Move over Hasselback Potatoes! This Hasselback Chicken Stuffed with Bacon, Ranch and Cheddar is moist and tender and cheesy and bacony and is easy to make!
The slits in the chicken breast are stuffed with bacon and cheddar cheese and ranch-flavored cream cheese. This chicken recipe will quickly become a family favorite meal.
Bacon, Ranch, and Cheddar! Yum!
This Hasselback Chicken Stuffed with Bacon, Ranch and Cheddar will totally rock your world! You will love it! What’s not to love? It has bacon, ranch seasoning mixed with cream cheese, and cheddar cheese stuffed inside slits in the chicken breast so you get an explosion of flavor in every bite! Super Yum!!
In addition, you can feel good about eating it because it is a low-carb recipe. So if you are watching your carbs, this recipe will easily fit into your meal plan.
This ain’t no boring chicken dinner! I’ll tell you that.
What is Hasselback Chicken?
This Hasselback Chicken recipe was styled after the popular Hasselback Potato, with the horizontal slices (or slits) across the potato, which was first created way back in the 1700’s in Stockholm Sweden at a restaurant called Hasselbacken. They would make thin slices (or slits) across the potato and stuff each with bacon and cheese in between each slice. What a great idea! I bet if they had ranch seasoning mix back then, they would have added it too.
There you go. I bet you didn’t expect a history lesson with this recipe, did you?
Why should this technique be limited only to potatoes? Why not use the same technique to dress up chicken, and impress your family and guests with this Hasselback Chicken?
What Are The Ingredients For Hasselback Chicken?
For this Hasselback Chicken With Bacon, Ranch, and Cheddar, you will need the following ingredients. (See the detailed ingredient list in the printable recipe below for more specific information.)
- Chicken
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – Be sure to use thick, large chicken breasts for this recipe so there is room to stuff the chicken.
- Stuffing
- Cream Cheese – Be sure to soften the cream cheese before using it. This makes it easier to work with.
- Ranch Seasoning Mix – Use either store-bought or homemade ranch seasoning.
- Bacon
- Cheddar Cheese
- Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Chipotle Chile Powder (Optional)
How Do You Make Hasselback Chicken?
Below are the step-by-step instructions with photos. Also, see the How To Make Hasselback Chicken Video as well. Also, see the printable recipe at the bottom of the post with all the specifics.
This Hasselback Chicken Stuffed with Bacon, Ranch, and Cheddar is easy to make.
- Start by making slits in the chicken breast about a half-inch apart.
- Then mix the ranch seasoning mix with softened cream cheese and spread that inside each slit in the chicken breast. This provides loads of flavor and moisture.
- Next, add a slice of bacon and a slice of cheddar cheese into each slice of the chicken breast. Hasselback Chicken Stuffed with Bacon, Ranch, and Cheddar
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and if you want to add a little smoky spice, add a little chipotle chile powder.
How Long To Cook Hasselback Chicken
- Place this Hasselback Chicken Stuffed with Bacon, Ranch, and Cheddar in a preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink and the cheese is melted and the bacon is cooked.
Recipe Tips
- Be careful to not cut the chicken all the way through. Cut only about 3/4th of the way through the chicken. If you. cut all the way through, then the cheese will melt below the chicken and can burn while baking.
- Use large thick chicken breasts for this so you can cut slits deep enough to hold the bacon and cheddar.
- Be sure to let the cream cheese soften before using. This makes it much easier to work with.
More Hasselback Chicken Stuffing Ideas
Want to vary it up for future dinners? Check out these delicious stuffing ideas. Slice the chicken as usual, but add one of the following:
- Caprese Hasselback Chicken – Instead of adding bacon and cheddar, add a slice of tomato, mozzarella, and fresh spinach for the stuffing.
- Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken – Add sliced jalapenos to the bacon, cheddar, and cream cheese mixture to spice it up!
- Spinach Dip Hasselback Chicken – Instead of the cream cheese mixture, add pre-prepared creamy spinach dip. Yum!
What To Serve With Hasselback Chicken
- Bruschetta Roasted Asparagus – Make it a low-carb dinner by pairing the Hasselback Chicken with this delicious Bruschetta Roasted Asparagus. Impressive enough for a gourmet meal, and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
- Broccoli Salad – Always a favorite side dish and it pairs well with Hasselback CHicken.
- Creole Green Beans – Green beans with bacon, onion, and tomatoes make a delicious side dish that goes well with this recipe.
Can I Make Hasselback Chicken Ahead of Time?
- Yes! You can make the stuffing and cut the chicken and stuff it. Then cover it and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it. I recommend baking it shortly before serving.
Can I Freeze Hasselback Chicken?
- Yes. You can freeze Hasselback Chicken either before baking or after it has been baked. Place in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months.
More Chicken Breast Recipes
- Italiano (Lasagna) Chicken – Make a mini lasagna on top of a chicken breast!
- Oven-Baked Chicken Breasts – My classic, go-to weeknight chicken recipe!
- Rotisserie Chicken Breast Tenders – Don’t have time to roast a whole chicken. No Worries, just make these chicken breast tenders with a homemade Rotisserie Seasoning! Yum!
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells
Every single bite of this Hasselback Chicken Stuffed with Bacon, Ranch, and Cheddar is deliciously moist, tender, and flavorful. By adding the slits to the chicken breast, it adds incredible flavor to every bite.
Even though it looks like it might take a long time to make, don’t let the gourmet appearance fool you. This recipe really does come together quickly. Really, how long does it take to cut slits in a chicken breast? 5-seconds?
Chicken, bacon, ranch seasoning, and cheese go together so well. The flavor combination is out of this world. If you like this recipe be sure to check out my Cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta recipe. It is one of the most popular ones on the blog!
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Hasselback Chicken (Stuffed with Bacon and Cheddar)
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Ranch seasoning mix
- 4 slices bacon
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a pan with foil.
- Cook the bacon until it is just over about halfway cooked. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Make slices or slits across (horizontally) each of the chicken breasts. Make each slice about 1/2 inch apart. See photo for reference.
- In a small bowl, stir together the Ranch seasoning mix with the cream cheese.
- Using a knife, spread a small amount of Ranch seasoned cream cheese inside each slit.
- Cut the bacon slices and cheese slices to sizes that will fit into the cuts of the chicken.
- Place a slice each of cooked bacon and cheddar cheese into each cut.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and if you want to add a little smoky spice, add a little chipotle chile powder.
- Place the chicken breasts in a baking pan and cook in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes. (Cooking time may vary depending on the sizes of the pieces of chicken. If the chicken pieces are smaller, they may cook in less time.)
Video
Notes
- Be careful to not cut the chicken all the way through. Cut only about 3/4th of the way through the chicken. If you. cut all the way through, then the cheese will melt below the chicken and can burn while baking.
- Use large thick chicken breasts for this so you can cut slits deep enough to hold the bacon and cheddar.
- Be sure to let the cream cheese soften before using. This makes it much easier to work with.
Nutrition
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If you like this recipe, be sure to check out these other recipes!
Cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Christina says
I saw this and new right away that it was going to be amazing. Thank you.
Sandra says
So clever and delicious! My husband ate two. These will be on the menu often. Thank you!