Easy Creamy Chicken with Bacon & Corn (One Pot Meal)

9 months ago

Easy Creamy Chicken with Bacon & Corn (One Pot Meal)

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

I spend a ton of time coming up with recipes that will be both easy and delicious, and one pot meals are at the top of my list of favorite dishes. This Easy Creamy Chicken with Bacon & Corn (One Pot Meal) checks all of those important boxes. Crispy bacon, fresh corn cooked in bacon fat, and a delicious creamy sauce poured over tender chicken breasts is the perfect comfort food meal: simple, filling, and tasty. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta for one of those weeknight dinners the whole family will enjoy.

If you like this chicken dinner, try some of my other favorites like Baked Apricot Chicken Thighs (Easy Dinner), Best Greek Yogurt and Lemon Marinated Chicken Recipe, and One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken with Orzo & Spinach.

Some of the best features of this recipe:

Ultimate Comfort Food Vibes: What could be more of a warming, comfort food classic than bacon and corn – cooked in bacon drippings – in a cream sauce – over chicken!?

Perfect for fresh corn season: While you can use frozen corn in this recipe, definitely take advantage of all the farm fresh corn available in summer.

One Pot Meal: Everything cooks in the same large skillet, so no need to wash a ton of dishes.

Quick: You can easily have this meal on the dinner table in a touch over 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.

As with all of my recipes, Easy Creamy Chicken with Bacon & Corn (One Pot Meal) is easy and delicious with no complicated cooking techniques, no special equipment, and with simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store.

Recipe Ingredients

6 slices of bacon

2 ears of fresh corn (about 2 cups)

1 tbsp olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use thin sliced.)

1 shallot

1 clove of garlic

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp all purpose flour

Salt & black pepper

Helpful Tools

Large skillet
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Medium bowl
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Paper towels
Large plate
Tongs
Spatula
Ladle
Mug or small bowl
Instant read thermometer

Ingredient Notes

Chicken: I use thing sliced chicken breast as it cooks faster. You can make your own by carefully slicing thicker chicken breasts. See Tips & Tricks for details. You can also make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer but they will take a bit longer to cook. As always, an instant read thermometer is an accurate way to test for doneness. Chicken is cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Corn: Fresh corn is absolutely the best option if available, but you can substitute frozen. You don’t need to thaw the corn, but it will take a bit longer to cook.Be sure it is heated through.

Bacon: Personally, I need to cook an extra slice of bacon for “testing purposes.”

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Carefully slice the corn off of the cob and add it to a medium bowl. Set aside. See Tips & Tricks for recommendations on removing the corn from the cob.

2. Finely chop the shallot and mince the garlic. Set aside.

3. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Lightly salt and pepper both sides, but remember that the bacon is already a bit salty.

4. Line a large plate with paper towels.

5. Cook the bacon slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium if you find it is browning too quickly. Use tongs to regularly flip the bacon. Cook until the bacon is brown and crispy, about 8 minutes.

6. Remove the cooked bacon to the paper towel lined plate.

7. Add the corn to the bacon drippings. There should be enough grease in the pan to cook the corn, so no additional oil is needed.

8. Cook the corn, stirring with the spatula, until lightly browned. Be sure to scoop up the browned bits of bacon as the corn cooks.

9. Remove the corn, returning it to the bowl.

10. Add the chopped shallot and minced garlic to the skillet. If you find the pan is too dry, you can add up to 1 tbsp of olive oil.

11. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook on medium-high heat until golden, about 7 minutes per side.

12. Chop the cooked bacon into bite-sized pieces while the chicken cooks.

13. Remove the cooked chicken to the plate with the bacon and add the shallot and garlic to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring with a spatula, until softened, about 2 minutes.

14. Add the chicken, bacon, and corn to the pan.

15. Pour in the chicken broth.

16. Add the heavy cream in a steady stream, stirring constantly.

17. Remove a ladle full of liquid from the pan and place in a mug or small bowl.

18. Sprinkle in two tablespoons of flour and mix until combined. You can use a fork, whisk, or spoon to mix.

19. Stir the liquid back into the skillet.

20. Cook on medium heat until the sauce is thickened and the chicken cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

21. Check for doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer. It will read 165 degrees F when done. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can cut into the thickest part to be sure it is not pink.

22. Spoon the sauce, bacon, and corn over the chicken before serving.

Check out the printable recipe card below for full instructions.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Tips & Tricks

Thin sliced chicken breasts are super convenient, but they can also be a bit pricey. If you want to do it yourself, no worries! It is very simple – but make sure you are very careful. Simply place a boneless chicken breast on your work surface and, using a long, sharp knife, slowly cut horizontally through the meat. I usually hold my hand on top, but you must be sure not to lift the knife up as you work; always think pressing downward. You can also use a meat mallet and skip the slicing. Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and hit it evenly with the mallet until you achieve the desired texture.

Cutting corn off the cob is also simple – if not a little messy. Place the corn flat side down on a cutting board or a piece of parchment paper. Use a long sharp knife to slice slowly down from the top to the bottom. You want to avoid digging into the cob because that will just make mess. As always, be extremely careful with that sharp knife!

Temperature is the key to cooking bacon without making too big of a mess. I used to hate cooking bacon because it left grease everywhere, but then I realized I had the temperature too high. Now I start on medium-high heat and lower it if the sizzling becomes too aggressive, it may take a little longer, but it save me cleaning time.

Speaking of cleaning, what to do with that bacon grease? One thing you aren’t going to do is dump it down the drain, something that will eventually cause you plumbing problems. Wait until the grease cools and solidifies in the pan, then scoop it out onto paper towels with a spatula.