Irresistible Creamy Beer Cheese Chicken with Crispy Bacon: Your Flavorful Weeknight Delight (Lightened Up!)

Imagine golden, pan-fried chicken breasts infused with the subtle notes of beer and garlic, then generously coated in a luscious, savory beer cheese sauce. Now, picture all of that topped with irresistible crispy bacon. This isn’t just a dream; it’s the incredible Creamy Beer Cheese Chicken With Crispy Bacon, and it can be on your table in under 30 minutes! Combining the comforting flavors of beer and rich cheddar cheese into a smooth, creamy sauce, complemented by perfectly cooked chicken and the satisfying crunch of bacon, this dish is a true winner. What’s not to love about a meal that delivers so much flavor with such ease?

If you’re anything like me, the mere mention of beer cheese sauce or a hearty beer cheese soup immediately captures your attention. I adore those classic flavors, but I wanted to create a fresh twist – a way to enjoy that incredible sauce with pan-fried chicken breasts, all while ensuring the essential crispy bacon and fresh chives (which typically accompany such dishes) were not forgotten. And let me tell you, this recipe absolutely delivers!

The Secret to a Lighter, Yet Rich, Beer Cheese Sauce

One of the best aspects of this recipe is that the creamy beer cheese sauce is as lightened up as possible, without sacrificing any of its rich, decadent taste. We achieve this by using 2% milk instead of heavy cream, significantly reducing the calorie count – a smart choice, especially when incorporating beer into the mix! However, the beauty of home cooking is flexibility. If you prefer a truly indulgent experience, feel free to use full-fat milk, half-and-half, or even heavy cream. The choice is entirely yours, allowing you to tailor this dish perfectly to your dietary preferences and taste buds.

The Essential Addition: Crispy Bacon

And let’s not forget the bacon! The addition of crispy bacon takes this dish to an entirely new level of deliciousness. You, our amazing readers, have consistently raved about the bacon in our Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken With Bacon recipe, so incorporating it into this beer cheese chicken was an absolute no-brainer. It creates a symphony of textures and flavors that is simply unbeatable. The combination of cheddar, bacon, chicken, and beer creates a brilliant culinary experience – it’s a match made in food heaven! The rendered bacon fat also plays a crucial role, providing a flavorful base for our aromatic sauce ingredients.

How to Master Creamy Beer Cheese Chicken with Crispy Bacon (Without Heavy Cream)

Creating this fantastic dish is simpler than you might think, and the flavors are absolutely worth every step. Here’s how we bring it all together:

Step 1: The Flavorful Chicken Marinade

• Begin by preparing your chicken breasts. The secret to deeply flavorful chicken lies in a simple yet effective marinade: beer, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. The beer is the star here, infusing the chicken with a wonderful depth of flavor that means you don’t need many other seasonings! This technique is similar to what we use in our popular Crispy Beer Chicken recipe.
• For optimal results, pierce your chicken pieces all over with the tip of a sharp knife. This allows the marinade to penetrate deeper into the meat, ensuring maximum flavor. While a quick 20-minute soak is enough to get some flavor absorbed, if time truly permits, try marinating the chicken overnight in the refrigerator. Trust me, you absolutely won’t regret the incredible tenderness and rich flavor this extended marination provides.

Step 2: Pan-Frying for Golden Perfection

• Once your chicken is ready to cook, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before frying for more even cooking. Drain the chicken from the marinade, but don’t bother patting it dry with paper towels. We want to retain all that delicious garlicky lager flavor on the surface of the chicken to create a beautiful, flavorful crust when pan-fried.
• Heat your skillet or pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of oil. Fry the chicken breasts until they are beautifully golden brown on both sides and cooked completely through to the center. Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts, this usually takes about 6-8 minutes per side. If your pan isn’t large enough to cook all four breasts at once without overcrowding, fry them in batches of two to ensure they brown evenly and cook properly.

Step 3: Crafting the Creamy Beer Cheese Sauce

• After you’ve cooked your chicken and set it aside, it’s time to build the incredible beer cheese sauce. The key is to create a well-balanced sauce that’s rich and cheesy without being overly bitter from the beer.
• Once the sauce is made, it’s essential to taste test and adjust the seasonings to your preference. You might find it needs a little extra lager for more beer flavor, a touch more cheddar for added cheesiness, or a pinch of salt and pepper. In my experience, the cheddar cheese usually provides enough saltiness, and the specified amount of beer in this recipe offers a perfect balance without making the sauce too bitter. Feel free to customize it to suit your palate.

