Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole is an easy-to-make recipe that the entire family will love. It’s loaded with chicken, broccoli, bacon, cheese, and plenty of ranch flavor. Naturally low carb and gluten free, this is the perfect recipe for weeknight dinners or meal prep for the week.
This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Statement for more information.
I feel like quite the casserole queen and so many of you are loving them too.
Many of my low carb casserole recipes have a little heat to them, like my very popular Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole and this Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole.
However, not everyone enjoys spicy food—which is why I decided to make this Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole. There may not be any heat, but there is so much flavor!
For this recipe, a layer of chicken, broccoli, and bacon is topped with a cheese mixture flavored with everyone’s favorite ranch dressing.
The dressing adds so much creaminess. It’s absolutely delicious!
Why This Recipe Works
This family-friendly recipe can be made in less than an hour. You can also prep it ahead of time, then bake for 30 minutes when you’re ready for dinner.
The low carb count makes this recipe a great choice for those following a low-carb or keto diet. It’s also a naturally gluten-free recipe.
Leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day or you can use this recipe for your weekly meal prep.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
- salt
- pepper
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 6 slices bacon (diced)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
Set the cream cheese out about an hour before you begin to allow it time to come to room temperature.
Cut the chicken and broccoli into bite-size pieces, mince the garlic, and shred the cheddar cheese.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Grease the inside of a 9×9-inch square casserole dish with butter or spray with cooking spray. You can also use a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Tip: it is strongly recommended to shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bagged cheese which contains extra starch. Freshly shredded cheese also melts much better.
Create!
Bring a medium saucepan filled 2/3rds of the way with water to a boil.
Add the broccoli, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes or until bright green.
Drain and transfer to the casserole dish.
Add the diced bacon to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
Carefully drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan and return the pan to the stove top.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet.
Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 7-9 minutes.
Add the chicken and half of the bacon to the casserole dish with the broccoli.
Return the pan to the stove top and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the cream cheese, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and the ranch dressing. Mix well.
Spread the mixture evenly over the chicken and broccoli as best as you can. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, it will melt more as it heats up in the oven.
Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and bacon.
Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Present!
Serve hot right from the casserole dish and enjoy.
Tips and Techniques
- Set the cream cheese out about an hour before you begin to allow it time to come to room temperature.
- It is strongly recommended to shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bagged cheese which contains extra starch. Freshly shredded cheese also melts much better.
- Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
FAQ’s
Can You Make Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole Ahead Of Time?
Yes. You can prepare the casserole ahead of time and keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator. Cook within 24 hours for best results.
Can You Freeze Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole?
Yes. Prepare the casserole, then cover tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the casserole to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. You can also cook the casserole from frozen but will need to at least double the cook time. Bake until it’s heated through and bubbly on top.
More Low Carb Chicken Casserole Recipes
Love this recipe for Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!
If you try this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would please leave a comment and star rating. Thanks!
Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 6 slices bacon (diced)
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken (cut into bite-size pieces)
- salt
- pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded, divided)
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease the inside of a 9×9-inch square casserole dish or a 9x13-inch casserole dish with butter or cooking spray.
- Bring a medium saucepan filled 2/3rds of the way with water to a boil. Add the broccoli, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes or until bright green. Drain and transfer to the casserole dish.4 cups broccoli florets
- Add the diced bacon to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Carefully drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan and return the pan to the stove top.6 slices bacon
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 7-9 minutes.1 1/2 pounds chicken, salt, pepper
- Add the chicken and half of the bacon to the casserole dish with the broccoli.
- Return the pan to the stove top and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the cream cheese, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and the ranch dressing. Mix well.2 cloves garlic, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- Spread the mixture evenly over the chicken and broccoli as best as you can. Don't worry if it's not perfect, it will melt more as it heats up in the oven.
- Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and bacon.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- Set the cream cheese out about an hour before you begin to allow it time to come to room temperature.
- It is strongly recommended to shred the cheese from a block than using pre-shredded bagged cheese which contains extra starch. Freshly shredded cheese also melts much better.
- Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on April 29, 2019. It was updated with new images, step-by-step instructions, tips, techniques and FAQ’s in December 2022.
Tracy says
Made this tonight it is delicious.
Lauren Vavala says
Thank you!
Barb c says
Hi! Curious: Have you actually frozen this yourself? I feel like I keep reading all of these warnings about cream cheese-based casseroles separating if you freeze them, so just wanted to check and see if you’ve had luck before I buy all the ingredients and potentially have a meltdown haha.
Lauren Vavala says
Hi Barb! I rarely have leftovers to freeze, but this casserole can be frozen. However, anytime you freeze cream cheese, it’s not going to reheat exactly the same. It may be grainy. If it separates, you can usually stir that back together, but the texture will still be different. You can also prepare all of the parts of this casserole except for the sauce and freeze that in a freezer bag. Then mix the sauce components together right before you want to cook it. Hope this helps 🙂
– Lauren
Keri says
SUPER EASY AND FANTASTIC!!!!!
Velle Mere says
Delicious! Next time, I will double the recipe so everyone can get seconds. It was that good!
Lauren Vavala says
Glad to hear it turned out great!! Thanks for coming back to let me know and for rating <3 Lauren
Susan M. says
I made this the other night for the first time. I have a 26 yr old son who was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease, so I’ve been on the hunt to find gluten free recipes to make. I added about a cup of sour cream to the recipe, and it turned out fantastic!! It was a hit for my son, his brother and myself! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, will be looking for more from you!
Lauren Vavala says
Yay! So glad it was a hit! My fiance is gluten free (most of the time – he takes short breaks once in awhile to indulge in some favorites) so a lot of my recipes are also gluten free. You can find them all in the gluten free section of the recipe index 🙂 Good luck too your son (and to you!) – Lauren
Alma says
How much is a serving? I did not see it anywhere.
Lauren says
Hi Alma. I am not able to give you an exact serving size. I make these recipes in my kitchen, versus a professional kitchen/lab. To be able to calculate nutrition all I can do is enter the approximate amount of each ingredient in the recipe and a national database calculates the information based on dividing the information by the total number of servings. Basically, just divide the total amount that you have into 6 equal portions and that’s a serving.
Sorry, its kind of hard to explain. I hope this helps – Lauren
Eden | Sweet Tea and Thyme says
Love love this casserole! A family favorite, will make again and again.
Jamie says
Such a clever way to use ranch dressing! Looks delicious!
Kristina says
This is one of my faves! So full of flavors and just down right goodness! A crowd pleaser for sure!
Kelly Anthony says
My girls love ranch dressing so this will be a perfect weeknight meal for our family. Simply delicious!
Mindy Fewless says
Adding this to my weekly menu!! Looks so good!!