Tender juicy chicken, crispy bacon, and homemade ranch dressing is piled high on crunchy taco shells to create these irresistible Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos! They are the perfect family-friendly dinner that cooks on a griddle in under 35 minutes.
Servings: 12 tacos
Equipment
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taco holder see notes
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon
- 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs about 6 thighs
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose seasoning like Shake That All-Purpose Seasoning
- 12 soft taco sized flour tortillas about 8″
For the Ranch Dressing:
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Spice That Jalapeno All-Purpose Seasoning see notes
- 1-2 tablespoons juice from a jar of pickled jalapeños
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or half and half to thin to desired consistency
Instructions
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Make the dressing – In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, seasoning, and pickled jalapeno juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to use, add 1-2 tablespoons milk or half and half, if needed to thin to desired consistency. *The dressing will thicken a bit as it sits in the refrigerator.
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Heat the griddle on low to medium (depending on what type of griddle you have). Aim for a griddle temperature of about 375℉. Season the chicken on all sides with the all-purpose seasoning, or a blend of salt and pepper.
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Cook the bacon – Add the bacon to the hot griddle and cook until crispy. Then transfer bacon slices to a paper towel to drain excess grease. Reserve about half of the bacon grease in the corner of the griddle – you’ll use that to fry the flour tortillas in a later step. Scrape the remaining bacon grease into the grease trap to clear a space to cook the chicken.
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Cook the chicken – Increase the heat to medium on the side without the grease (425 – 450°F). Place the chicken on the clear side, and cook untouched about 4-5 minutes, or until chicken is browned on the first side. Flip and continue to cook until the internal temperature reads 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Then transfer chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5-10 minutes. *Note – You may need to flip the chicken thighs a few more times for even cooking.
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Fry the tortillas – While the chicken is resting, fry the tortillas in the bacon grease on one side of the griddle until they start to brown. Then move the tortilla to the dry side of the griddle to allow it to continue to cook until lightly browned. Carefully press the tortillas into a taco holder to form them into a taco shell.
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Assemble the tacos – Slice the chicken into strips against the grain. Chop bacon into small pieces. Layer the chicken and then the bacon into the taco shells. Drizzle the ranch dressing over the top. Add lettuce, tomato, cheese or any other toppings you desire. Enjoy!
Notes
- Forming the taco shells – If you don’t have a taco holder, you can use tongs to fold over the tortilla while frying. Hold the tortilla in place to form a taco while it cooks. Alternatively, you can use store-bought taco shells, but they might not have as much flavor.
