Chicken Bacon Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes
These Chicken Bacon Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes elevate a comforting side dish into an even better full meal! With the addition of tender chicken, crispy bacon and creamy ranch, the filling is just so flavorful and protein-packed. Stuff it inside fluffy baked potatoes and you will have a totally addicting, crowd-pleasing dish!
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- parchment paper or tin foil
- fork
- large pan
- spatula
- spoon
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes washed
- 6 oz bacon
- olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ½ cup full-fat plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup ranch dressing (I used Primal Kitchen)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Use a fork to poke holes all around the potatoes, and then place them onto a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and cook for 60-70 minutes, or until fork tender. After removing the potatoes from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350F.4 large russet potatoes
- Optional but encouraged: Heavily season the cubed chicken with kosher salt and let it sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. This acts as a "dry brine" to season it from the inside out and prevent it from drying out. It really makes a big difference!1 lb chicken breast, kosher salt
- When the potatoes have 15-20 minutes left, add bacon strips to a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Transfer bacon to the oven on the second rack and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy. Blot off excess grease before crumbling or chopping it up into small pieces.6 oz bacon
- Meanwhile, bring a large pan to medium-high heat. Once hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Then, add your chicken and spread it out in the pan so that it's not overlapping. Season with black pepper.olive oil, 1 lb chicken breast, black pepper
- Let the chicken cook for about 2-3 minutes, undisturbed, then flip and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- When the potatoes are done baking and have cooled for a few minutes, carefully cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a rim around the edge to ensure sturdiness.
- Place the scooped-out potato flesh into a large bowl and use a masher, fork or hand mixer to mash it until only small chunks remain.
- Then, add in the yogurt, ranch, garlic powder and kosher salt to taste. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth.½ cup full-fat plain greek yogurt, ½ cup ranch dressing, ½ tsp garlic powder, kosher salt
- Next, stir in HALF of the cheddar (½ cup), crumbled bacon, cooked chicken and chopped green onion.6 oz bacon, 1 lb chicken breast, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cup chopped green onion
- Spoon the filling mixture back into the potato skins and top with remaining cheese.
- Transfer baking sheet to the oven to cook at 350F for 15 minutes. At the end, I like to switch the oven to broil for a few more minutes to get a golden finish on the potatoes.
- Serve with an extra drizzle of ranch and a sprinkle of green onion and/or bacon. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 1mg