These are about the easiest, Midwestern-forward tacos you can make! Just a few choice ingredients are all you need to whip up these incredibly tasty Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos; it doesn’t get much more Midwestern than that! We love our Ranch dressing in these parts, that’s for sure. When I say Chicken Bacon Ranch, I’m talking about a taco filled with sliced chicken AND bacon pieces AND drizzled with Ranch dressing.
This recipe also advises seasoning the chicken with dry Ranch seasoning because then the resulting taco dish hits you with Ranch goodness in two ways. There should be no doubt that Ranch is the unifying ingredient here.
Chicken bacon ranch clarifications:
- This dish does not contain chicken bacon - that’s not a thing.
- Ranch (standalone) refers to Ranch dressing, that wonderfully creamy and herby sauce that you can always rely on as a salad dressing option when dining out (in the Midwest).
- The word “Ranch” has no ties to actual ranching or food made by the Pioneer Woman.
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Taco recipe is especially delicious when prepared with this Grilled Ranch Chicken. Relatedly, you should also check out this Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl and Creamy Taco Soup.
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How do you make Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos?
Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos can be as easy or as custom as you’d like them to be. Pushing the easy button means reaching for a store-purchased packet of Ranch seasoning/bottle of Ranch dressing. If you’d like to tailor the flavor and have greater control over the ingredients, you could make your own Ranch seasoning/dressing.
Ingredients Needed (at a Minimum)
- 2 pounds of chicken breasts
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice
- 1 (1 ounce) packet of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
- 1 cup cooked bacon pieces, cut and crumbled into small pieces
- Ranch dressing
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Shredded lettuce
- Red onion, thinly sliced
- Cotija or feta cheese
Instructions
Place a chicken breast on a cutting board. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the thickest part of the chicken out until you achieve a uniform thickness throughout. This will ensure even cooking on the grill. Repeat with each chicken breast.
Add the chicken breasts to a plastic bag, along with ¼ cup of pickle juice. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and use your hands to help evenly distribute the seasoning over each piece of chicken through the bag.
Let the chicken marinate in the ranch pickle juice mixture for 30 minutes - 1 hour; that’s all the time you need!
Cook the chicken using your cooking method of choice. Click here for grilling instructions.
Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Assemble! Add a few pieces of chicken to a tortilla, then top with shredded lettuce, bacon pieces, thinly sliced red onion, a drizzle of Ranch dressing, and crumbly cheese.
Save the leftover bacon grease from cooking that bacon and check out Best Uses for Leftover Bacon Grease.
Suggested Substitutions
It’s okay to make some substitutions when it comes to this Chicken Bacon Ranch Taco recipe - here are a few to get you started.
- Chicken - I use chicken breasts here, but you can use thighs as well - just aim for around 2 pounds for this recipe. You can also use shredded Rotisserie chicken or perhaps you have some leftover chicken you’d like to repurpose?
- Lettuce - I love classic shredded Iceberg lettuce here, but you can also use romaine lettuce, a spring mix, or spinach.
- Ranch Dressing and Seasoning - I’m a Hidden Valley Ranch fan, but use whatever prepared Ranch dressing or seasoning you’d like. Or, make your own from scratch!
- Bacon - In a pinch, reach for prepared bacon bits or crumbles (which are usually located in the same aisle as salad dressings).
Spicy Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos - A Few Zesty Variations
Bring the heat with these spicy suggestions.
- Top with fresh or pickled sliced jalapeno peppers
- Garnish with slices of hot pickled pepperoncini (banana peppers)
- Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper into the dry Ranch seasoning used to coat the chicken
- Blend two chipotle en adobo peppers into 1 cup of Ranch dressing to create a quick chipotle ranch sauce
Top Tip
This recipe is more a suggested path to delicious tacos than a specific recipe. You should 100% prepare your own homemade Ranch dressing, smoke your own bacon, or prepare your chicken however you’d like to make this recipe your own.
Tacos, Tacos, and More Tacos!
If you love tacos, check out these other taco recipes:
- Leftover Pulled Pork Tacos
- Crispy Air Fryer Tacos
- Chorizo Street Tacos
- Green Eggs and Spam Tacos
- Ground Venison Tacos
- Doritos Walking Tacos
Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice
- 1 1 ounce packet Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
- 1 cup cooked bacon pieces (cut or crumbled into small pieces)
- Ranch dressing
- corn or flour tortillas
- shredded lettuce
- red onion, thinly sliced
- cotija or feta cheese
Instructions
- Place a chicken breast on a cutting board. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the thickest part of the chicken out until you achieve a uniform thickness throughout. This will ensure even cooking on the grill. Repeat with each chicken breast.
- Add the chicken breasts to a plastic bag, along with ¼ cup of pickle juice. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and use your hands to help evenly distribute the seasoning over each piece of chicken through the bag.
- Let the chicken marinate in the ranch pickle juice mixture for 30 minutes - 1 hour; that’s all the time you need!
- Cook the chicken using your cooking method of choice. Click here for grilling instructions.
- Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- Assemble! Add a few pieces of chicken to a tortilla, then top with shredded lettuce, bacon pieces, thinly sliced red onion, a drizzle of Ranch dressing, and crumbly cheese.
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