Serving Suggestions & Customization

This Creamy Beer Cheese Chicken with Crispy Bacon is incredibly versatile. Serve it over a bed of fluffy white rice, creamy mashed potatoes, or even alongside some al dente pasta for a complete meal. A simple green salad or some steamed vegetables would also make a perfect accompaniment, offering a fresh contrast to the rich sauce. And as always with savory cooking, feel free to add your own spin on the recipe to suit your tastes. A sprinkle of fresh chives or parsley as a garnish not only adds a pop of color but also a hint of freshness.

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5 from 1 vote

Creamy Beer Cheese Chicken With Crispy Bacon

By Karina

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

This Creamy Beer Cheese Chicken With Crispy Bacon is a phenomenal dish, ready in less than 20 minutes of active cooking time! Featuring perfectly pan-fried chicken marinated in beer and garlic, enveloped in a creamy beer and cheddar cheese sauce, and topped with crispy bacon, it’s a comfort food masterpiece.

AN ORIGINAL CAFE DELITES RECIPE

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• ▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts large
• ▢ 1 /2 cup lager
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 pinch cracked pepper

For the Creamy Beer Cheese Sauce:

• ▢ 150 grams bacon diced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter optional, if no bacon fat remains
• ▢ 1 large onion diced
• ▢ 1 stalk celery finely chopped
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/4 cup milk I use 2%, but feel free to use skim, full cream, or even half-and-half for a richer sauce
• ▢ 1/2 cup lager beer
• ▢ 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock use good quality broth for best flavor
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 dash hot sauce
• ▢ 2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (add more to suit your tastes for extra cheesiness)
• ▢ 1 pinch salt to taste, if desired
• ▢ 1 pinch black pepper to taste, if desired

Instructions

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the lager beer, minced garlic, salt, and cracked pepper. Add the chicken breasts to this mixture, ensuring they are fully coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. For a truly deeper and more infused flavor, marinate it overnight.
2. When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Heat a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of cooking oil. Drain the chicken from the marinade (do not discard the marinade, as we won’t be using it again for food safety reasons, but there’s no need to pat the chicken dry). Pan-fry the chicken breasts until they are beautifully golden brown on both sides and completely cooked through the center. This typically takes about 6-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken. If necessary, cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and ensure even browning.
3. Once cooked, transfer the golden chicken breasts to a warm plate and set aside.
4. Using the same pan, add the diced bacon and cook over medium heat until it is deliciously crisp, usually about 6 minutes. Once crispy, use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess fat. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
5. To the reserved bacon fat in the pan (or melt 2 tablespoons of butter if there isn’t enough bacon fat), add the diced onion and finely chopped celery. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and translucent, which takes approximately 6 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until it becomes fragrant.
6. Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup of lager beer and allow it to reduce slightly, simmering for about 3-4 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol and concentrate the flavor.
7. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes until it turns a light golden color, creating a roux. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock until the flour is fully combined with the liquid and no lumps remain. Next, gradually whisk in the milk and let the mixture gently simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
8. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, vegetable stock powder, Dijon mustard, and a dash of hot sauce (adjust to your preferred spice level).
9. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. Mix continuously until the cheese has completely melted into a smooth, creamy sauce. Then, stir in about 3/4 of the crumbled crispy bacon. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings as needed, adding any extra salt, pepper, cheddar, or a splash more beer if desired.
10. Return the cooked chicken breasts to the pan, nestling them into the creamy beer cheese sauce, and allow them to warm through for a minute or two. Garnish generously with fresh chives or parsley and the remaining crispy bacon before serving immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

*For the creamy sauce, you can substitute the 2% milk with heavy cream, reduced-fat cream, half-and-half, or even evaporated milk for varying levels of richness and fat content. Each will yield a delicious result!

*If your schedule is tight and you don’t have time for an extended marinade, a good 20-minute soak for the chicken in the beer-garlic mixture is still enough to infuse some fantastic flavor. Remember to pierce your chicken pieces all over with the tip of a sharp knife to help the mixture absorb more quickly. However, if time truly DOES allow, letting the chicken marinate overnight will result in an even more profoundly flavored and tender outcome.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 424kcal

Carbohydrates: 15g

Protein: 41g

Fat: 19g

Saturated Fat: 10g

Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g

Monounsaturated Fat: 4g

Trans Fat: 0.2g

Cholesterol: 115mg

Sodium: 1,846mg

Potassium: 697mg

Fiber: 1g

Sugar: 5g

Vitamin A: 569IU

Vitamin C: 5mg

Calcium: 261mg

Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below.

Craving More Chicken & Bacon Delights? Explore These Recipes!

If you’ve fallen in love with the combination of chicken and bacon, you’re in for a treat! We have more delicious recipes that feature this winning duo, perfect for any occasion. Don’t miss out on these other fantastic meals:

Skinny One Pot Chicken Bacon Fettuccine Alfredo

Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken With Crispy Bacon