken Bacon Ranch with Sweet Potatoes is an easy sheet pan recipe that comes together quickly for easy weeknight dinners. High in protein and fiber, this dish is both nutritious and delicious.
Prep: 10 minsCook: 25-30 minsTotal: 35-40 mins
Pin for LaterRate recipe
Servings: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3–3 1/2 cups small cubes)
- 12 oz fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 small red onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 3 slices bacon, chopped (use no-sugar added for Whole30 option)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil, divided
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4-6 chicken thighs)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼–½ cup purchased or homemade ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Mist one very large sheet pan (about 18×26, or 2 regular size sheet pans) with nonstick spray. (NOTE: Spreading the ingredients out among a very large sheet pan or two sheet pans helps to prevent overcrowding and reduce moisture).
- Add the sweet potatoes, green beans, red onion, bacon, and thyme to the sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon avocado oil and toss to coat (because of the bacon, you just need a little oil).
- Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. Spread out veggies to make a space for each chicken thigh. Place the chicken thighs on the pan and brush them with the remaining 1 teaspoon avocado oil.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over all ingredients. Add a little extra dried thyme or sprigs of fresh thyme, if desired.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove from the oven, drizzle with ranch, and serve.
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Notes
*May use boneless/skinless chicken thighs or breasts in this recipe. If using chicken breast, you may need to add more time, depending on the thickness of the breasts OR you may need to remove the chicken from the pan/oven and cover with foil to keep warm while the veggies continue to bake to your desired doneness.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 480
- Fat: 27 g
- (Sat Fat: 7 g)
- Sodium: 709 mg
- Carbohydrate: 25 g
- (Fiber: 4 g
- Sugar: 8 g)
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 149 mg
Dietary
© The Real Food Dietitians
Recipe By: Stacie Hassing
The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.
For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
Stacie Hassing
Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she, her husband and three children reside with their dog. She’s a co-founder of The Real Food RDs and content creator of simple and wholesome recipes. She loves all kinds of fitness and has a passion to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life both in and out of the kitchen - the driving force behind the co-development of the The Real Food RDs brand.
Reader Interactions
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Audri saysI love most recipes on your site but this one is my family’s favorite! So simple and so delicious.
★★★★★
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- Stacie Hassing says
Thank you for sharing your feedback Audri! We are so happy to hear this is a family favorite! We appreciate the 5-star review!
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- Haley says
One of our go to recipes! Since finding this recipe we have made it over & over again. It never disappoints & is perfect for a quick nourishing dinner the whole family loves!
★★★★★
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- Stacie Hassing says
Always a win when the whole family approves Haley! Thanks for the great feedback and 5-star review!
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- Nicole says
My kids were excited just watching me prepare this. It has all our favorite foods in it. I have another similar recipe that our family loves but this kicks it up a notch with bacon and ranch and we loved it! Definitely going into our meal rotation. I did cook the chicken longer and at a higher temp to get crispy skin and veggies.
★★★★★
Reply
- Stacie Hassing says
Perfect Nicole! We are so happy this will be a repeat on the menu! Thanks for the feedback and 5-star review.
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