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One-Pot BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pasta

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 5 servings

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This One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta is smoky and savory, with tender chicken breast, crispy bacon, and your favorite BBQ sauce — an easy one pan dinner idea the family will love!

one pot bbq chicken pasta in cast iron pan with green handle

I know this sounds a little crazy, but trust me on this one: bbq sauce and pasta are an awesome combination!

When I first created this recipe back in 2017, it was an original idea! You just didn’t see BBQ sauce in pasta like you do now.

I mean, I’ve always been firmly in the camp of people who put barbecue sauce in everything, so it was never a stretch for us.

This BBQ Chicken Pasta is an easy, one pot meal that the whole family loves!

And when I find an easy dinner idea that my kids will eat without grumbling, and cooks in just one pot, I just want to shout it from the rooftops.

Am I the only one?

one pot bbq chicken pasta on plate close up shot with parsley in background

This recipe came about one day when I was still working out of the home, and needed something super quick to feed my two year old. And we know how 2 year olds can be.

Since then, this pasta has been a regular on our rotation and for good reason — it’s delicious.

If your family loves all things BBQ chicken — like we do! — then I know they’ll love this, too!

overhead barbecue chicken pasta plate on marble with beige towel

Variations on this One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta:

  • You can leave out the diced tomatoes if you don’t have them or don’t like them, but you will want to increase the cooking liquid (either the broth or the milk) by 1/4 cup.
  • The milk just adds a little creaminess but isn’t essential. If you don’t have any or want to keep this recipe dairy free, just swap it for chicken broth and leave out the cheese if need be.
  • Any short variety of pasta works in here! Changing it out won’t change the cook time significantly.
  • If you want more spice, choose a spicy barbecue sauce or add an extra pinch of red pepper flakes.
  • You can skip the bacon if you don’t have any or prefer not to use it! You will just need to add a bit of oil to cook your onion and chicken.

*This post and images were updated from its original post in June 2017

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One Pot BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pasta

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 8 votes
This One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta is smoky and savory, with tender chicken breast, crispy bacon, and your favorite BBQ sauce — an easy one pan dinner idea the family will love!
one pot bbq chicken pasta on plate
Review
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 5 servings
Calories 393cal

Ingredients

  • 2 slices bacon chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 398 ml canned diced tomatoes (14oz)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
  • 3 cups rotini or other short pasta, whole wheat or white
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese marble or mozza cheese

Instructions

  • In a large pan, cook bacon and onion until onion is lightly browned and bacon is near crispy.
  • Add the chicken (we don't drain the fat as it's going to prevent our chicken from sticking!), and cook until just browned on the outside, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the garlic, salt and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any stuck on bits.
  • Add the tomatoes, milk and barbecue sauce and stir until combined. Stir in the pasta and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook on a low simmer, stirring often, until pasta is al dente (you may wish to cover the pan near the end of the cook time if the pasta is no longer submerged in the liquid).
  • Stir in cheese and serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 393cal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 1249mg | Potassium: 560mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 431IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords bbq chicken, bbq chicken pasta, one pot pasta

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Published on April 13, 2020 / Last updated on May 26, 2020

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. CHRISTINE says

    OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS!!! Ashley, you’ve done it again! Thank you so much!
    I did not use bacon, but everything else followed your recipe. PERFECT!

    Reply

  2. Jen says

    update: Made this in my power pressure cooker, still super good! Sautéed the bacon/onion/chicken inside the pot, then cooked it per the directions, under pressure for about 6 min (do whatever short time your pot has for rice/pasta – it doesn’t take long for pasta), it came out quick and perfect!

    Reply

  3. Franziska Appel says

    This was fantastic,reminds me a little bit of my goulash I make .We will make this again.Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  6. Jen says

    I never, ever thought bbq sauce would be good in pasta.. but I went on a limb and tried to due to the comments about how good it was. I have to say it is AMAZING. For sure going to be on the rotation!!

    Reply

  10. Krissy Allori says

    One pot meals are a moms best friend. So much easier and so much less mess to clean up. This one looks great. Bacon and chicken. YUM!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      I’ve never done it before, but you should be able to by cooking the chicken and bacon on saute, then adding the liquid, then the pasta. I cook pasta in the Instant Pot for 2 minutes on high.

      Reply

  12. Debbie Smith says

    I made this today because I had everything I needed in my pantry. It was delicious and oh so easy to make! I will definitely make this again and again.

    Reply

  15. Danielle says

    I love BBQ sauce in pasta! I don’t remember where I picked it up, but it was most certainly during the many years I lived in Texas. One pot recipes are the best too. I might even consider using kielbasa in place of the chicken. Perfect comfort food!

    Reply

  19. Steve says

    I made this last night for my wife. The only thing I did differently was I added half a cup of white wine after cooking the bacon and onion to deglaze the pan…the meal was wonderful, easy and quick…my wife even said…Its a keeper.

    Reply

  23. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    I don’t think BBQ sauce in pasta sounds weird at all, but probably because I have seen my husband drizzle it on everything, including macaroni and cheese. Your pasta, however, is a total upgrade from the crap my husband eats! 🙂 This looks spectacular and sounds delicious! I, too, always have left over cooked chicken on hand, so I will be sure to whip this together soon! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  25. Harriet Emily says

    My stomach is seriously rumbling right now looking at your beautiful recipe! Nothing beats a big bowl of delicious pasta, and this looks absolutely perfect! Mmm! Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  26. Lesley says

    YUM! I’m so happy I stumbled upon your website! This looks and sounds absolutely delicious, might have to cook it up this week. 🙂

    Reply

  27. Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says

    I’ve definitely had a ton of slow cooker chicken leftovers without any idea of what to do with them. I think I’ll make slow cooker chicken this weekend just so I have it on hand for this pasta to make it even quicker! Love all these flavors!

    Reply

  33. Dorothy Dunton says

    Hi Ashley! I am all about comfort food and this certainly qualifies! A rotisserie chicken from the market would make it even simpler, especially on a week night!

    Reply

  39. Beth M says

    Hi Ashley,

    I’m putting together a recipe roundup for eHow.com and would love to include this amazing recipe! Your contact page is broken (404 not found), so I had to ask your permission here. 🙂 May I use one of the photos in the roundup along with a link back to the original content? If so, please let me know by Sunday 8/24. Thanks!

    Reply

  41. Raquel says

    Hello! Stopping by from Freedom Fridays. I have to agree, I am thinking BBQ sauce? But this looks delicious. Going to have to try this for sure.

    Reply

  42. Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says

    You know I keep reading about people making chickens in the crock pot and I’m so intrigued! Especially now that I see what you can do with the leftovers; this pasta looks fantastic! Bacon makes everything better for sure. 😀

    Reply

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