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!
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?
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!
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 ¼ 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
One Pot BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pasta
written by Ashley Fehr
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
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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!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Christine!
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!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Jen!
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!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked it!
Mc says
I would definitely season the chicken before making this again!
Chelsea Johnson says
How would I do it with chicken breasts, would you cook them in the oven First?
Ashley Fehr says
The recipe calls for two raw chicken breasts, so you would just make the recipe as the recipe card instructs
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!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jen! I’m so glad to hear that!
wilhelmina says
This was a huge hit with the family! I love how easy it is to customize to what I have on hand!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks! We love it too!
Jennifer says
This was absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to make it again!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jennifer!
Lily says
Love this! It was super easy and quick to make, and it is perfect for kids.
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!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Krissy! I totally agree!
Tamara J Dachinger says
How can I make this in my Instant Pot?
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.
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.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Debbie! I’m so glad you liked it!
Eileen says
How many cups of rotisserie chicken can I use for 2 chicken breasts?
Ashley Fehr says
I would use 2!
Craig says
I love that kinda pasta, their like little springs. And hold the sauces really well.
Thanks for sharing ??
Ashley Fehr says
It does! Thanks!
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!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, Texas BBQ is amazing! Thanks Danielle!
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says
I added BBQ sauce to pasta the other day for the first time and was surprised how good it was! We’ll definitely have to try this version too – it looks amazing!
Izzy @ She Likes Food says
I’ve never thought to put BBQ Sauce in pasta but I love the idea!! It’s so summery too! This pasta sounds pretty delicious 🙂
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Well jeez, I don’t think I’ve ever used BBQ sauce in a pasta dish. I’m intrigued tho! Definitely gonna try it out this Summer!