Griddled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
This griddled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich is crispy, juicy, and packed with crunchy bits of bacon on a blanket of spicy pepper jack cheese. There’s nothing simple about these flavors, so what are you waiting for?
It’s hard to beat a crispy seared chicken breast topped with homemade ranch, spicy cheese, and crispy bacon. No need for a deep-fryer, this griddled chicken breast is loaded with flavor. Read along for the process on how to make this juicy chicken bacon ranch sandwich!
Why This Recipe Works
Juicy, seared chicken breast. Flattening the chicken breast promotes even cooking throughout, speeding up the process and preventing cooking the outside too much in an attempt to fully cook the center.
Homemade jalapeno ranch. Skip the storebought and take 5 minutes to chop up a few herbs. Plus, this one has a spicy kick from jalapenos.
Griddle, or grilled. This recipe is written for a flattop griddle, but you can absolutely use any grill. Just make sure you follow the prep for chicken breast, which will be the same method no matter which cooking method you choose.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken breast – This cut works the best as a counterbalance to the rich ranch and fatty bacon. You could use a boneless thigh, but it’ll be much smaller and more rich.
- Ranch dressing – Homemade ranch is best. We’re going to make a quick jalapeno ranch dressing, which is packed with flavor and really brightens up the sandwich.
- Crispy bacon – Crumbled bacon works really well on this sandwich, but you can use full strips if you’d prefer. Try out the Smoked Bacon Crumbles for an extra boost of flavor.
- Pepper jack cheese – The flavors from the peppers shines through, adding to the overall combination. If this isn’t your thing, use any melty white cheese such as Monterrery jack, provalone, Swiss, or havarti.
Homemade Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
This is a quick recipe, which you can easily customize based on your preferences for herbs or jalapenos. Use fresh jalapenos, pickled as recommended, or even the Smoked Pickled Jalapenos here on the website.
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeños
- Salt & pepper to taste
Step 1: Prep the Chicken Breast
Use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe. We need to flatten it first so that it cooks evenly, and quickly.
Place the chicken breast on a flat surface lined with plastic wrap. Place sheets of plastic wrap over the top of the meat as well. Leave a little room between each chicken breast as we’re going to smash it down.
Use a heavy item such as a cast iron skillet to carefully flatten each chicken breast to an equal thickness. It doesn’t need to be smashed, just flattened a bit.
Apply Seasoning to Chicken Breasts
Since these will be cooked on a flat surface, it helps to add a little oil. You can use any oil you prefer, this recipe used olive oil.
Drizzle a few teaspoons over the chicken breasts and rub it over the surface. The oil will help brown the outside and also prevent the chicken from sticking to the surface.
Add your favorite BBQ rub or seasoning to both sides. This chicken was seasoned with Signature Sweet & Smoky Rub.
Step 2: Crisp the Bacon & Buns
Now that you have the ranch mixed and the chicken ready to go, it’s time to fire up the griddle.
Turn the griddle to a medium heat and place the bacon on right away. The slow increase in temperature helps to render out the fat more evenly, giving you crispier bacon. Once the bacon has cooked to your preference on both sides, remove and set aside. You may chop it into bits for serving, as shown in the recipe.
Toast the buns in the bacon grease left behind, you don’t want to be wasteful!
Step 3: Cook the Chicken Breasts
Scrape the area clean of any crumbs, and leave the griddle on a medium heat. Place the chicken breasts on the surface and allow them to sear on each side for about 3-5 minutes, or until they easily release with a spatula and you can flip.
Fully Cooked Chicken
You’ll notice in the photo above that the center of the chicken is not yet cooked. Griddle cooking has the chance to fully cook the outside while keeping the inside raw, this is a challenge with flat tops (and even grills).
Make sure you use either a lid for the griddle, or a cheese melting dome. Part of the reason why I recommend a medium heat instead of a high heat is to prevent the outside from crisping up too much while the inside remains undercooked.
The chicken breast will be safe to eat once it reaches about 158°F, as it will increase to 165°F with carry-over cooking temperatures.
Melt that Cheese
A chicken bacon ranch sandwich isn’t complete without the cheese!
Right as the chicken has come to temp, add a few slices of your cheese to the top. Shown above are 2 slices of pepper jack per chicken breast.
At this point, you can lower the heat on the griddle or shut it off completely. The cheese should melt easily from the ambient heat, and you don’t want to overcook the chicken breasts.
Assemble the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
There’s an art form to sandwich assembly. The key is to alternate textures and flavors.
I highly recommend something crunchy underneath the chicken breast, such as a few Sweet and Spicy Pickles. How you choose to layer the bacon is up to you, but I feel it works best on top of the ranch, which helps the bacon stay in place.
Don’t look at the mess of bacon on the plate, I just contradicted myself there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, and all of the steps will be the same for preparing and seasoning the chicken. You can toast the buns on the grill as well.
About 5 minutes on each side, if you flatten out the breast as shown in the recipe. It helps to use a griddle lid or a cheese melting dome at the end to ensure the middle is cooked properly.
Chicken is safe to consume at 165°F, however there is carry-over cooking. I recommend cooking the chicken breast to 158°F and allowing it to come up to temperature. Once it hits this temperature, I typically will turn the griddle off and allow it to rest with the cheese melting.
Other Chicken Recipes to Love
- Smoked Chicken Drumsticks
- Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
- Mexican Buffalo Wings
- Grilled Korean BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Griddled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
This griddled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich is crispy, juicy, and packed with crunchy bits of bacon on a blanket of spicy pepper jack cheese. There’s nothing simple about these flavors, so what are you waiting for?
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 3 teaspoons olive oil, or neutral oil
- 1/4 cup Signature Sweet & Smoky Rub
- 6 strips of bacon
- 3 brioche buns
- 6 slices of pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup of Jalapeno Ranch Dressing (recipe below)
- Handful of Sweet and Spicy Pickles
Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeños
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the chicken breasts. Lay them out on a sheet of plastic wrap, and place another layer on top. Using a heavy flat item, such as a cast iron skillet, carefully pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. They do not need to be smashed flat, just evenly. Rub the oil onto both sides of the breasts, and then sprinkle the seasoning generously on both sides.
- Cook the bacon on the griddle. Turn the heat to medium and place the strips of bacon on the griddle as it’s warming up. Flip as needed, multiple times, until both sides of the bacon is crispy to your liking. You may chop the bacon into bits for the sandwich, as shown in the recipe.
- Toast the buns. Place the buns in the bacon fat and toast them for a few minutes. Carefully remove them and set aside.
- Cook the chicken breasts on the griddle. Scrape the surface clean if needed. Add the chicken breasts to the hot griddle and cook for about 5 minutes, or until it can easily be flipped with a spatula. Cook for an additional 5 minutes and check the temperature. If the chicken isn’t at least 155-158°F internally, consider covering with the griddle lid or a cheese melting dome until it’s cooked.
- Add the slices of cheese when the chicken is ready. Turn off the heat on the griddle and allow the ambient temperature to melt the cheese. Again, use the lid or dome to assist with melting.
- Assemble the sandwich with pickles, chicken and cheese, ranch, and bacon.
Notes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Chicken & Poultry
- Method: Griddle
- Cuisine: Sandwich
