One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta
A super easy one pot cheesy pasta dish loaded with tangy BBQ sauce and crisp bacon – even the pasta gets cooked right in the pot!
It’s been a bit hectic here the last couple of days. Butters was neutered and Jason had LASIK surgery so between taking care of my boys, I’ve had very little time in the kitchen! Thank goodness for the one pot meal. It saved us from ordering mediocre take-out! Plus, with BBQ sauce, cheese and bacon, you just can’t go wrong.
And yes, this is another super easy one pot meal – a one pot meal where the past gets cooked right in the pot! It’s doesn’t get easier than that, right? And if you want to keep it vegetarian, you can certainly omit the chicken. There’s just so many fun flavors, the chicken may not even be missed!
One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
- 3 cups rotini pasta
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce, or more, to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes; drain excess fat, reserving 1 tablespoon. Stir in chicken and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.
- Stir in barbecue sauce and cheese until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
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You think I could use Korean BBQ sauce? (I am not adding pork btw)
Also, loving many of your Asian inspired recipes (particularly teriyaki and sesame ginger salmon, among others!)
It’s really hard to say as I have never tried using Korean BBQ sauce in a recipe like this. It is always best to use the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
Also, I should drain the can of diced tomatoes first, correct?
Yummo!! Made this last night. Super easy and very flavorful…my two teenage boys gobbled it up!
Made this dish last night and it was DELICIOUS!!!! I’ll definitely be making it again, thank you!
I made this for dinner tonight. I didn’t have any milk (BF drank the last of it with a shameful amount of oreos yesterday, lol), so I used a scoop of sour cream instead. It turned out awesome.
Out of curiosity, how do you figure out how much liquid is enough to cook the noodles, but not so much that the sauce is runny/too thin?
Trial and error is much needed to figure out just how much liquid is adequate for one pot recipes like this.
Wow this looks incredible! I love your photos!
This looks so good! Your pictures are beautiful!!! I will be making this and I’ll further comment on it. I’m sure it is so tasty! Love your blog by the way. I’ve made at least 4 recipe’s from it 🙂
Thank you for posting this recipe! I can’t wait to try it! I was wondering how much liquid to use if we omitted the can of tomatoes.
Lindsey, I do not recommend omitting the can of tomatoes. It is a crucial ingredient for flavor, texture and liquid to cook the pasta.
This was so easy and had wonderful flavor. For ease, I used bacon bits. My husband and I sprinkled the pepper flakes on our own plates so it wasn’t too spicy for the kids. I will definitely make this again.
Seriously. This was amazing. I already had a whole, deboned bird in the fridge so I just used about half of that meat. I cooked the bacon (and left in all the grease, because YES) then added the onion and garlic. After it was done I added the diced chicken to soak up a little flavor! Omitted red pepper flakes so my 8 month old could partake as well. Used Stubbs honey pecan BBQ sauce, gluten free pasta and raw local Colby cheese. My 4 and 6 year old had thirds. I don’t always leave comments but when I do it’s because the meal was damn delicious.
because YES, BACON FAT!
Delish! I didn’t have any chicken, so I used ground turkey and added jalapeños! I think next time I might add some corn. Thank you for an easy and yummy recipe!
This is sad to ask but what I can substitute for the bbq sauce ?
Sam, there really is no appropriate substitute for BBQ sauce as it is the main star in this dish. If you are allergic or not a fan of BBQ sauce, then I recommend trying a different pasta recipe. You can check out my other pasta recipes here: https://damndelicious.net/recipe-index/pasta/.
If you were trying to make this with things on hand and didn’t have BBQ sauce, you could always whip up your own bbq sauce! It’s not hard to make. You can usually find a quick recipe with either a ketchup, vinegar, or a mustard base.
I hate to even ask this, but my husband doesn’t eat cheese (he lives a sad life-lol). Do you think this would work without cheese? (I’m sure it would change the taste, but I was wondering if you think it could still work.)
Yes, absolutely! The cheese is really an added bonus so it should be just fine without it.
Thanks for your response! It looks wonderful, and we will be trying it this week!
Is there an herb that you sprinkle on at the end? In the picture I see specks of green. Just wondering if it was cilantro or basil or something else. Thank! Looks delicious.
It’s parsley but feel free to use cilantro or basil!
Goodness, you must be tired from tending to your boys! Make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken? Mmmm – how about the bacon and chicken broth?
Feel free to omit the bacon and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Are the tomatoes drained first or do you need the liquid for cooking the pasta?
You would need the liquid for cooking the pasta.
What brand if BBQ sauce did you use?
Candace, I prefer to use Trader Joes’s BBQ sauce but feel free to use your favorite kind. There’s so many varieties out there so the possibilities are endless!
One pot meals, always a life saver in my book.
I really love all these one pot recipes – keep’em coming!
Wow — I’m honoured that you found some inspiration on my site! Looks awesome!
I love your one-pot meals! Let’s be real, no one likes dishes. This is an awesome idea.